Feedback

Community District

Find the planning projects in your community district.

Search or View map

All Projects

Quick Links

125th Street CorridorRSS

The Department of City Planning has initiated a rezoning of 125th Street in Harlem. The River-to-River study was designed to "generate a development framework for the entire 125th Street corridor between the Harlem and Hudson Rivers. The street, also known as Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, boasts a unique character and many distinct assets upon which to build. It offers a multitude of cultural, religious and institutional resources, and is well-served by public transportation." (From DCP's web page) DCP's stated intention is to encourage development of the corridor that respects the character and scale of existing buildings. Central to this goal is the creation of new zones that encourage mixed-use development, which will allow for residential, commercial, and cultural uses.

DCP completed the DEIS on the rezoning in September 2007 and certified the proposal as complete on October 1, 2007. The plan was approved by the City Council on April 30, 2008 by a vote of 47-2. Before the plan was considered by the City Council, it first appeared before Manhattan Community Boards 9, 10, and 11, as well as before the Manhattan Borough President, Scott Stringer. While Community Boards 9 and 11 approved the plan, provided certain modifications were made, Board 10 unanimously disapproved the plan and urged changes to the proposal. Borough President Scott Stringer also disapproved the plan and has sought changes to the proposal. The modifications sought by the Community Boards and Borough President generally centered around creating more affordable housing, providing assistance to local business owners that may feel pressure from larger national chains, and modifying the zoning requirements to help preserve the current culture of the neighborhood.

Supporters of the plan, including the DCP Chair Amanda Burden, believe that the rezoning will promote a more mixed-use community that still protects the neighborhood’s unique character. Opponents of the plan, however, believe that if the plan is approved as it is, it will push many residents out of the area and force the closure of many locally-owned businesses. Especially prominent in the opposition to the rezoning plan is a group called Voices of the Everyday People (VOTE People). Among other tactics, the group is promoting a petition among neighborhood residents urging the City Council to disapprove the rezoning. If the petition is signed by 20% of area residents, the City Council would have to approve the rezoning by a supermajority.

The rezoning proposal comes at a time when many projects are already underway in the area. Construction has already started on the new Harlem piers on the Hudson River between St. Clair Place and 135th Street. The old piers, located at the western end of 125th Street, were demolished fifty years ago, but the new $18.7 million piers will be completed by 2007. One of the two piers will be used for boating, while the other will be reserved for recreation.

Harlem Park is another project that is being considered. The 380-foot tall, mixed-use tower at 125th and Park Avenue is supposed to be the tallest structure in the area and connect East and West Harlem. With room for a Marriott Courtyard Hotel, office, retail and residential space, the project was supposed to break ground in early 2005 but is currently held up due to legal issues concerning the developer.

Finally, the rezoning of Frederick Douglass Boulevard (Eighth Avenue) is also part of this project affecting a 44-block area of south-central Harlem. The city has approved the upzoning of this corridor to introduce stores, restaurants, theaters and other amenities to the neighborhood.

Quick Links

2nd Avenue SubwayRSS

Plans for a subway line along Second Avenue date back to 1929. In fact, a plan developed in the 1960s resulted in the construction of several tunnel segments before work was suspended due to the city's financial crisis. In 1995, MTA began the Manhattan East Side Alternatives (MESA) Study. The project's goal was to recommend a course of action to reduce overcrowding and delays on the Lexington Avenue line, and to improve transit accessibility for residents on the Far East Side of Manhattan.

On April 12, 2007, ground was broken on the new subway line's first phase, which will run down Second Avenue from 96th Street to 63rd Street. The plan for ultimate build out of the line calls for the subway to run north to 125th Street and south to Hanover Square in the Financial District. The first phase of construction is estimated to cost $3.8 billion while construction of the entire project is estimated to cost around $13 billion. The first phase of what is now also known as the “T” line is scheduled to be completed in 2013 but there is no timetable for the rest of the project.

In November 2005, New York State voters approved the Transportation Bond Act, which contained $450 million for the project. This is in addition to the $1.05 billion the State has committed to the project and the anticipated federal commitment of at least $1.3 billion.

There are several sources of concern about the project. Some local residents are concerned about the relocation of residents in 60 residential buildings along the planned route. Partnership for New York City, a group of business executives, has published a study that, while not opposing the new subway, found that other projects, including a $6 billion rail link from lower Manhattan to Kennedy Airport, or the $2.1 billion No. 7 subway extension, would bring greater economic development. In addition, questions remain regarding financing of much of the rest of the line after the first phase is complete with full build out estimated to cost another $10 billion.

Quick Links

421-a tax incentive programRSS

The 421-a tax incentive program was created in 1971 to encourage housing development at a time when the housing market was weak. To spark residential development, the city started the 421-a program, which offered property tax exemptions to those willing to construct apartment buildings. In the mid-1980s, as the real estate market began heating up in certain neighborhoods, the city began to tweak the program. The focus shifted away from encouraging all development toward the need for affordable housing. In 1985 the city decided that in much of Manhattan – the so-called exclusion zone – developers would have to build a certain amount of affordable housing in order to qualify for the tax benefit. More recently, the zone was expanded to include areas in Manhattan between Houston Street and 96th Street, as well as the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn. Developers working inside the exclusion zone can meet the affordable housing requirement by either designating 20 percent of new projects as affordable housing, or by building a corresponding amount of affordable housing in other areas in the city. Outside the exclusion zone, any one building is still eligible for the original incentives, with no affordable housing requirement. Also, developers building in certain neighborhoods with historically dire housing problems – known as “neighborhood preservation” areas – qualify for extra incentives.

In December 2006, after weeks of negotiation, the City Council overwhelmingly approved a compromise measure that sought to balance the desire to update the program by eliminating unneeded incentives for "luxury" housing without stifling the construction boom. Under the compromise, the geographic exclusion zone was expanded to include several areas in Manhattan above 96th Street and all of Downtown Brooklyn, the neighborhoods of Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill, Park Slope, most of Fort Greene, Prospect Heights, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Sunset Park, Bushwick, and the waterfront from Red Hook to the waterfront of Long Island City, Queens. The bill also added an income cap to luxury housing developments seeking inclusion in the program.

Additional new provisions in the 421-a bill would grant 25 years of benefits only to developments that provide affordable housing, ensuring for the first time that 421-a provides an incentive for low-income housing throughout the city. In addition, the new program creates a $400 million Affordable Housing Trust Fund, targeted primarily to build in the 15 poorest neighborhoods in the city in areas outside the Geographic Exclusionary Zone. Some council members wanted an affordable housing requirement citywide, but the administration and Speaker Christine Quinn opposed that as too restrictive.

