HPD Announces Modular Affordable Housing in East New York

The program will create studio to four bedroom homes for low income and formerly homeless individuals. On March 4, 2019, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) announced plans to develop 167 affordable units on City-owned land in East New York. The program is being developed by a team led by Thorobird Companies along with nonprofit partner Bangladeshi American Community Development and Youth Services (BACDYS) and will have a unique modular design to hold … <Read More>


HPD Announces Plans for Two Mixed-Use Affordable Housing Developments on City-Owned Sites in Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen

The new buildings will provide affordable housing, space for businesses, and social services from partnering non-profits in the Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen community. On February 13, 2019, Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer announced the selection of development teams to build approximately 260 affordable housing units on two City-owned sites in the Clinton and Hell’s Kitchen neighborhoods of Midtown Manhattan. The sites were identified for development into affordable housing through the Hudson Yards Plan<Read More>


Public and Private Partnership Develops Affordable Mixed-Income Building for Jamaica, Queens

The new building will have a variety of amenities and 111 parking spaces for residents. On February 12, 2019, HPD and HDC announced the completion of Alvista Towers, a 380-unit, affordable housing development in Jamaica, Queens. City agencies and private sector firms came together to develop this project as part of the City’s affordable housing initiative. The involved parties were the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC), … <Read More>


City Planning Commission Proposes Zoning Changes to Limit Overuse of Excessive Mechanical Voids

The proposal discourages clustering mechanical voids in a way that inflates building heights. On January 28, 2019, the CPC announced the beginning of public review of the proposed rezoning plan to limit the use of excessive voids that artificially inflate tower heights in residential buildings. Currently, these voids, or multiple floors of empty space, are not counted as zoning floor area in the Zoning Resolution.


Innovative Shared-Use Building to Bring Affordable Housing and Modern Library to Sunset Park

The shared-use building is expected to be completed in December 2020. On February 6, 2019, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer announced that HPD is joining Fifth Avenue Committee, Inc., Brooklyn Public Library, and New York State Homes and Community Renewal in bringing a new, first of its kind, shared-use model building to Sunset Park, Brooklyn. The eight-story building will house both Sunset Park’s new state-of-the-art public library and 49 deeply … <Read More>


Amazon Cancels Plans for Long Island City Headquarters in Sudden Announcement

The new headquarters would have brought at least 25,000 jobs in exchange for nearly $3 billion in tax incentives. On February 14, 2019, Amazon announced the company was canceling its plans to open a new headquarters located in Long Island City, Queens after political pressure from local and state lawmakers.