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Broadway Walkway Here to Stay
February 11th, 2010

For all you Times Square revelers, the Bloomberg administration is going to give you a little more room to stretch your legs — permanently.
broadway
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan announced this morning the pedestrian plazas at Times and Herald Squares were here to stay. When the plazas were first announced in February last year, the administration said they would be made permanent if they improved traffic flow on 6th and 7th avenues and if it made the areas safer for pedestrians.

The results, according to the administration, will allow tourists and New Yorkers alike to sit back and relax in the plazas colorful furnishings for years to come.

According to the Department of Transportation, travel speeds for trips north in West Midtown improved by 17 percent from fall 2008 to 2009, compared with 8 percent in East Midtown. For trips south in West Midtown, travel speeds fell 2 percent. East Midtown had an increase of 3 percent, according to the transportation department.

Before this morning’s announcement, some speculated that the results would not be good enough to keep the plazas. A report in the New York Times said officials found the results “disappointing.”

Disappointing or not, Times and Herald Squares have officially been taken over by pedestrians.

Pictured above is Times Square now and below is a video from the transportation department about the project.

By Courtney Gross on February 11, 2010, 11:56 am
In category: City Hall, Community Development, Crime & Safety, Environment, Gotham City, Governing, Health, Land Use, Parks, Transportation, nextNY | No Comments »

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Libraries Lose Hours
February 4th, 2010

librariessm

Photo (cc) 2007 timetrax23 ©

The New York Public Library announced this morning it would reduce hours at two-thirds of its locations thanks to a nearly $6 million mid-year budget cut.

It will keep all of its locations open six days a week, but five of nine locations will no longer be open on Sunday. On average, neighborhood locations will be open 45 hours per week — a decrease from an average of 51 hours.

These service reductions are from cuts to the city’s fiscal year 2010 budget, which ends in June. Mayor Michael Bloomberg released his preliminary fiscal year 2011 budget last week. In that, the New York Public Library would be cut another $8.2 million.

“The unfortunate reality is that more cuts loom on the horizon, and unless there are substantial changes to city and state financial plans, we will be forced to make extremely difficult choices over the next two years,” said New York Public Library President Dr. Paul LeClerc in a prepared statement. “We will make every effort to ensure that any further cuts are as painless as possible for our patrons, who need our services such as job search assistance and free classes more than ever.”

Of the library system’s six networks, the only one unaffected is Staten Island.

The new hours will take effect Feb. 16. Here is list of all the changes.

By Courtney Gross on February 4, 2010, 11:56 am
In category: Albany, City Hall, Economy, Electoral Politics, Gotham City, Land Use, Public Finance, nextNY | No Comments »

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Musical Chairs
January 19th, 2010

As promised, today starts the seat swapping in the Bloomberg administration.

For the next three weeks, first deputy commissioners will be assigned to another agency in the hopes of breaking down bureaucratic barriers. The idea was integral to the mayor’s inauguration address on New Year’s Day. Some assignments have been done with specific policy proposals in mind, such as the swap between Department of Consumer Affairs and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, who are tasked with focusing on foreclosure prevention.

Here are the assignments:

Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) — DOE
Administrative Justice Coordinator (AJC) — CCPC
Business Integrity Commission (BIC) — DSNY
Center for Economic Opportunity (CEO) –CUNY
City University of New York (CUNY) — CEO
Citywide Events Coordination and Management (CECM) — NYC & Co
Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) — CHR
Commission for the United Nations Consular Corps and Protocol (UN) — MOIA
Commission on Human Rights (CHR) — CCRB
Commission on Women’s Issues (CWI) — MOCDV
Commission to Combat Police Corruption (CCPC) — AJC
Community Affairs Unit (CAU) — CECM
Criminal Justice Coordinator (CJC)– Law
Department for the Aging (DFTA) — MOPD
Department of Buildings (DOB) — NYCHA
Department of City Planning (DCP) — HDC
Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) — SCA
Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) — HPD
Department of Corrections (DOC) — DHS
Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) — EDC
Department of Design and Construction (DDC) — DCLA
Department of Education (DOE) — Parks
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) — DOF
Department of Finance (DOF) — MOO
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DoHMH) — DOC
Department of Homeless Services (DHS) — HHC
Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) — DCA
Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) — MOFTB
Department of Investigation (DOI) — MOCS
Department of Parks and Recreation (Parks) — DEP
Department of Probation (DOP) — ACS
Department of Sanitation (DSNY) — BIC
Department of Small Business Services (SBS) — HRA
Department of Transportation (DOT) — DDC
Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) — DOP
Design Commission (Design) — DOT
Economic Development Corporation (EDC) — SBS
Fire Department* (FDNY) — NYPD*
Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) — CAU
Housing Development Corporation (HDC) — LPC
Human Resources Administration (HRA) — DoHMH
Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) — DOB
Law Department (Law) — DOI
Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) — DFTA
Mayor’s Office of Contract Services (MOCS) — CJC
Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre, and Broadcasting (MOFTB) — DoITT
Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) — UN
Mayor’s Office of Operations (MOO) — DCAS
Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs (MOVA) — CWI
Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence (MOCDV) — MOVA
New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) — DCP
NYC & Company (NYC & Co) — DYCD
Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) — TLC
Office of Emergency Management* (OEM) — FDNY*
Office of Labor Relations* (OLR) — OMB*
Office of Management and Budget* (OMB) — OLR*
Police Department* (NYPD) — OEM*
School Construction Authority (SCA) — Design
Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) — OATH

Those with an asterisk are participating in the second phase of the program starting February 1.

By Courtney Gross on January 19, 2010, 2:32 pm
In category: City Hall, Civil Rights, Community Development, Economy, Education, Electoral Politics, Environment, Governing, Housing, Immigrants, Land Use, Law, Measuring UP, Parks, Transportation, Waterfront, nextNY | No Comments »

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Signature Theatre Finds a Home
December 22nd, 2009

theater

After years of struggling to get on stage somewhere near Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan, the Signature Theatre Company has found a home in Hell’s Kitchen just mere blocks from Broadway, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and members of the company announced this morning.

On the still-cement ground floor of a building under construction on 10th Avenue, stars (yes, Maggie Gyllenhaal was spotted!) officials and theater-lovers gathered to unveil the company’s new address — to be known as the Signature Center. The theater, which will have an interior designed by the architect Frank Gehry, will be just one part of the building developed by the Related Companies. The entire 59-story structure will also include a 800 new housing units, 160 of which will are for low-income families, and it comes with a $800 price tag.

The company’s space will be comprised of three distinct theaters, rehearsal studios, a cafe, bookstore and administrative offices.

Following September 11, 2001, the company planned to relocate to a Gehry-designed building in Lower Manhattan at the site of the Ground Zero reconstruction. They were slated to also share the space with the Joyce Theater. But in 2007, the company accepted an offer to relocate — with the city’s help — because the shared space proposal proved to be cost prohibitive.

The city is contributing $25 million to the theater’s construction.

Today, donning a hard hat and nearly drowned out by the sounds of construction workers hammering and drilling overhead, Bloomberg dipped his hands in cement to solidify the announcement. And then the crowd applauded (though there was no standing ovation).

“Theater makers leave only three things behind: legends, play scripts and from time to time, when the economy’s good, landlords get it, when the mayor and City Council support it, buildings,” said Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Tony Kushner, whose works will comprise the company’s 2010-11 season.

The theater is slated to open in 2012.

By Courtney Gross on December 22, 2009, 2:15 pm
In category: Arts, City Hall, Economy, Electoral Politics, Gotham City, Housing, Land Use, Public Finance, Social Services, nextNY | No Comments »

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Air Pollution Borough by Borough
December 15th, 2009

Image provided by the mayor's office

Image provided by the mayor's office


The Bloomberg administration released its first ever street-level air survey chronicling the air quality in every borough. The survey showed that Manhattan’s high traffic areas have the worst air quality.

The survey compiles data, including measurements of particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and elemental carbon, gathered from 150 sites throughout the city last winter. The survey was conducted as part the mayor’s PlaNYC 2030 — his vision for sustainability in the five boroughs.

