DUMBO Plan Approved

Residential conversion of buildings east of Manhattan Bridge now as-of-right. On July 29, 2009, the City Council rezoned a 12-block area of former manufacturing loft buildings located east of the Manhattan Bridge along Brooklyn’s waterfront in DUMBO. This approval adds to several private- and City-initiated DUMBO rezoning plans, and extends the area allowing as-of-right residential conversions from the blocks between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges to the 12 blocks east of the Manhattan Bridge.

The … <Read More>


Coney Island Plan Debated

Public comments focus on affordable housing and concerns over likelihood of development in the area. On May 6, 2009, the City Planning Commission heard extensive testimony regarding the comprehensive rezoning proposal for Coney Island. The proposal would establish a new Special Coney Island District to guide redevelopment and revitalization of 19 blocks bounded by Mermaid Avenue to the north, the Riegelmann Boardwalk to the south, West 24th Street to the west, and the New York … <Read More>


St.Vincent’s proposed expansion stirs controversy

St. Vincent’s proposed new hospital and residential development in Greenwich Village. Image: Saint Vincent’s Catholic Medical Centers.

St. Vincent’s made its case for a new building, while residents expressed outrage. Landmarks held two public hearings, on April 1st and 15th, regarding St. Vincent’s Hospital’s and Rudin Management Company’s proposal to build, within the Greenwich Village Historic District, 1.3 million sq.ft. of new residential and hospital space. The plan is arguably the largest ever proposed within … <Read More>


Changes Made to Coney Island Rezoning Plan

Planned parkland shrinks; developers get more opportunities for enclosed amusements. On April 17, 2008, the City revised its comprehensive plan to redevelop a 47-acre area of the Coney Island peninsula, after holding its public scoping meeting two months earlier.

Initiated by the Department of City Planning and the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the plan covers 19 blocks of the neighborhood, stretching from the New York Aquarium to West 24th Street, and from Mermaid … <Read More>


Trinity Real Estate’s Carl Weisbrod Reflects on Revitalizing Urban Areas

Carl Weisbrod’s office at One Hudson Square is emblematic of the changes Trinity Real Estate is bringing to Hudson Square—a neighborhood on the west side of Manhattan nestled between SoHo, Tribeca, and the West Village. A modern office space with advanced technological amenities, the building was actually designed in 1930 to accommodate printing companies. Much like the building, Mr. Weisbrod, as President of Trinity Real Estate—the real estate development arm of Trinity Church, one of … <Read More>


MAS’s Kent Barwick Reflects on Promoting a More Livable City

Kent Barwick has a stickball bat hiding in the corner of his office. He swears he does not use it, and who can argue with him? His office is in the Villard Houses in Midtown, and its courtyard is too small for a game. But physical boundaries aside, he would never have the time to show off his skills. Mr. Barwick, a graduate of Syracuse University and a Harvard University Loeb Fellow, is the current … <Read More>