Owner and preservation groups supported designating the exterior and first-floor lobby of 66-story tower at 70 Pine Street. On May 10, 2011, Landmarks simultaneously heard testimony on the potential exterior and interior designations of the Cities Service Building at 70 Pine Street in Lower Manhattan. The 66-story tower was designed and built by Clinton & Russell, Holton & George in 1932 for … <Read More>
Council Member Recchia warned BID about working with the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. On April 28, 2011, the City Council’s Finance Committee held a hearing on the Department of Small Business Services’ plan to create the Atlantic Avenue Business Improvement District for more than 400 commercial businesses in Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill and Boerum Hill neighborhoods. The BID would extend along Atlantic Avenue between Fourth Avenue to the east, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway … <Read More>
Adult businesses challenged constitutionality of 2001 amendments to City’s zoning resolution. A Department of City Planning study concluded in 1994 that the City’s adult entertainment businesses caused certain negative secondary effects, such as increased crime and decreased property values. In response to this study, the City amended the zoning resolution in 1995 to bar “adult establishments” from all residential zones and most commercial and manufacturing districts. Adult establishments were defined as commercial businesses whereby a … <Read More>
Proposal encompasses 50 blocks and more than 6,000 businesses. On March 2, 2011, the City Planning Commission approved the Department of Small Business Services’ plan to create the Chinatown Business Improvement District for more than 6,000 businesses in Manhattan’s Chinatown. The BID would comprise 50 blocks generally bounded by Broome Street to the north, Worth and Madison Streets to the south, Allen and Rutgers Streets to the east, and … <Read More>
Concerns about how big-box retailer would affect small businesses dominated hearing. On February 3, 2011, the City Council’s Community Development Committee, Small Business Committee, and Economic Development Committee held a joint oversight hearing to debate Wal- Mart’s impact on the local community if the big-box retailer opened a store in the City. The Council convened the hearing in response to Wal-Mart’s renewed campaign to open a store in the City. Community opposition caused Wal-Mart to … <Read More>
Kenneth J. Knuckles, vice chair of the City Planning Commission and CEO and president of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, has worn many hats during his career; a community advocate, student of architecture, lawyer, deputy borough president, public servant, and business leader. After serving in the United States Army, Knuckles in 1968 joined the Architects’ Renewal Committee of Harlem (ARCH). The Committee pursued two principal goals: advocating for urban renewal and socialequity in Harlem, and … <Read More>