In a prepared statement, the mayor, who is at the United Nations climate change summit in Copenhagen, said, “We are collecting air samples around the city at ground level so we can measure the air New Yorkers breathe while walking on the streets. This study clearly demonstrates the impacts that pollution from vehicles and certain oil-burning boilers has on our neighborhoods – and it shows us that the most densely populated areas are also the most polluted.”

The level of pollutants correlated with the level of traffic and building fuel use, according to the survey. All of these contaminants are associated with health problems, like asthma and emphysema.

Just last week, the City Council approved legislation to force large buildings in the city to conduct energy audits every decade. When first introduced, the bill would have also required those buildings to implement the audits’ recommendations, but it was retooled following criticism by property owners. It does require those buildings to conduct maintenance to reduce their energy consumption.

By Courtney Gross on December 15, 2009, 6:14 pm
In category: City Hall, Community Development, Electoral Politics, Environment, Gotham City, Governing, Health, Land Use, Law, nextNY, sustainability | No Comments »

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Kingsbridge Vote About Traffic, Jobs?
December 14th, 2009

riveradiaz
Pictured above are Councilmember Joel Rivera and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. at a rally following the council’s vote.

In a rare move, the City Council rejected a proposal from the Bloomberg administration and developer The Related Companies to redevelop a massive armory in the northwest Bronx this morning.

After weeks of debate, the council voted against the proposal, which would have turned the Kingsbridge Armory into a large shopping mall, by a vote of 45 to 1, with one abstention. The project was effectively toppled by a disagreement between the community, the administration and the developer over whether to require the mall’s retailers to pay a living wage, which the community defined as $10 an hour. Today the City Council, led by its Bronx delegation, sided with the community.

For months the subject of a living wage monopolized the discussion over the Kingsbridge Armory. But any living wage settlement would have likely been agreed to in a community benefits agreement, which is not subject to City Council approval. Therefore at its meeting today, council members cited other areas of the developer’s land use application that did fall within their purview, like traffic, as a reason why the proposal was rejected.

“We have been very clear that there were a number of issues, many have been traffic and environmental, germane to the land use process, some separate from the land use process, which often happens in land use negotiations,” said Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

“Obviously none of them were resolved,” said Quinn.

Today was the final day for the council to act on the project. The council has 50 days after a project is approved by the City Planning Commission to either reject or accept it. The armory rejection will now go to the mayor, who is expected to veto it. Quinn said there were enough votes in the City Council to override a mayoral veto.

The project, according to the administration, would have brought thousands of temporary and permanent jobs to the area.

The mayor, who is at the United Nations’ climate change conference in Copenhagen, issued the following response after the council’s vote:
Read the rest of this entry »

By Courtney Gross on December 14, 2009, 3:06 pm
In category: City Hall, Economy, Electoral Politics, Environment, Gotham City, Land Use, Public Finance, Transportation, nextNY | 2 Comments »

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Kingsbridge Armory at the Council today
December 9th, 2009

UPDATE: According to Councilmember Joel Rivera, the council is worried about 432 potential employees at the Kingsbridge Armory project who would probably not receive living wages. In total, the project is expected to create about 1,000 permanent jobs.

Rivera said the Bronx delegation is considering a proposal to use the funds from the sale of the armory, which he says is $4 million, toward subsidizing these workers’ wages.

This project has already received millions in city subsidies.

UPDATE: A vote on The Related Companies Kingsbridge Armory has been delayed at least until Friday and possibly Monday.

Council members are still negotiating with the developer and the administration over whether to require employers pay living wages at the site, which Related plans to turn into a large shopping mall.

The project must be voted on by Monday. If there is no vote by then, the land use review project would have to start over.

All afternoon members of the Bronx community have rallied on the steps of City Hall, calling for the living wage mandate. Councilmember Oliver Koppell, whose district abuts the project, said the major disagreement continues to be a living wage.

“You get the best you can,” said Koppell. “We’re getting closer on the issue of paying people a living wage.”

But not everyone sees the living wage requirement as a reason to delay the project.

“Every job is not designed to support a family, some are designed for people that are retired or kids after school,” said Councilmember Peter Vallone.

The City Council is set to determine the fate of the Bronx’s Kingsbridge Armory — a mammoth landmark that developer, The Related Companies, wants to turn into a shopping mall.

