Mayor Taps Three New NYCHA Directors, Including a Current Public Housing Resident

The three new appointees bring diverse experience and backgrounds to the board. On June 26, 2019, Mayor de Blasio’s office the appointment of three new members to NYCHA’s seven-member board of directors. The three appointees, Joseph K. Adams Sr., Paula Gavin, and Matt Gewolb, have traveled very different paths to the directorships.


Mayor Appoints Gregory Russ as New NYCHA Chair

Russ has worked with municipal housing authorities across the country, including in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis. On June 18, 2019, Mayor Bill de Blasio and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson announced Gregory Russ as the new Chair of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). The national search for a new chair began in January after an agreement was made between NYCHA, HUD and the Southern District … <Read More>


Major Staten Island Project OK’d by City Planning Despite Significant Opposition; City Council Up Next

The proposed zoning actions were largely disapproved by the Community Board, the Borough President, and even Staten Island’s appointee to the City Planning Commission. The Department of City Planning, along with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the Department of Citywide Administrative Services filed an application requesting several ULURP actions to help implement the goals of the Bay Street Corridor Neighborhood Plan. The Neighborhood Plan is a comprehensive plan to … <Read More>


City Planning Creates Plan Responding to Bushwick’s Rapid Development

The plan will address community concerns including affordable housing, open space, transportation safety, and economic development. On April 24, 2019, Department of City Planning Director Marisa Lago released the Bushwick Neighborhood Plan Update. The plan was created in response to the neighborhood’s rapid development, population growth, resident displacement, and lack of affordable housing from an increase in market-rate construction.


Closing Rikers Island: A Catalyst for Criminal Justice Reform

Former New York State Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, speaking at a CityLaw Breakfast on January 23, 2019, powerfully argued that the time has come to close Rikers Island, New York City’s notorious jail located on an island in the East River. Judge Lippman’s remarks echoed the 2017 recommendations of the Independent Commission on New York City Criminal Justice and Incarceration Reform which Judge Lippman chaired. Judge Lippman spoke at the breakfast in a question and <Read More>


Rezoning to Bring 330 Affordable Units to Unionport Area of Bronx

The new development will bring an affordable ownership building and a larger rental building, both financed under HPD programs. On March 13, 2019, the City Planning Commission approved an application for a rezoning in the Unionport neighborhood of the Bronx. The rezoning will facilitate a 100 percent affordable development comprised of two new buildings, containing approximately 330 units, at 2069 Bruckner Boulevard. The application was presented to City Planning by Frank St. Jacques of Akerman, … <Read More>