City Council Votes to Approve Outdoor Dining Plan

After a year and a half since the bill was introduced, the Council finally votes to create a permanent outdoor dining program. On August 3, 2023, the City Council voted to approve Int 31-C, which establishes a permanent outdoor dining program. The program will allow sidewalk cafes to operate annually and roadway cafes to operate seasonally, with removable furniture and decor replacing solid dining shed structures. The program follows the temporary outdoor dining program that <Read More>


Mayor and DOB Announce Overhaul of Sidewalk Construction Shed Rules

Sidewalk sheds stay up for an average of over 500 days, but some stay up for several years. On July 24, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo announced “Get Sheds Down,” an overhaul of the rules relating to sidewalk construction sheds (scaffolding). While the sheds are required for construction, facade inspections, and repairs, existing laws often enable property owners to leave up the construction sheds for a long time, and <Read More>


DEP and DDC Complete $54 Million Project to Improve Stormwater Management in Gowanus

On July 12, 2023, NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala, Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner Thomas J. Foley, and Deputy Mayor of Operations Meera Joshi announced the completion of a $54 million project to install new storm sewers along 3rd Avenue in Gowanus, Brooklyn. The mile-long storm sewers along Third Avenue are located between Carroll and State Streets and from 3rd to 4th Avenues for each of the east/west … <Read More>




Landmarks Designates Linden Street Historic District in Bushwick

On May 9, 2023, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to designate the Linden Street Historic District in Bushwick. The district consists of 32 brick and brownstone row houses located from 3 through 13 Linden Street on the south side of the street and 15 through 55 Linden Street on the north side of the street between Bushwick Avenue and Broadway. The historic district is the first within Bushwick.