At the center of the controversial project is a proposal supported by the community and multiple council members to require the developer pay living wages at the site.

Right now, the City Council’s Bronx delegation is holed up in a small room in City Hall debating the deal. Interesting to note, Councilmember Maria Baez, who was voted out in September, hasn’t been spotted. Her predecessor, Fernando Cabrera, was seen entering the negotiation room.

More to come later, and for more on the project go here.

By Courtney Gross on December 9, 2009, 1:56 pm
In category: City Hall, Community Development, Electoral Politics, Gotham City, Governing, Land Use, Measuring UP, nextNY | No Comments »

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Brooklyn Bridge Park: The City Steps In
December 8th, 2009

Gotham Gazette parks topic page writer Anne Schwartz filed this post.

Promising to spend an additional $55 million on the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge Park, the city is proposing to take over responsibility for the project from the financially strapped state. Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe discussed the proposal at a town hall meeting last night sponsored by State Sen. Daniel Squadron, who was elected in part because of his opposition to the existing plan to bookend the park with high-rise condos.

While many in the overflowing room came hoping that city control would mean a fresh look at the design and funding mechanism, the city’s proposal — while adding active recreation and another access point, committing to building the park ahead of the development, and opening the door to more community involvement — looked very much like the current controversial plan.

Brooklyn residents have been asking for a park and active recreation on the downtown Brooklyn waterfront for 25 years, and many were angry when the final plan by the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corp., the city-state authority overseeing the project, greatly altered the original design developed with extensive community input. The most controversial change was the inclusion of residential towers to meet the requirement — set as a condition for creating the park — that upkeep would be paid for by commercial development on part of the site.

Squadron said he had asked the city to bring its proposal to the public while still in the discussion stage and added that he hoped the meeting would be a step toward “lowering some of the temperature,” and bringing people together for more of a shared vision. Several speakers in the audience made a point of noting that what they heard and saw at the meeting represented a step in the right direction, even though they would like to see further changes.

Audience member Dorothy Siegel summed up the reaction of the crowd with this comment to the commissioner: “We are hoping that you will take back to the mayor the overwhelming sentiment that we do not want housing and we want active recreation.”

By Gail Robinson on December 8, 2009, 5:07 pm
In category: Land Use, Parks | No Comments »

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New London's Troubles
November 11th, 2009

The possibility that the Atlantic Yards project could become a parking lot was a one of the criticisms leveled against the development by its critics last year. And it seems that similar circumstances actually unfolded in New London, Conn., the location of the landmark eminent domain case that effected the nation. Redevelopment plans for the area didn’t work out as planned and the site is left overgrown.

Now, Pfizer, the focus of the city’s economic development plans — and of its home condemnation — will be closing up shop there, adding to the fallow area’s troubles. “The announced closing of the New London site eight years after it opened to great fanfare came as a blow to a city that had counted on Pfizer’s multimillion-dollar facility to help revive its fortunes,” reports the Hartford Courant.

By Mike Muller on November 11, 2009, 3:13 pm
In category: Economy, Land Use, Law | No Comments »

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Envisioning a New Sidewalk Shed
October 21st, 2009

The city-sponsored design competition to improve the ubiquitous royal blue sidewalk shed has been narrowed down to three finalists out of 164 submissions. Jurists in the urbanSHED competition selected the Tripod MOD(ule), urbanCLOUD, and the Urban Umbrella. Click here to see a slide show.

“The winning solutions and the honorable mentions focus attention on how our streetscape can be improved by attention to the basics of architecture: light, air, materials, structure and form,” said Rick Bell, Executive Director of AIANY, which also sponsored the competition.

The jury made its decision based on the shed’s impacts on pedestrians’ experience, the use of both natural and electric light, and improvements to structural components.

The finalists will receive $5,000 to further develop their designs, and the ultimate winner will get $10,000. The Alliance for Downtown New York, another sponsor, will build a prototype of the winner’s design in lower Manhattan.