The State Legislature & Governor must approve any changes to the 421a program, as well as renew the program before it expires in December 2007. The Legislature passed 421a legislation at the end of their session in June 2007, however this legislation differed from the compromise bill worked out by the City Council and Mayor Bloomberg. Specifically, in Albany’s bills, the exclusion zone was increased, the Atlantic Yards development would receive the 421a tax break without having to build affordable housing, and government-supported middle-income housing was not made eligible for the program. Mayor Bloomberg had urged Governor Spitzer to veto that bill.

However, the confrontation is not likely to reach that point as the Mayor and Assemblyman Vito Lopez, Chair of the Assembly Housing Committee who spearheaded the State’s original bill, have reached a compromise. The terms, announced in early August 2007, allow for an expanded exclusion zone, ensure that government-supported middle-income housing will be eligible for the program, guarantee 35 years of affordability for subsidized units, and require the Atlantic Yards project to build affordable housing to qualify for the 421a program.

The Legislature is expected to take up this compromise legislation when it returns to Albany in September 2007.

Quick Links

980 Madison TowerRSS

Aby Rosen, co-founder of RFR Realty, has unveiled plans to construct a 30-story residential tower at 980 Madison Avenue on property acquired in 2004 for $126 million from the Peter Sharp Foundation. Designed by Lord Norman Foster, the modern glass structure comprised of interlocking elliptical forms will rise out of the old five-story limestone-clad Parke-Bernet Gallery building, now a spare office building between 76th and 77th Streets. The tower would contain about 18 full-floor units and duplexes spread spaciously on 22 floors.

Supporters of the project cite its bold and progressive architectural design and community amenities including 24,000 square feet of contemporary exhibition space as well as a rooftop sculpture garden. Opponents of the project claim that the project is inappropriate to the protected character of the Upper East Side Historic District and that it would set a terrifying precedent for new development in historic districts citywide. On October 17, 2006 a Community Board 8 committee voted 6-3 to reject the project in its entirety, a decision that now goes before the full board. The board’s decision, though only advisory, will be taken into account by agencies, including the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the Department of City Planning, that will ultimately decide on the plan.

On Jan. 17, 2007, without formally voting, the Landmarks Preservation Commission declined to approve the addition or support a zoning waiver, two steps that would have been essential for the project to go forward. The commission encouraged Mr. Rosen come back with another proposal for an addition to the building but hinted that only a much smaller structure would be approved.



Quick Links

Access to the Region's Core (ARC)RSS

No new rail tracks have been added across the Hudson River since the existing Pennsylvania Station tunnels were completed in 1910. With the original tunnels operating at maximum capacity and ridership continuing to increase, New Jersey Transit and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have proposed construction of a new two-track tunnel to accommodate the region's growing legion of commuters.

The $7.6 billion Trans-Hudson Express Tunnel (T.H.E. Tunnel) would double capacity across the Hudson and allow for transfer-free rides to Manhattan from all lines in New Jersey and New York's Orange and Rockland counties. The tracks would terminate at new platforms deep under 34th street that would allow transfer to the 6th, 7th, and 8th avenue subway lines, plus the PATH, Amtrak, LIRR, and NJ Transit trains at Penn Station.

Advocates highlight the job opportunities presented by the project, as well as predicted increases in both city revenue and property values along the direct lines. Critics acknowledge the need for a new tunnel, but contend that the current plan is too ambitious and will end up costing billions more than is projected. Some suggest scrapping the 34th street station annex and instead running the trains to existing platforms at Penn Station, but the Port Authority maintains that infrastructure problems preclude this possibility. Additionally, a proposal to generate $1.25 billion in funding by raising tolls on the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike has met strong resistance.

Nevertheless, the project is currently in the latter stages of environmental review, with early engineering work already underway and construction scheduled to begin in 2009.

(Last Updated: October 15, 2008)

Quick Links

Albee Square Mall TowerRSS

The Albee Square Mall has been sold for $125 million, and the new owners plan to tear it down to build 1,000 rental units -- 20 percent of which would be for tenants of moderate income. Underneath this giant apartment complex, which will become one of the tallest buildings in Brooklyn, will sit three stories of office space and four stories of new retail. The plans call for a million square feet of retail space, up from 50,000; and about 125,000 square feet of Class A office space.

All of this can be done as of right, thanks to the comprehensive downtown Brooklyn upzoning passed by the city council in 2004. The city’s Industrial Development Agency is expected to approve $3.2 million in tax breaks related to the sale for the new owners, a coalition including a nationally prominent firm, MacFarlane Partners of San Francisco. The project, to be known as the Center at Albee Square, still must go through several layers of government approval, but the new zoning allows more than 1 million square feet of development on the site. The city owns the land under the mall and a tentative deal calls for the new owners to pay $28 million in rent over the next four years.

While the city promises that the development will provide hundreds of jobs and affordable housing, opponents are fearful that a "big-box chain" such as Wal-Mart might enter the retail section of the development and further question the use of subsidies on the valuable piece of land.

Quick Links

Atlantic YardsRSS

Forest City Ratner Companies is developing the 22 acre site known as Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn. The site is at the intersection of Atlantic and Flatbush Avenues and much of the site consists of a current open-air rail yard controlled by the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA). The development plan includes an 18,000-seat basketball arena; over 6,400 units of housing; 748,000 square feet of office and retail space, including a hotel; eight acres of open space; and, parking for approximately 3,800 cars. The developer also negotiated a community benefits agreement (CBA) with a group of community stakeholders, covering a number of issues including affordable housing and local hiring. On March 3, 2005 the City and the State signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the developer. On December 20th, 2006 the Public Authorities Control Board approved the project, the last official approval needed to begin construction.

For supporters, the project would bring jobs, housing, a world-class sports and entertainment complex and economic development to the affected neighborhoods and the borough. For opponents, it is an ill-conceived, out-of-scale proposal that would squander taxpayer dollars, displace existing residents and businesses, bring few benefits to the area, and swamp adjoining neighborhoods with traffic.

Opponents of the plan have filed several lawsuits seeking to stop the development and/or change the way it is being implemented. These include:
1) A Federal lawsuit concerning the appropriateness of the Empire State Development Corporation's (ESDC) use of eminent domain. The suit contends that the use of eminent domain is almost exclusively for private benefit, rather than public benefit. While a federal circuit court has ruled in ESDC’s favor, opponents are appealing that decision;
2) A State lawsuit challenging the environmental review of the project based on the contention that the review did not fully address traffic and security issues; and,
3) A State lawsuit claiming ESDC did not provide proper compensation for residents being displaced by the project. This suit was dismissed by a State panel, but the residents are planning on appealing that decision.

