All articles by Devin Gannon

October 24, 2017

Rezoning plan for Sunset Park’s Industry City set into motion

The public review process for the rezoning of Industry City begins Tuesday, an effort to boost total capital investment of the sprawling campus to $1 billion and generate 13,000 on-site jobs and 7,000 off-site jobs over the next decade. Currently, Industry City sits on 35 acres with 16 buildings in its waterfront Brooklyn neighborhood of Sunset Park. The rezoning would restore the century-old campus and increase total usable square footage from 5.3 million to 6.6 million square feet. After presenting plans to the City Planning Commission and creating an environmental statement, the project will then enter the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) this Spring, followed by the public review process.
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Comptroller wants on-time rent payments to count towards credit scores

Photo via Wikimedia

October 23, 2017

Comptroller wants on-time rent payments to count towards credit scores

By Devin Gannon

City Comptroller Scott Stringer unveiled a plan on Monday that would allow renters in New York City to count on-time, monthly payments toward their credit score. While homeowners who punctually pay a mortgage can boost their credit, renters currently cannot count on-time payments in the same way. Those without credit or bad credit often pay higher interest rates on loans and other monthly bills, like utilities or cell phone payments. As the New York Times reported, Stringer’s office looked at a sampling of tenants who pay less than $2,000 per month and found that 76 percent of them would improve their credit scores if rent payments were reported. Stringer told the Times that his plan "could create a powerful credit history that could lift you out of poverty."
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De Blasio unveils five-point plan to reduce congestion on NYC’s busiest streets

Photo via Lucas Klappas on Flickr

October 23, 2017

De Blasio unveils five-point plan to reduce congestion on NYC’s busiest streets

By Devin Gannon

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Sunday a five-point plan designed to ease congestion in the city’s busiest neighborhoods. The program, called “Clear Lanes,” includes a series of initiatives like creating new moving lanes in Midtown, clearing curbs during rush hour and expanding NYPD enforcement of block-the-box violations. Beginning in January, in addition to the heavily congested Midtown, rush-hour deliveries will be banned during a six-month test run on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens and Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn (h/t New York Times).
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After four years, TF Cornerstone files plans for 1,200-unit building at Hunters Point South

Updated rendering of parcel c for Hunters Point South, courtesy of ODA Architecture

October 20, 2017

After four years, TF Cornerstone files plans for 1,200-unit building at Hunters Point South

By Devin Gannon

TF Cornerstone on Thursday filed its first permits for a 1,200-unit apartment building as the second phase of the city’s Hunters Point South redevelopment, a project that first began in 2013. The plan for the waterfront neighborhood in Long Island City, Queens called for a mixed-use, affordable housing development that would hold up to 5,000 units, with 60 percent of them affordable. Selected for phase two of the ambitious project by Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration, TF Cornerstone’s original proposal was delayed for four years after local, state and federal authorities forced the developer to rethink its design (h/t Crain's).
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A massive Japanese-themed food hall is coming to Sunset Park’s Industry City

Courtyard at Industry City, photo courtesy of Industry City

October 20, 2017

A massive Japanese-themed food hall is coming to Sunset Park’s Industry City

By Devin Gannon

A 20,000 square foot Japanese food market will open in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn next year, adding to New York City's growing infatuation with food halls. The market, called Japan Village, will set up shop in Industry City, a sprawling 16-building, 6.5 million-square-foot complex of creative office space. In addition to the food hall serving up authentic dining options, Japan Village will include an izakaya restaurant, a sake store and a specialty grocery store.
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Real Estate Trends

October 19, 2017

City officially pitches four neighborhoods for Amazon’s HQ2

By Devin Gannon

Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York City Economic Development Corporation released their official pitch for Amazon's second headquarters on Wednesday, one day before the deadline. Boasting the city's talented tech workforce, the de Blasio administration has pitched Midtown West, Long Island City, the Brooklyn Tech Triangle (DUMBO, Downtown Brooklyn and the Navy Yard), and Lower Manhattan as the four best spots for Amazon to call home. The tech giant's nationwide competition, announced in September, set out to find their next headquarters, called HQ2. The company promises the headquarters will bring 50,000 new jobs and $5 billion in initial city investment.
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Policy

The 50 most expensive neighborhoods in New York City

The Flatiron District, photo via Pixbay

October 19, 2017

The 50 most expensive neighborhoods in New York City

By Devin Gannon

Taking the top spot from Tribeca for the first time in a long time, the Flatiron District now ranks as the most expensive neighborhood in New York City, according to data compiled by Property Shark. In its latest report looking at the residential market during the third quarter of 2017, the group lists the 50 priciest neighborhoods in the city, with the usual upscale 'hoods like TriBeCa, Central Park South and Hudson Square rounding out the top tier (h/t Time Out NY). In another plot twist, Red Hook has become Brooklyn’s most expensive neighborhood this quarter--overthrowing DUMBO--with a median sale price of $1.92 million in Q3.
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Real Estate Trends