By Mike Muller on October 21, 2009, 6:13 pm
In category: Arts, Land Use | 1 Comment »

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Broadway Triangle, Kingsbridge Armory Approved (Updated)
October 19th, 2009

<i>The Broadway Triangle from HPD</i>

The Broadway Triangle from HPD

The City Planning Commission approved the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx and the development of the Broadway Triangle in Brooklyn today — both controversial applications that have seen significant community opposition.

Both of the projects will go to the City Council now, which has 50 days to approve or reject them.

Proposed by one of the city’s largest developers, Related Companies, the Kingsbridge Armory is now one step closer to transforming into a large shopping mall, dubbed the ‘The Shops at the Armory.” Estimated to cost $310 million, the project will host a large supermarket, local shops, a movie theater and recreational space. Community leaders and Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. oppose the plan and have lobbied Related and the city to require the provision of “living wage” jobs on site.

In response to the vote, Diaz said in a prepared statement, “We are not asking for anything radical or extreme. We are simply asking that, in a borough that has the highest poverty rate in the nation and has consistently seen the highest unemployment numbers in New York State, Related and their future tenants provide living wage jobs with benefits that allow Bronxites a chance to provide for their families and to build a better life. I am hopeful that the developer will sit down with my office to negotiate this issue and others prior to the City Council’s upcoming vote on the project, and I will continue to stand up and do what is right for the people of The Bronx.”

The project was approved by a vote of 8 to 4 with one abstention. Appointees from the Manhattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn borough presidents as well as the public advocate’s office voted against the proposal.

The Bloomberg administration has been a vocal supporter of the project. In a prepared statement, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, “The project represents a tremendous vote of confidence and commitment from the private sector, with an investment of $310 million. It will provide significant benefits to the community, including specialty and local retail shops, a public plaza, dedicated community space, restaurants, a recreational facility and a seasonal farmers’ market, all while creating 1,200 permanent jobs and more than 1,000 construction jobs at a time when we need them most.”
Read the rest of this entry »

By Courtney Gross on October 19, 2009, 4:21 pm
In category: City Hall, Community Development, Gotham City, Governing, Land Use | 2 Comments »

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The Eminent Domain State
October 8th, 2009

“New York is perhaps the worst state in the nation when it comes to eminent domain abuse — the forcible acquisition of private property by the government for private development,” according to a new report by the conservative Institute for Justice

The study goes through a litany of examples of what they see as an unfair eminent domain process here. They point out that an area need only be considered in danger of becoming blighted in order to be condemned; describe a byzantine, opaque, and unaccountable hearing process; and focus on the short window of time for property owners to protest at inadequate proceedings.

Nicole Gelinas, at NY Fiscal Watch, adds that the threat of eminent domain can freeze business activity and actually create blight.

Although the report paints a bleak landscape of abuse in the state, it really doesn’t compare New York to other states. Another report by an arm of the Institute for Justice gave New York an ‘F’ – one of eight states to receive the grade – for failing to pass legislation reforming eminent domain.

Hopefully New York can get off that list, writes Damon Root at Reason Magazine. Next week the Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments against the use of eminent domain for the Atlantic Yards proeject. Root says this case is an opportunity for the state “to start reining in these abuses”

By Mike Muller on October 8, 2009, 6:25 pm
In category: Community Development, Economy, Housing, Land Use, Law | 1 Comment »

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Coney Island Vote Today
July 21st, 2009

<i>From City Planning</i>

From City Planning

The city’s plan to rezone Coney Island could be voted out of committee today at 10:30 a.m.

The City Council is expected to revise the plan, which would then have to go back to the City Planning Commission. If the revisions were approved there, it could be back at the council by the end of the month for a final approval.

The area’s councilmember, Domenic Recchia, is still opposed to the plan. He is specifically against a proposal to designate some of the land (including a parcel owned by developer Joe Sitt) as parkland.

Stay tuned to Gotham Gazette for updates throughout the day.

By Courtney Gross on July 21, 2009, 8:57 am
In category: City Hall, Gotham City, Governing, Housing, Land Use, Parks, nextNY | No Comments »

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New DOB Rules Spark Protest
July 10th, 2009

New rules at the Department of Buildings will go into effect Monday that require all zoning diagrams for approved buildings be put online.

But as part of that rule, the public will be limited to comment on those approvals for only 45 days. Public comment is now unlimited.