Quick Links

Bayside RezoningRSS

On April 12, 2005, the City Council approved the Department's rezoning proposal for Bayside and the new R2A district both of which are now in effect. The goals of the Bayside rezoning proposal are to preserve the area's established detached and semi-detached character and to ensure that future residential development is consistent with that character. Councilman Tony Avella says the Bayside rezoning "lays a foundation for other low-density neighborhoods in Queens." The proposal has three principal components:

1) Establishment of a new citywide R2A zoning district, based on the current R2 district but with new floor area allowances, lot coverage requirements, and revised height and setback regulations;

2) Rezoning of much of the Bayside area from R2, R3-1, R3-2, R4 and R4A to lower-density or contextual zoning districts (R1-2, R2A, R3A, R3X, R3-1, R4-1, R4B);

3) Rezoning of selected C1-2 selected commercial overlays, including removing overlays on two block fronts and modifying selected C1-2 and C2-3 overlays by reducing their depth from 150 feet to 100 feet.

27,000 properties in Bayside and its surrounding neighborhoods are eligible for R2A rezoning.

Quick Links

Bayswater/Far Rockaway RezoningRSS

The Department of City Planning rezoned 82 blocks in the Bayswater and Far Rockaway areas of Queens. The rezoning was designed to preserve the character of the neighborhoods. R-2 zoning was changed to R1-2, and R3-2, R-4, and R-5 zoning was changed to R3A, R3X, and R4A zoning. Community Board 14 has held hearings on this issue, and the Queens borough president recommended approval.

Quick Links

Bedford Stuyvesant RezoningRSS

The Department of City Planning has certified a rezoning of the southern portion of Bedford-Stuyvesant. The rezoning was urged by Brooklyn Community Board 3, as well as local elected officials and civic groups, to preserve the character of existing residential neighborhoods, while creating new opportunities and incentives for what the city terms “moderate-size” residential construction and affordable housing development. The new zoning would focus future growth on Fulton Street and Atlantic Avenue, while downzoning most of the area north of Fulton Street, with the exception of the major north-south avenues. In addition, the City's Department of Housing Preservation and Development will assist the development of affordable housing by providing financing.

The City Planning Commission held a public hearing in August 2007. The City Council unanimously approved the rezoning on October 29, 2007.

Quick Links

Briarwood RezoningRSS


The proposed rezoning of Briarwood, a neighborhood in Central Queens consisting of 39 blocks abutted by Parsons Boulevard to the east, Queens Boulevard and the Van Wyck Expressway to the west, Grand Central Parkway to the north and Hillside Avenue to the south, was initiated by the Department of City Planning (DCP) on October 1st, 2007. The DCP reacted in response to neighborhood concern that the current zoning allows for building types that threaten the neighborhood’s distinct character. The Briarwood Civic Association consulted with the DCP to make sure this rezoning looks more closely at the greater neighborhood context than the current zoning did, which was adopted in 1996. The proposed zoning allows for primarily one and two-family detached houses and some three story multi-family apartments where greater density is appropriate, but at a moderate scale. While a portion of the neighborhood will continue to be zoned R6A for taller, denser multi-family residential buildings, it is a significantly smaller portion than what was previously considered appropriate. There are existing areas, which allow for mixed-use and commercial development, which are not being rezoned at this time due to their inherently commercial nature and location near major roadways. The idea is that any changes that have been made were done in a way to reflect the existing building types in each area to maintain the fabric of the neighborhood. Many in the community believed that the zoning established in 1996 endangered this fabric. The Department of City Planning certified the rezoning application and subsequently sent it on to Community Board 8 for their review.

The Department of City Planning presented a rezoning proposal for the Queen’s neighborhood of Briarwood to Community Board 8’s land use committee at a public hearing. The committee unanimously passed the proposal, which has been widely approved by both the Community Board and the community. Community groups such as the Briarwood Civic Association have been involved since the start of the process doing research and proposing changes to be included in the rezoning. Based on the level of community involvement, there has been little contention over this rezoning. Community Board 8, the Queen’s Borough President’s office, and the City Planning Commission have all approved the rezoning as of January 28, 2008. Continuing with the ULURP process, the City Council is the last to review the rezoning and must make their decision by March 28, 2008.

Quick Links

Bricktown CentreRSS

The South Shore of Staten Island is growing into an attractive retail location, and Bricktown Centre made a major footprint in the area with a 400,000 square foot retail center, featuring a number of large national chain stores. The site had been the borough's largest vacant city-owned parcel, and had been undeveloped woodland. Environmental concerns reduced the original plan from 67 to 43 acres.

Quick Links

Brig Redevelopment, Wallabout BrooklynRSS

The Department of Housing, Preservation & Development issued a RFP for the redevelopment of the Brig, a 104,600-square-foot site located in the Wallabout/Fort Greene section of Brooklyn in July 2006. The Brig, adjacent to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, was originally a federal naval prison and was later used as a City correctional facility. The building will be demolished leaving a large site for the development of up to 400 new homes and apartments, of which more than two thirds will be affordable housing, and commercial and community space. The area is bounded by Flushing and Park Avenues, and Clermont and Vanderbilt Avenues. The RFP follows an International Design Workshop hosted by HPD in December 2003 and a Community Task Force on the future of the site announced by Mayor Bloomberg in July 2004.

The residential component of this redevelopment will include a mixture of homeownership and rental units as well as supportive housing. Supportive housing is subsidized permanent housing with social services. A minimum of 50% of all homeownership and rental units, not including the supportive housing units, must be affordable with at least 30% of the units for middle-income families and 20% for low-income families. At least 75 supportive housing studio units must be provided and affordable to low-income families, many of whom will be formerly-homeless. Landscaped open space and a community facility with a minimum of 15,000-square-feet of space will be part of the redevelopment. The site will be conveyed to the selected developer for $1.00. Three development teams submitted bids for the chance to buy the former Navy Brig site. A community advisory task force considered the proposals (without having learned the names of the bidders, which were kept secret) on Feb. 6, 2007 and HPD expects to name the winner by March 2007.

Quick Links

Brooklyn Academy of Music Cultural DistrictRSS

City officials are planning to transform the area between Fulton and Lafayette streets near Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn into a cultural haven for artists and performers, as part of the greater Downtown Brooklyn improvements being made. The $650 million BAM Cultural District will be built around the existing Brooklyn Academy of Music and will include a library, dance studio, public park between Fort Greene and Willoughby Square, museum and gallery, underground parking and a residential high-rise. The project will also include the 299-seat, Frank Gehry-designed Theater for a New Audience, which is supposed to start construction in 2008 and will be located on Lafayette Street across from the existing BAM opera house. The dance studio is slated to be inside the 20-story residential tower, half of whose apartments are supposed to be affordable. The new Visual and Performing Arts Library will be part of the Brooklyn public library system and will be located on Flatbush Avenue. These new additions and improvements are designed to help improve the street level amenities in the area, which is notorious for poor pedestrian accessibility. The city will submit a request for bids on the projects in February 2007.

