City Planning Commission

Energy-efficient project in Brooklyn approved

Image courtesy of ridgewood-bushwick-senior-citizens-council.org

Architect claimed that residential building would be first in the United States to conform to strict “Passive House” design standards. On March 24, 2010, the City Planning Commission approved the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s proposal to allow the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council to build a six-story affordable housing project on a vacant City-owned site at 803 Knickerbocker Avenue in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The 28,390 sq.ft. project, known as Knickerbocker … <Read More>

Large Williamsburg project approved by split vote

Opponents of proposed Williamsburg waterfront development wanted more affordable housing. On March 8, 2010, the City Planning Commission approved Rose Plaza on the River LLC’s proposed mixed-use development along Williamsburg’s East River waterfront at 470 through 490 Kent Avenue in Brooklyn. The project, known as Rose Plaza on the River, would provide approximately 800 residential units in three towers on a site currently occupied by storage and wholesale distribution businesses, and a lumber yard.

A … <Read More>

Hearing held to rezone one block of Queens Blvd.

Developer requested the rezoning in order to replace a one-story commercial structure with a twelve-story residential building. On February 24, 2010, the City Planning Commission heard testimony on Kew Point Associates LLC’s proposal to rezone an entire block bounded by Queens Boulevard, Kew Forest Lane, 78th Avenue, and Union Turnpike in Forest Hills, Queens. Portions of the block are currently zoned C4-2, C4-4, and R6. Kew Point requested that the Adjmientire block be rezoned to … <Read More>

Vornado’s 15 Penn Plaza project begins public review

Single-tenant building option for Vornado Realty Trust’s 15 Penn Plaza site. Image: Courtesy of Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects.
Multi-tenant building option for Vornado Realty Trust’s 15 Penn Plaza site. Image: Courtesy of Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects.

Proposal includes options for single- and multi-tenant building on site currently occupied by the Hotel Pennsylvania. On February 8, 2010, the City Planning Commission certified Vornado Realty Trust’s application to build a 2.05 million sq.ft. office tower at 15 … <Read More>

Proposed Sullivan Street rezoning withdrawn

City Planning Commission indicated at its review session that it would disapprove proposed mid-block extension of commercial overlay. On February 24, 2010 the City Planning Commission announced that DJL Family Partnership withdrew its proposal to extend a C1-5 commercial overlay within an R7-2 district along the east side of Sullivan Street between Spring and Broome Streets. DJL planned to demolish a one-story, mid-block building occupied by two commercial businesses at 73- 75 Sullivan Street, in … <Read More>

Variance for office tower next to High Line granted

 

BSA grants Romanoff Equities’ variance application for a ten-story glass tower next to the High Line. See story on page 8. Image: Courtesy of James Carpenter Design Associates (JCDA).

Property owner claimed that a complying development was difficult because the High Line crossed the lot. Romanoff Equities applied to BSA for a variance to construct a twelve-story, 215-foot tall office building at 437 West 13th Street, a site occupied by a portion of the … <Read More>