What the buildings department says is streamlining the development process and will encourage public comment, advocates and elected officials charge that the public’s voice is being silenced.

At a rally this afternoon, mayoral candidate Tony Avella, comptroller candidate John Liu and public advocate candidate Norman Siegel, as well as the Queens Civic Congress and the Historic Districts Council, blasted the administration for the rule change. They urged the department to rescind its plan or to prepare for an arduous court battle.

“It’s a disgrace that people in their own city have a deadline to complain about out of character development,” said Avella.

In a release announcing the new rules, which when first proposed included only a 30-day comment period, the department argues:

“The 45-day public-challenge process establishes an organized procedure to challenge the Department’s zoning decisions, and the Department’s responses to those challenges will be posted online for the first time. The current process, which has no formal timeframe, often produces confusion and unnecessary and unintended costs for development. The online diagrams and new challenge process will streamline the review of the thousands of challenges the Department receives each year – at no additional cost to the City.”

Read the rest of this entry »

By Courtney Gross on July 10, 2009, 4:54 pm
In category: City Hall, Community Development, Electoral Politics, Gotham City, Land Use, nextNY | 1 Comment »

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Fordham Deal
June 10th, 2009

A deal has been struck between Fordham University, the local community and Councilmember Gale Brewer, which will allow the university to expand its Lincoln Center campus.

The deal, with modifications, will head back to the city’s Planning Commission, and the council is expected to vote on it by the end of June, according to a release from Brewer’s office.

Details of the deal, and the release in full, are after the jump.
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By Courtney Gross on June 10, 2009, 4:36 pm
In category: Electoral Politics, Governing, Housing, Land Use, Law | No Comments »

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Community Boards Get the Steps
June 9th, 2009

cbpiccrop

Scores of community board members, comptroller and mayoral candidate William Thompson Jr. and four out of the five borough presidents took to the steps of City Hall this afternoon to urge the administration and the City Council to roll back cuts to the city’s 59 community boards.

These cuts, they say, would cripple the boards so much that they could be “rendered ineffective.” That, said Thompson, may be the point.

“One has to believe at a certain point that is what the mayor is intending to do,” said Thompson. “They are trying to cut them to the point that he’ll be able to turn around and say, ‘Let’s get rid of borough presidents. Let’s get rid of community boards,’” Thompson said of the mayor.

For an in-depth look at the future of community boards, see Endangered Community Boards.

Saying it’s the “best buy for city government,” Borough President Scott Stringer argued community boards are necessary to ensure the administration has a link to communities. The cuts would “hamstring” City Hall, he added.

“The bottom line is this mayor will not get re-elected if he picks apart democracy,” Stringer said.
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By Courtney Gross on June 9, 2009, 2:01 pm
In category: Albany, Electoral Politics, Gotham City, Governing, Land Use, Law, nextNY | 1 Comment »

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After Gehry
June 5th, 2009

So what effect will Bruce Ratner’s decision to drop Frank Gehry’s much-touted design for the basketball arena mean to the future of Atlantic Yards? For one thing, the massive complex when — or more accurately if — built will have little resemblance to the glossy original plans.

The switch to a more conventional arena designed by Ellerbe Becket could save $200 million, a key consideration at a time when money for real estate projects is tight. And, the Times reported, Ratner has to act quickly. He has to start building the home for the Nets by the end of the year, according to Charles Bagli’s article, or face losing his right to use tax-exempt financing.

In the bid to save money, “Gehry’s swooping glass and metal designs have been swapped for a more traditional brick façade … that is not unlike Ellerbe Becket’s Conseco Fieldhouse, home to the Indianapolis Pacers,” The Architects Newspaper observed. (For reviews and pictures of Ellerbe Becket’s previous work, see Atlantic Yards Report, which last week anticipated the firm’s taking over the Nets arena.)
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By Gail Robinson on June 5, 2009, 11:45 am
In category: Arts, Economy, Gotham City, Land Use, Transportation | No Comments »

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Quinn Quiet on Firehouses
May 6th, 2009

At her pre-stated press conference today, Council Speaker Christine Quinn did not take sides on the mayor’s plan to decrease the amount of firefighters on about 64 engines — a proposal the Firefighters Union is stiffly opposing.