The first completed segment of the BAM Cultural District is the 30,000 sq ft. office space named 80 Arts located on Hanson Place and South Portland Avenue. 80 Arts houses local non-profit art organizations with affordable office space and shared amenities such as gardens and rehearsal space. A specific focus was placed on selecting organizations run locally by women and minorities.

In November 2007, developer Carlton Brown of Full Spectrum was chosen to build the multi-income residential building and cultural center, Danspace. He has gained support from many locals as well as city councilwoman Leticia James because of his long-standing ties with Brooklyn and his African-American background. Many believe that bringing diversity to the development process will help to build a more well-rounded community for everyone. The unusual design will allow for increased air-flow and light in the units, half of which are to be low-income or affordable. Construction of Danspace is not set to begin until 2009, however with the developer chosen forward progress is expected as part of the second phase of development in the area.

Also part of the second phase of development are the Theater for a New Audience, renovations of the Strand Theater, the BAM Annex (an addition of performing and community space on the already existing BAM facility) and an ongoing streetscape and community design initiative. A big component of the design aspect is the Visual Arts Plaza, located on Ashland Place linking these cultural facilities together and creating a public outdoor space for the community. The first of these projects are expected to begin construction in early 2008.

Quick Links

Brooklyn GreenwayRSS

In 1993, the Brooklyn Waterfront Trail was identified as a priority route in the Department of City Planning's Greenway Plan for New York City, which outlined a vision for a citywide 350-mile network of greenways. The Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway project area now spans 14 miles of Brooklyn waterfront.

When completed, it will provide a human scale connection between numerous waterfront communities now divided by highways and transit infrastructure. Benefits will include more waterfront access, better quality of life, healthier lifestyles, more diverse transportation options, and increased economic development, as more people find Brooklyn a desirable place to live or relocate their business.

The proposed Greenway will stretch from Sunset Park to Newtown Creek in Greenpoint. Within the 14 mile Greenway will be the Brooklyn Bridge Park and other large-scale redevelopments. In addition to the planning for the Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the New York City Economic Development Corporation has recently focused on the planning and redevelopment initiative to help guide the future of Brooklyn Piers 7-12. On May 31, 2006, ownership of Piers 1, 2, 3, and part of Pier 5 was transferred from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation (BBPDC), a significant step in the completion of the project. A map of the greenway is linked on the right.

Opponents have filed suit against the Empire State Development Corporation for including shops, restaurants, a hotel and 1,210 condos to the Brooklyn Bridge Park plan. The ESDC insists that private fund are needed to maintain the project.

Quick Links

Brooklyn Navy YardRSS

The Brooklyn Navy Yard spans the length of the Brooklyn waterfront from Vinegar Hill to Williamsburg. The complex of 40 buildings covers over 300 acres and has four functioning dry docks and five active piers. The Navy Yard was an active military instillation until 1966 when it was closed and sold to the City of New York for $24 million. Today, it functions as an industrial park with tenants representing a variety of uses from construction to office space. One of the major tenants is Steiner Studios, the largest film and television studio complex outside of Hollywood. The Bloomberg administration has an expansion plan for the Navy Yard expected to generate up to 800 new jobs in the coming years.

Through new construction on underutilized or vacant parcels as well as renovation of outdated buildings the City is expected to increase the amount of space available in the Navy Yard by 10 percent over the next 7 years. As part of this expansion a “green” historical center will be built to celebrate the history of the area as well as to provide community meeting space and office space. Steiner Studios has invested over $50 million for renovations and expansions and plans could include a graduate film and production school for the space. In February 2008, the Navy Yard has agreed to join with Steiner Studios to create a “media campus” and to encourage green manufacturing companies to find a home at the site. There are also plans to dredge and fill in the basin off Kent Avenue in Williamsburg to create 4 more acres of developable land as well as up to 3,000 jobs.

Another part of the expansion is to build a much-needed supermarket and office space for the area on what is known as Admiral’s Row. This row of mansions built during the Civil War, historically housed high-ranking naval and maritime officials, however have not been inhabited since the 1970’s. Originally plans were to tear down the dilapidated buildings as the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation held they are beyond repair. Local preservationists have contested this is not the case and these buildings should be renovated and preserved. The National Guard currently owns the properties and has assessed that the majority of the structures are sound and renovations will cost approximately $20 million. The Navy Yard and the City have stated they will not be interested in these properties if they are required by the federal government to rebuild these structures due to high cost. In January 2008, the National Guard decided to delay any demolition of Admiral’s Row frustrating community board members and the City while delighting preservationists. Talks about the future of this parcel are said to resume in March 2008.

Quick Links

Bush Terminal ParkRSS

The Bush Terminal piers in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, had long been an active port until industrial contamination made them unusable in the 1970s. Now, the city and state have combined to give $36 million to develop a new park at the site, located on 23 acres between 43rd and 51st Streets. The state will provide $17.8 million, the city $9 million and the federal government $8 million for the largest grant ever awarded for a brownfield site by New York state. The city's Economic Development Corporation will be in charge of constructing the park as well as new waterfront access points to link upland communities. As the early designs continue to evolve, ball fields, a fishing pier, restaurants, a banquet hall and an indoor ice rink have all been added to park plans.

Quick Links

Clinton Hill/Ft. Greene RezoningRSS

At the request of Community Board 2, local civic groups and elected officials, the Department of City Planning proposed contextual zoning map changes and a zoning text amendment for 99 blocks located within the Fort Greene and Clinton Hill neighborhoods including the Wallabout area of Brooklyn. Under the current R6 zoning, construction of tall apartment buildings without a height limitation is permitted and has resulted in buildings that are inconsistent with the typical brownstone character of the neighborhood and historic districts. Much of the community’s concern stems from the massive, 22-acre Atlantic Yards basketball arena and high-rise development approved at the intersection of Flatbush and Atlantic avenues. Residents fear that Atlantic Yards (which is not subject to city zoning) will encourage more high-rise development in the quiet, low-rise brownstone neighborhoods. Already, a number of out-of-scale, 11- to 13-story tower developments are proposed or have been constructed that are inconsistent with the low-rise, row house neighborhood character. The proposed contextual zoning districts -- R5B, R6B, R6A, R7A -- would protect and preserve the predominantly brownstone character of the neighborhood's residential core and provide opportunities for apartment house construction and inclusionary zoning incentives for affordable housing on Myrtle Avenue, Fulton Street and Atlantic Avenue within the rezoning area. Specifically it would allow six- to eight-story mixed-use apartment and commercial buildings along Atlantic Avenue, while allowing mixed retail and residential buildings along the commercial corridors of Myrtle Avenue and Fulton Street. The proposed rezoning was approved by the City Council in July 2007.

