Aid Needed for 2nd Ave. Business, But How?
By Dan Rivoli
Second Avenue Subway small businesses have been seeking help for years as the massive construction project has cut deeply into their profit margins and left many struggling to stay open.
The only two concrete proposals that have been offered—legislation to create a state grant fund and a property tax abatement—failed in Albany. Read more
CHANGES TO COMMUNITY BENEFIT AGREEMENTS
By Dan Rivoli
A city task force has announced recommendations to public benefit agreements, in which a developer does something positive for the neighborhood in exchange for the ability to build larger or get a subsidy.
Comptroller John Liu, who convened the task force, believes these agreements can be unenforceable and are often done on a project-by-project basis. Read more
WORK AROUND THE CLOCK
By Dan Rivoli
Get out the earplugs: Construction crews started working around the clock this week on the Second Avenue subway route.
At 7 a.m., Sept. 20, crews started work that will last 24 hours until Sept. 27 to complete necessary gas main connections on East 87th Street.
This work will require East 87th Street between First and Second avenues to close down intermittently from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The block will be completely closed between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., Monday through Wednesday. Read more
Competing Views of Land Use Process at Charter Revision Meeting
By Dan Rivoli
The commission charged with updating the city charter recently heard suggestions on changing the public land use process.
A five-member panel of experts representing city government, community planners and the real estate industry gathered at the Queens Public Library in Flushing June 24 to testify in front of the Charter Revision Commission. Read more
Waterfront Land Swap Deal Promises More Open Space
By Roland Li
The New York City Economic Development Corporation and city’s Parks Department are pushing to convert portions of Robert Moses Playground to non-park space so that the United Nations can build a tower. In exchange, the city would get funding for waterfront development in the Midtown East area. Read more
The Mayor’s Race: Focus on Housing & Development
When it comes to housing and development, New York City often devolves into a war zone. The battle over Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, defeated plans for a Jets Stadium on the Far West Side of Manhattan and the commercial and residential development of Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn have aroused deep emotions, as developers, elected officials, affordable housing advocates and neighborhood preservationists fight for land in a city with limited space.
But the drama isn’t exactly unwarranted. Read more
REPORT STALLED PROJECTS TO CITY
With the number of dormant East Side projects increasing during the economic slowdown, owners of construction sites may need to notify the city when development will be suspended or resumed.
Council Member Jessica Lappin, with her West Side colleague Gale Brewer, sponsored a bill that would force developers to keep the Department of Buildings abreast of major scheduling changes. The legislation would also require developers to create a detailed plan for maintaining safety so that sites can be monitored by the department.
Currently, when work stops for 12 months, permits lapse. During this period in between construction, the sites are not always well maintained in a way that protects the public, Lappin said.
“At best, abandoned construction sites are an unsightly blight on a neighborhood,” Lappin said. “At worst, they can be unsafe.”
