Curbless “Shared Street” Planned for 43rd Street Block

Vehicle speeds will be limited to five miles per hour, allowing them to share street with pedestrians and cyclists, while space will be provided for tables, chairs and plantings. On September 29, 2017, the de Blasio administration announced a plan to create a “Shared Street” on 43rd Street between Lexington and Third Avenues. The Mayor’s Office tied the creation of the shared street to the rezoning of East Midtown, and commitments to improvements to … <Read More>


Council Approves Construction Safety Training Requirement

City Council unanimously passed a landmark construction safety bill mandating worker training. On September 27, 2017, City Council voted 42-0 to pass Int. No. 1447-C, which will implement mandatory construction safety training standards citywide with equal accessibility. This bill was a controversial aspect of a package of construction safety bills, some of which were passed in May 2017. For CityLand’s prior coverage on this matter, click here.

This bill drew the most debate <Read More>


Mayor Urges Emissions Reductions for Existing Buildings

Mayor Bill de Blasio calls for emissions reductions by mandating improvements to existing buildings. On June 2, 2017, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed Executive Order No. 26, Climate Action Executive Order, to commit New York City to the principles and goals of the Paris Agreement. On September 14, 2017, the Office of the Mayor announced new mandates on building upgrades to implement the executive order. According to the Mayor’s press release, these mandates … <Read More>


Judge Orders $8.55 M Penalty for Neglected Landmark Property; Urges Parties to Find Alternative Resolutions

Court ordered owners to secure property from demolition by neglect, authorized Landmarks to take necessary steps if owners fail to comply. The Manee-Seguine Homestead, at 509 Seguine Avenue in Staten Island, was designated an individual City landmark in 1984. The house is one of the few surviving buildings in the Borough and City likely to have been constructed before 1700, with an extension built to the original one-room house in the 18th Century. In … <Read More>


Landmarks Officially Opens Archaeological Repository and Research Center

The City’s archaeological resources now stored in one secure, climate-controlled space, catalogued, and collection digitized for public. On October 5, 2016, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a ceremony unveiling the New York City Archaeological Repository: Nan A. Rothschild Research Center at 114 West 47th Street in Midtown Manhattan. The repository holds 1518 boxes of archaeological artifacts in a 1439-square-foor climate-controlled space donated by the Durst Organization. Until consolidated at the repository, the items were stored … <Read More>


Law Department Hands Over Thousands of Unredacted Records in Investigation of Rivington House

The Department of Investigation threatened to initiate a lawsuit unless the Law Department opened access to previously withheld documents and computers. On July 26, 2016, the Department of Investigation issued a press release announcing the Law Department’s compliance in producing documents and computers relevant to DOI’s investigation into the sale of the Rivington House, a non-profit nursing home, to luxury condominium developers. The press release was issued less-than two weeks after DOI issued a report … <Read More>