College Point Police AcademyRSS

The Bloomberg administration has announced plans to consolidate the New York City Police Academy on a new campus in College Point, Queens at the present site of the city’s largest auto pound. The new campus will occupy a lot bounded by College Point Boulevard, 28th Avenue, 31st Avenue and Ulmer Street in a largely industrial area near Shea Stadium. The yet to be designed complex will include an elaborate firing range, a 12-acre field for emergency-vehicle training, a 450,000 square-foot physical training area, 250 wireless classrooms, a 100,000 square-foot “tactical village” with a subway car and mock street scenes, and 250 beds for visiting law enforcement agencies. The administration has allocated $1 billion in the capital budget for the campus and expects construction to begin in the fall of 2009, after the completion of the city’s land use review process. When completed, the complex will replace the crumbling Academy on East 20th Street, between Second and Third Avenues, the firing range at Rodman’s Neck in the Bronx, and the vehicle training facility at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn.

In May of 2008, city officials selected Perkins+Will and Michael Fieldman Architects to design the new facility. The team of architecture firms are working with officials from both the New York Police Department and the city's Department of Design and Construction in designing the plans.

Quick Links

Columbia University ExpansionRSS

Over the next fifteen to twenty years, Columbia University plans to develop about 17 additional acres near its 36-acre campus in order to meet a pressing need for space. In order to proceed, Columbia University requested a zoning change for the area, which was granted by the City Council in December 2007. In addition, Columbia is seeking to acquire all of the land on which it plans to build, possibly through the use of eminent domain, which would be exercised by the State.

Project supporters argue that Columbia University has much less space per student than its peer universities and must expand; that the expansion creates many more jobs than it displaces; and that the university has pursued the project with the community's interests in mind. Project opponents argue that the project will eliminate or displace key manufacturing jobs in Manhattanville; that the up-zoning will ruin the scale of the Manhattanville neighborhood; and that the university is working with the state to condemn private property that it cannot acquire on the market.

To help advocate for additional benefits to the community from the proposed development, the community formed the West Harlem Development Corporation, a Local Development Corporation, to negotiate a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) with Columbia. The two parties have not yet reached on a comprehensive agreement, however, they have agreed on an outline for a CBA. The outline commits Columbia to spending $150 million over the next 12 years. Portions of that funding would go towards a community-based school run by Teachers College, as well as funding for affordable housing and legal aid services. In addition to the CBA, Columbia is still negotiating with three landowners in the area regarding the sale of property on which the University plans to build.

Before the City Council approved the rezoning, Manhattan’s Community Board 9 rejected the proposal, and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer approved the proposal. The City Planning Commission also approved Columbia’s proposal, while at the same time approving Manhattan Community Board 9’s 197a community planning proposal. On the same day that the City Council approved Columbia’s rezoning request, the Council also approved CB9’s 197a plan. The rezoning plan has the force of law, while the 197a does not.

Quick Links

Columbus CircleRSS

With the recent completion of the Time Warner Center, renovations to the monument and circle itself, and restoration of the 2 Columbus Circle building, the Columbus Circle area of midtown Manhattan is quickly growing into its own small neighborhood. The area, which runs between 54th Street and 63rd Street and between Broadway and West End Avenue, is seeing significant growth in luxury condominium and apartment development, with at least three major developments currently under construction. In October 2006, consumer electronics retailer Best Buy signed a 15-year-lease on 46,000 square feet just north of the Circle.

Quick Links

Con Ed Site RedevelopmentRSS

Developer Sheldon H. Solow and the East River Realty Company (ERRC) had proposed a 6.1 million square feet commercial and residential development on the East Side of Manhattan. The approximately 9.2 acre site stretching between 34th and 41st Streets along the East River is owned by Con Edison and is now largely vacant. The original proposal called for a 1.5 million sf office tower and six residential that would include totaling 4,166 housing units. The towers would range between 528 and 864 feet tall, all taller than the current 505 feet of the UN secretariat building. The towers were designed by Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill and Richard Meir. The plan also called for over 1,500 parking spaces.

As the plan moved through the ULURP process, there were several modifications. ERRC has agreed to set aside approximately 600 units for affordable and workforce housing and has agreed to build a school for approximately 600 students. The number of parking spaces has also been scaled back to approximately 400. Despite these changes, the Community Board and local elected officials, such as Councilmember Daniel Garodnick, still have concerns about the proposal. Those concerns include the belief that the development is too dense for the area and that the inclusion of significant commercial uses is out of character with the neighborhood. In addition, many are concerned that the proposed 50 to 60 story towers, which will be far taller than the nearby UN secretariat, will be out of place in a neighborhood of mostly 40 story towers.

Both Manhattan Community Board 6 (CB6) and Borough President Scott Stringer recommended that ERRC’s plan be disapproved by the City Planning Commission (CPC) and City Council. CPC, however, voted to approve the plan in January 2007, paving the way for the City Council to review the plan and make a final determination. The City Council will hold its public hearing on the plan on Monday, February 25, 2007.

In addition to ERRC’s application to rezone the area from manufacturing to a more mixed-use zone, CB6 also prepared a rezoning plan for the site – a 197c plan – as well as a more general 197a plan for a larger portion of the community district. CPC approved CB6’s 197a plan, with some modifications, at the same time they approved ERRC’s rezoning plan. However, CPC has not yet given CB6’s 197c plan approval to begin the ULURP process.

Quick Links

Coney Island DevelopmentRSS

Investments in Coney Island, like the construction of the Brooklyn Cyclones’ KeySpan Park, restoration of the Stillwell Avenue Terminal, and development of substantial amounts of infill housing within the community, have all laid the groundwork for further development in Coney Island. In 2003, the City mobilized the Coney Island Development Corporation to plan and implement economic and development strategies like developing vacant property for commercial and residential use, including housing, retail stores and a community center.

Mayor Mike Bloomberg announced the strategic plan in September 2005, committing $83.2 million in funds to keep the projects rolling. Projects will continue in the area through 2009 as more private funds become available. Thor Equities purchased 14 acres of boardwalk land in the hope of building a $1.5 billion entertainment destination. Thor's plans include a mix of amusements, attractions, and housing. Thor's project calls for a water-park-themed hotel, another full-service hotel, time-share facilities, new retail, a multilevel carousel and a 4,000-foot roller coaster. The project is awaiting city approval. In October 2006, the New York City Economic Development Corporation and Wildlife Conservation Society chose three designs – stemming from a contest announced in June – for a renovation of the New York Aquarium.