In his executive budget released last week, the mayor has suggested lowering the amount of firefighters from five to four on 64 engines in the city. The city would not layoff any fire fighters, but would redistribute positions through attrition. The union has balked at the idea.

If it’s not done, the mayor has said, the only alternative would be to close 16 companies, which the City Council will likely oppose.

When asked about the proposal today, Quinn said, “That’s an issue my colleagues and I on the budget negotiating team will discuss… I want to avoid negotiating each and every one of them in the press.”

Budget hearings are scheduled to start next week at the council.
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By Courtney Gross on May 6, 2009, 1:24 pm
In category: Electoral Politics, Gotham City, Governing, Land Use, Law, nextNY | No Comments »

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Atlantic Keeps on Giving
April 24th, 2009

This post incorrectly reported that employees of the Atlantic Development Group contributed to the campaign of Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr., which is incorrect. The group’s principals gave to his father, former City Council Speaker Peter Vallone Sr. It has been corrected.

I am invoking the Beach Boys here: Atlantic Development Group, well, they get around.

The employees of the development group which could be at the center of an inquiry by the city’s Department of Investigation have given more than $93,000 to city campaigns since 1999, according to filings by the city’s Campaign Finance Board. The group spearheaded the major development project in the Bronx — Boricua Village — which received a boatload of public subsidies.

The architect of that project also designed renovations to the home of former borough president turned Obama aide, Adolfo Carrion, which he never paid for. Their Sixth Avenue offices were raided by the city yesterday.

Reports allege the group could be involved in a bribery scheme between developers and city officials. The department, according to the Post, has executed a dozen search warrants on several companies during the probe.

According to the Campaign Finance Board’s filings, the group not only gave money to Carrion, but also gave to more than a dozen other city officials. Last year, the group’s principals gave $5,500 to comptroller candidate and Councilmember Melinda Katz. The year before that Council Speaker Christine Quinn received $1,000 from them. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer received $7,000 from the group’s employees last year. Former City Council Speaker Peter Vallone Sr., public advocate candidate and Councilmember Bill de Blasio and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz all received campaign contributions as well.

One of the group’s principals, Peter Fine, also did some serious bundling (or acting as an “intermediary” to collect contributions for candidates) for Stringer and on-again, off-again mayoral candidate Rep. Anthony Weiner last year. He bundled $40,150 for the two candidates.
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By Courtney Gross on April 24, 2009, 10:53 am
In category: Community Development, Crime & Safety, Electoral Politics, Gotham City, Land Use, Law, Public Finance, nextNY | No Comments »

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A New Randall's Island Plan
April 21st, 2009

<i>From the Randall's Island Sports Foundation</i>

From the Randall's Island Sports Foundation

More than 50 residents turned out in East Harlem last night to hear the details of the Bloomberg administration’s new plan for Randall’s Island.

But already many are skeptical that the mayor’s office and the Department of Parks and Recreation’s plan will more equitably distribute the 66 fields on the island for recreational activities. The fields are part of a large scale renovation of the whole island, which started in 2007, and were also the subject of a lawsuit that the city lost last year. Several Upper Manhattan residents and parks advocates charged that the city went around the ULURP process (or the uniform land use review process), which, they argued, should have been required before the renovation took place.

The city’s first plan — which has been struck down by the courts — slated about two-thirds of the island’s fields for private school use exclusively. Those private schools had agreed to fork over $45 million for the cost of the fields construction and renovation.

Last night was the first glimpse into the city’s new proposal for many of those that filed the initial lawsuit.

The new plan includes setting aside 50 percent of the fields for certain private school use, 40 percent for public schools (which would include a possible shuttle expansion to bring more schools onto the island to play baseball, soccer or any other sport) and leaves 10 percent for community organizations or recreational leagues. This ratio would only apply during the hours of 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., and for only certain more sports-heavy months of the year. The summer months would be a permit free-for-all, said members of the administration, which would allow anyone, anywhere to apply for a permit.
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By Courtney Gross on April 21, 2009, 4:52 pm
In category: Gotham City, Land Use, Parks, nextNY | 2 Comments »

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