Some long-time vendors will be forced to leave as a result of the revitalization plans, causing concern about what will happen to the unique Coney Island experience. Some opponents also claim that Thor Equities is less interested in amusement development, and is instead just waiting for the city to make a zoning change that will allow residential development in hopes of being able to ‘flip’ the properties for a substantial profit. In February 2007, Amanda Burden, chair of the Department of City Planning (DCP), announced that the area would be inappropriate for luxury housing, a component of Thor Equities plan that they have described as necessary to finance the amusement area. In response to Ms. Burden’s comments, Thor Equities has proposed confining the 900 units in a single 40 story tower on Stillwell Avenue’s west side near Surf Avenue. This marks Thor’s first compromise from its original plan, which called for spreading the housing out among four boardwalk locations within the proposed 425,000-square-foot amusement complex.

In November 2007, DCP released their comprehensive plan and proposed rezoning for Coney Island. The City’s plan is in accordance with the Mayor’s Strategic Plan previously announced in 2005 and hopes to make Coney Island a year-round entertainment destination with major commercial and housing revitalization. The rezoning covers a 19-block area with the amusement area as a focal point. The existing amusement area will be renovated, rebuilt, and expanded keeping important city landmarks such as the Cyclone intact while also inviting private development of new and improved indoor and outdoor amusements and concessions. This area will be designated as parkland in order to keep the amusement district on Coney Island in perpetuity. Over 4000 units of housing are expected with this rezoning as well. Through the use of the Inclusionary Zoning program, 900 units are expected to be affordable. The new zoning will also allow for a wider variety of uses to create a more integrated mixed-use community. The creation of hotels and restaurants, neighborhood retail, connections from Surf Avenue to the beach as well as a continuous beachfront boardwalk and park are just a few of the expected improvements. By creating 3 special districts the City hopes to control the uses, height and density of the development in order to maintain the current view corridors, iconic skyline features, and contextual buildings for the area. Developer Thor Equities is said to be somewhat disappointed with the City’s vision however continues to work with the appropriate agencies and community members in this long process. The City would need to acquire land currently owned by Thor in order to fully realize the plan as well.

As of January 2008 the City has begun holding public meetings to get community feedback and involvement in the process. A public scoping meeting was held on February 13, 2008 to discuss the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). As a result of the initial scoping hearing, several changes have been made to the Rezoning Plan, including reducing the proposed parkland to 9 acres from 15 acres and to balance indoor and outdoor recreation and entertainment uses in Coney Island East. A second public scoping meeting was held on June 24, 2008. Commets from public hearings are being considered for the Final Scope of Work and the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The environmental review process is not expected to be completed until December of 2008. The Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) will not begin until the environmental review is complete.

There is also a review process involving state legislation due to the loss of parkland associated with the rezoning, as an area near Keyspan Park, currently being used for accessory parking, is being considered for incorporation into the mixed-use district in the comprehensive plan. This State involvement may cause some delay in the process as there is some contention on the issue.

In September of 2008, co-owners of the amusement park Astroland, which operates on land owned by Thor Equities, announced that they would be permanently shutting down the amusement park because of the inability of the two sides to work out an adequate lease agreement. While Astroland's current lease runs through January of 2009, the co-owners have said that the time from September-January is needed to dismantle the amusement park and sell the rides. The City has tried to intervene to keep the amusement park from closing.

Quick Links

Cooper Square Urban Renewal AreaRSS

In 2000, Chrystie Venture Partners (CVP) was selected to construct a $230 million mixed-use development, one of the largest development projects in HPD's history, on four sites in the Cooper Square Urban Renewal Area. When completed, CVP will create 712 residential units - 25 percent of which are reserved by the city for affordable, below-market-rate-rent apartments - almost 200,000-square-feet of retail space and a 30,000-square-foot community recreation center. In addition, two community gardens, the Liz Christy Garden and the Rock 'n' Rose Garden, at the corners of Houston Street with Second Avenue and the Bowery, will be preserved.

In June 2005 AvalonBay Communities opened the first of its luxury rental apartments in the Cooper Square development, realizing the city’s long-term vision for the redevelopment of the location on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The project represents part of the last leg of the community’s alternate plan to former city planning czar Robert Moses’ 1969 scheme to build a Stuyvesant Town-like complex of buildings in an urban renewal area between Delancey and Ninth Streets, between the Bowery and Second Avenue. Led by the Cooper Square Committee, local housing activists in the 1970s got the urban renewal zone reduced to the area between Stanton and Fifth Streets and fought to preserve much of the existing housing stock for low-income residents. In the 1990s, a Cooper Square Task Force was created to come up with a concept plan for projects on the final few largely undeveloped sites.

Avalon Chrystie Place also includes a community center — built by AvalonBay — which includes a competition-size pool. The neighborhood community center, operated in a partnership between University Settlement and the Chinatown Y, is located on the Bowery and opened in early 2006. In 2007 Whole Foods Markets will be opening one of their largest retail stores in the country in the first and second floors of Avalon Chrystie Place. While Avalon Chrystie Place is now nearly completely rented, AvalonBay has begun construction on its second rental apartment building — on the Bowery and the north side of East Houston Street. A nine-story building, it will feature 206 rental apartments, a lounge, a roof terrace, and fitness center for residents, along with 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space.

An important part of the entire Cooper Square project is the affordable apartments. Each of the three AvalonBay buildings includes affordable apartments. The Phipps Houses, a nonprofit housing developer, under the supervision of the City Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the State Housing Finance Agency, is managing the program for the affordable apartments. In addition, Phipps Houses is constructing a fourth building located on the Bowery at East First Street, which will offer 42 affordable apartments and ground-floor retail space.

Quick Links

Cross Harbor Freight TunnelRSS

In 1893, a vision for a cross harbor freight tunnel began. By the 1920s it became an early goal of the Port Authority but was abandoned in 1941. Under Mayor Giuliani, the tunnel plan gained new momentum in 1998, when he asked the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) to study the project.

Proponents of the plan say that a growth in goods movement over the past 50 years and the continued growth of demand for goods in the region require greater capacity for freight transportation across the harbor between New York City and New Jersey. According to the Cross Harbor Freight Movement Project, an organization formed in 2001 to plan and promote the tunnel project, the demand for goods in the New York metropolitan area is projected to grow about 70% by 2025. They argue that while New York has invested heavily in transportation infrastructure for moving people from region to region, the development of freight connections from the City to the concentration of air, rail and port freight facilities in the “West-of-Hudson region” have been ignored. The result is that the freight transport system in New York City relies predominantly on truck transport over a limited number of river crossings, causing congestion, delays and disruptions in shipping services, and additional costs for shippers and buyers.

The EDC completed and released their study of the project in 2000, generally concluding that the tunnel would be financially feasible and would result in a reduction of air pollution, traffic congestion, accidents, and costs to shippers.

The preferred alignment of the tunnel, according to the Cross Harbor Freight Movement Project, would be from Greenville Yards in Jersey City, NJ to Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

The cross harbor freight tunnel has received mixed support since Mayor Giuliani left office in 2001. Critics continue to question whether this dated plan will appropriately serve the modern needs of the region. Residents in Brooklyn and Queens have opposed the idea of designating land in their boroughs for rail terminals due to the noise and vibrations caused by rail traffic. In 2005, Mayor Michael Bloomberg voiced his opposition to the project, citing negative neighborhood impacts. During his gubernatorial campaign in 2006, former Governor Elliot Spitzer released a transportation agenda that omitted the tunnel project as a priority, but urged further study of its costs and benefits. In 2007, Mayor Bloomberg reconsidered his opposition to the project and agreed to meet with Representative Jerrold Nadler, one of the project’s biggest supporters.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey revived the project in October 2007 by agreeing to conduct a feasibility study funded by $100 million in federal dollars allocated in the federal Transportation Equity Act of 2005.

Quick Links

Domino Sugar FactoryRSS

The Community Preservation Corporation (CPC), a nonprofit organization, and Isaac Katan, a private developer, are in the planning stages for a project combining market-rate, moderate-income and low-income housing in the former Domino Sugar refinery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. They purchased the site in 2004 for $55,831,875. Initial plans call for four towers of approximately forty stories to replace the Domino Sugar Factory buildings. Community Preservation Corporation Resources, the development arm of the CPC, is seeking a zoning change for the unused space. While the city initially committed itself to finding an industrial use for the site, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Daniel Doctoroff has recently admitted that the city is involved with the project.

Fearful that residential development will destroy the architectural significance of the site, the Waterfront Preservation Alliance of Greenpoint and Williamsburg, the Municipal Arts Society and the Landmarks Conservancy formally asked the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission to consider the old sugar factory for landmark status in September 2006. The preservationists, supported by City Council member David Yassky, want any development to conform to the factory. The CPCR said it is waiting for the results of the historical and structural studies prior to revealing the scope of work publicly and have thus far denied requests by Brooklyn Community Board 1 Zoning Committee to present such plans.

Quick Links

Downtown BrooklynRSS

On May 10, 2004, the City Planning Commission unanimously approved all of the actions of the Downtown Brooklyn Development Plan. On June 28, 2004, the City Council adopted this comprehensive development plan to facilitate the continued growth of Downtown Brooklyn. The plan recommends a series of zoning map and zoning text changes, new public open spaces, pedestrian and transit improvements, urban renewal, street mappings and other actions that would foster a multi-use urban environment to serve the residents, businesses, academic institutions and cultural institutions of Downtown Brooklyn and its surrounding communities. Critics of the plan are concerned that new, more upscale retailers coming to the area will drive out existing businesses.

Quick Links

Downtown JFK-LIRR LinkRSS

In June 2007, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority expects to release a feasibility study for a proposed rail link between Lower Manhattan and JFK. Proponents say the project, which would cost approximately $6 billion, would allow workers from Long Island to reduce their commute times to lower Manhattan by 40% and create a “one-seat” trip from downtown to Kennedy Airport. Schumer has pledged $2 billion in unused 9/11 tax credits toward the estimated $6 billion price tag.

While groups which support the project cite the importance of transit access to Lower Manhattan’s revitalization, several organizations, such as the Straphangers Campaign and the Fiscal Policy Institute, have expressed concern that the rail link would come at the expense of more pressing transit priorities such as the Second Avenue Subway and East Side LIRR Access. Gov. Spitzer has expressed only tepid support of the plan and has insisted other transportation initiatives remain a priority.

Quick Links

DUMBO RezoningRSS

The NYC Department of City Planning received a petition for comprehensive rezoning in October 2003. The plan would rezone Brooklyn's DUMBO neighborhood from M2 & M3 to mixed use. The details are still emerging, but key community concerns include: ensuring new developments fit into the neighborhood; preserving waterfront access; retaining some light industry; and encouraging affordable housing.

Quick Links

Dyker Heights/Fort Hamilton RezoningRSS

On July 25, 2007, the City Council approved the Department of City Planning’s recommended rezoning of Dyker Heights and Fort Hamilton. The approval came after a ULURP process in which Brooklyn Community Board 10, the Borough President, and the City Planning Commission approved the proposal without modification.

The area that was rezoned is generally bounded by the Bay Ridge Division railroad right-of-way at 62nd Street to the north, Poly Place to the south, 14th Avenue to the east and the Gowanus Expressway to the west. Encompassing approximately 160 blocks of Dyker Heights and Fort Hamilton, the plan aims to mirror the existing scale and character of areas low-rise blocks. New, moderate-density residential development will be directed to commercial corridors such as such as Fort Hamilton Parkway, 11th Avenue and 13th Avenue north of Bay Ridge Parkway which are already defined by three-to four-story row houses with ground floor retail uses. It is expected that the zoning for these areas will provide opportunities to develop residential buildings with ground-floor retail.

Supporters of the project expect that the rezoning will help to maintain the character of the community by preventing plans to demolish one and two family houses for the purposes of larger construction.

Quick Links

East River PlazaRSS

With numerous major development projects in the works in East Harlem, community groups have mobilized effectively to fight what they see as out-of-character development.

One troubled project in the area is East River Plaza, a 475,000 square foot retail center to be built over the abandoned Washburn Wire factory. The project was approved by the City Council in 1999, but funding troubles kept the project grounded until interest was renewed when Forest City Ratner bought a stake in the project in 2004. The project was originally to cost $87 million, but has ballooned into a most recent estimate of at least $300 million. Retail chains Target and Home Depot would anchor the mall.

Quick Links

East River Science ParkRSS

The New York City EDC has recently announced plans for an East River Science Park, which will hold over 500,000 square feet of offices, laboratories, and public space. Upon completion in 2009, the $400 million complex will have three buildings encompassing 1.1 million square feet of specialized laboratories and office space. It will occupy 3.5 acres in Manhattan between East 28th and 29th Streets and First Avenue and Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive. The parcel currently holds a parking lot and an old laundry building that is part of the Bellevue Medical Center campus.

In August 2005, Mayor Bloomberg announced the designation of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. as the developer of East River Science Park. Alexandria did not have to purchase the land, however. It negotiated a land lease with the city for 49 years with two 25-year options. Once construction is complete, Alexandria will pay the city $2 million a year, a figure that will escalate over time. The EDC believes that creating this concentrated local for the study of biosciences will increase the industry’s presence in New York, which is currently limited. The development is being funded by the New York Investment Fund and will connect with NYU Medical School and Bellevue Hospital. Infrastructure work will be paid for with $13.9 million from the city, $27 million from the state and possibly $2 million in federal money. There will also be property tax abatement over 25 years worth $251 million, and breaks on city and state sales tax and recording taxes worth about $22.7 million.

One concern is that currently the remains of Sept. 11th victims are being held on the site, and Bloomberg has promised that they will not be moved until interment in the Sept. 11th memorial.

Quick Links

East River WaterfrontRSS

In 2003, the Mayor's Office, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the Department of City Planning, and the New York City Economic Development Corporation began the East River Waterfront project. After completing a one-year study on the area, DCP and EDC released the Concept Plan for the project in 2005. The plan details a series of short-term projects and long-term strategies that aim to reconnect the financial district, the South Street Seaport, Chinatown and the Lower East Side neighborhoods to the East River waterfront. Improvements will include enhanced access to the water, new amenities and uses, and increased open spaces for visitors along a two-mile stretch of waterfront. The projects, which are to be funded by $150 million of federal money administered by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, are slated to be completed in segments between 2010 and 2015.

On February 26, 2007, the City Planning Commission certified the ULURP application for site selection and disposition of city property, actions deemed necessary to implement the waterfront plans. The planning process has not been without controversy, with local Community Boards voicing concern over the disposition of land and provision of adequate park space.

SHoP Architects and Ken Smith Landscape Architects – who were involved in the development of the concept plan, have been retained by EDC to work on detailed designs for the esplanade and piers project. To date they have released preliminary plans for the redevelopment of Pier 15, which were received with mixed reviews. Mayor Bloomberg recently announced plans for the New York City Waterfalls public art project to be installed in the area. The $15 million project, to be paid for with money from private donations, is expected to bring $55 million in tourism.

Quick Links

East Side AccessRSS

The East Side Access (ESA) project will connect the Long Island Rail Road's (LIRR) Main and Port Washington lines in Queens to a new LIRR terminal beneath Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. The new connection will increase the LIRR's capacity to provide service into Manhattan, dramatically shorten travel time for Long Island commuters, and provide a new commuter rail station in Sunnyside, Queens.

Construction was scheduled to begin years ago but has been delayed due to funding issues. The MTA is pushing forward with the plan, selecting a contractor for tunneling in July 2006 and estimating the project will be completed by 2013. Cost estimates remain unclear and continue to rise. Federal government projections estimate the project to be over $7 billion.

Quick Links

Far Rockaway and Mott Creek RezoningRSS

The Rockaways have been undergoing a revival, as housing prices have been increasing at 10 to 15 percent per year recently. This encouraged increased high-density development, which the existing community claimed would destroy the character of their neighborhood. In response, 21 blocks of the Mott Creek and Far Rockaways neighborhoods were “down-zoned” in August 2005. The rezoning prevents further high-density development, but does not prevent new construction altogether. It also allows current residents to expand their homes more easily.

The “down-zoning” was controversial, with neighborhood groups and civic associations arguing that the rezoning preserved “traditional character” of the area, would preserve limited road access, and prevent flooding. Real estate developers opposed the rezoning. The New York City Council approved the zoning changes on September 15, 2005.

Quick Links

Far West Village RezoningRSS

The City Council approved the application to rezone the Far West Village on October 11, 2005, and the zoning changes have since been in effect. The rezoning plan covers a 14-block area of the Far West Village in Manhattan. The goal of the rezoning was to restrict high-rise development and encourage new development to stay within the 19th century-era character of the neighborhood.

Quick Links

Federal Housing PolicyRSS

The Federal Government wields a great deal of influence over New York’s housing markets. Below are brief summaries of some of the diverse policies and programs it utilizes to exert that influence. While each of these tools sparks its own set of controversies, a few fundamental questions about federal housing policy run throughout all of the debates: Should federal aid be directed at urban or rural areas? Should policies focus on homeownership or rental housing? Should funding be place-based (providing support for physical developments or communities) or people-based (providing support to individuals seeking affordable housing through vouchers or other means)? Among place-based strategies, should aid be allocated to the developers who build the housing or the local governments who administer and subsidize the programs?

Section 8 –
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) oversees the Section 8 Housing Choice voucher program, which is administered by 2,500 Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) throughout the country. Created under the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, with funding subject to annual appropriation by Congress, the Section 8 program seeks to provide additional choice to those receiving public housing benefits and to de-concentrate the incidence of public housing. As such, it provides a voucher—usable in any residence meeting program quality standards—that subsidizes the portion of market-rate rent above 30% of the recipient’s income (30% being the traditionally accepted standard for affordable rent). The program currently provides over 115,000 vouchers for subsidized housing to residents of New York City, the bulk of which are distributed by the New York City Housing Authority (which operates the largest Section 8 program in the nation). The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal also provide a limited number of vouchers to city residents.

From 2003 to 2006, Congress and HUD made a series of controversial changes to the Section 8 funding model, which left many large PHAs unable to issue new vouchers or cope with declines in tenant incomes and increased utility costs. As a result, program rolls shrunk by 150,000 vouchers between 2004 and 2006. Appropriations were increased in 2007 and again in 2008 in response to repeated budget shortfalls, but PHAs and tenant organizations maintain that funding remains inadequate and anticipate continued declines in the number of program participants. The proposed Section 8 Voucher Reform Act, (H.R. 1851), passed by the House and under committee review in the Senate, would address these concerns by mandating annual funding renewal for all existing vouchers plus an additional 20,000 vouchers each year for five years.

Program critics, on the other hand, contend that costs must be contained further and advocate sweeping changes to the program’s administrative structure and eligibility requirements. On the eligibility side, reformers call for revising or eliminating income targeting requirements. Currently, one must earn 50% or less of the area median income (AMI) to qualify for the program, and 75% of all vouchers must go to those earning 30% or less of the AMI. This directs aid towards those with the lowest incomes, but it also raises the cost of each voucher (because the difference between market rate rent and 30% of the recipient’s income is larger, requiring greater subsidy). Critics argue that higher income limits should be set in order for the program to either serve more families with the existing budget or serve the same number of families at a lower cost (since targeting higher income recipients would result in a reduced per-voucher expenditure). Other proposals include raising the tenant contribution cap above 30% of income and instituting time limits on program participation.

In addition to cost concerns, the Section 8 program has come under fire for failing to disperse the concentrated and intractable poverty that many saw as the legacy of traditional public housing. Recent studies have shown that voucher holders tend to cluster in certain geographic areas, either due to the refusal of landlords in other areas to accept Section 8 vouchers or because of the location preferences of voucher holders themselves. In March 2008, the New York City Council attempted to eliminate the former problem by passing a law that bans landlords from discriminating against Section 8 participants. The c