Rendering of the Hunters Point South project, courtesy of NYCEDC

October 18, 2017

Prime Long Island City site could be the perfect spot for Amazon’s HQ2

By Devin Gannon

An eight-acre, 1.6 million-square-foot residential site next to Hunters Point South is for sale, a piece of land owned by a family for generations. According to the New York Post, the site could potentially bring in $480 million if targeted to market-rate condominiums since land in Long Island City sells for roughly $300 per square foot. The triangle-shaped plot of land found at 55-01 Second Street and bounded by 54th Avenue and Vernon Boulevard, sits on Newtown Creek, an estuary that forms part of the border between Brooklyn and Queens. The site might make the perfect spot for Amazon’s second headquarters as the tech giant seeks 500,000 square feet for their HQ2 by 2019.
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Eateries and entertainment venues proposed for Governors Island

Photo of Governors Island via simplethrill on Flickr

October 18, 2017

Eateries and entertainment venues proposed for Governors Island

By Devin Gannon

Since Governors Island first opened in 2005, transforming the 172-acre piece of land in the New York Harbor into a public space has been slow. However, after a 40-acre park with a playground opened last year the ball has officially started rolling. According to Crain’s, the Trust for Governors Island recently released two requests for proposals aimed at making the waterfront location a destination for entertainment and cultural activities. The trust is offering licenses for up to three years during the island's season, which runs from May 1 through October 31.
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Bjarke Ingels’ curvy East Harlem tower tops out

Rendering of E126 courtesy of Bjarke Ingels Group

October 18, 2017

Bjarke Ingels’ curvy East Harlem tower tops out

By Devin Gannon

The concrete, t-shaped residential tower designed by starchitect, Bjarke Ingels and his firm BIG, topped out over the weekend, adding diversity to Upper Manhattan’s usual upright architecture. The East Harlem project at 158 East 126th Street, known as E126, uniquely slopes inward as it rises upward, allowing more sunlight to hit the street. As CityRealty learned, the unusual configuration will provide residents incredible views of the East River and Central Park from a rooftop garden.
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Architecture And Design

A Beaux-Arts style building will rise on the Upper East Side’s 79th Street, the block’s first condo

By Devin Gannon

The Upper East Side's 79th Street, stretching between Madison and Fifth Avenues, remains known for its architecturally beautiful 19th and early 20th-century homes. Now, as CityRealty learned, the stretch of street will soon gain its first condominium at 27 East 79th Street, also the block's first new building in 40 years. The Parisian-inspired, 15-story building will have interiors designed by Cabinet Albert Pinto, whose trademark style mixes old-world luxury with modern design. The firm's previous clients include the French President and royal families of Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Albert Pinto's team, run by Linda Pinto, will be working with local firm, HTO Architects.
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Architecture And Design

General Motors will bring self-driving cars to Manhattan in 2018

A self-driving vehicle, photo via GM

October 17, 2017

General Motors will bring self-driving cars to Manhattan in 2018

By Devin Gannon

General Motors will bring a fleet of self-driving cars to a 5-square-mile section of lower Manhattan early next year, becoming the first company to deploy autonomous cars in New York City. As the Wall Street Journal learned, in partnership with driverless-car developer Cruise Automation, GM's testing will include an engineer in the driver's seat to monitor the performance and a second person in the passenger seat. In May, Governor Andrew Cuomo and the state began accepting applications from companies interested in autonomous technologies in New York. GM and Cruise's planned testing will become the first time Level 4 autonomous vehicles will be tested in NYC, getting a head start on making the Big Apple a hub for self-driving cars.
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What happens if Amazon’s HQ2 doesn’t land in New York?

Photo courtesy of Robert Scoble on Flickr

October 17, 2017

What happens if Amazon’s HQ2 doesn’t land in New York?

By Devin Gannon

Amazon’s nationwide competition to find a home for its second headquarters draws to a close this week, with pitches from stakeholders due Thursday. While New York City meets most of the requirements the tech giant listed for its HQ2-- a population of at least 1 million people, proximity to an international airport, mass transit access and talented workforce--business costs in the city would be sky-high. However, as Crain’s reported, even if Amazon does not set up shop in NYC, politicians and developers have been preparing for a comparably-sized company to move in for over a decade. The failure of the city to win the 2012 Olympics bid back in 2005 actually turned into a success, allowing apartments to rise in Brooklyn where sports stadiums never did.
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Live in a studio along the Williamsburg waterfront from $613/month

15 Dunham Place offers spectacular Williamsburg Bridge views, photo courtesy of C&C Apartment Management

October 16, 2017

Live in a studio along the Williamsburg waterfront from $613/month

By Devin Gannon

Applications are being accepted for studio rental apartments at 15 Dunham Place in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. Located along the waterfront between Broadway and South 6th Street, the 11-story building features 160 units, half of which are income-restricted. Amenities include a 13,000-square-foot common room on the third floor, a game room, doorman and bike storage. Qualifying New Yorkers earning between $22,903 and $26,720 can apply for studios listed at $613 per month, and those earning between $27,800 and $33,400 can apply for studios at $755.83 per month.
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Affordable Housing

A previous rendering of 666 Fifth Avenue, courtesy of Kushner Companies/Zaha Hadid Architects

October 16, 2017

Kushner Companies’ plan for extensive renovations at 666 Fifth Avenue rejected by Vornado

By Devin Gannon

Instead of the 41-story Midtown tower becoming an 80-story office building with hotel rooms and luxury housing, 666 Fifth Avenue will now get a much more simple upgrade. According to Bloomberg, Vornado Realty Trust, the project’s partner alongside Kushner Companies, told brokers the property will remain an office building, with“mundane” renovations planned. As one of the most financially troubled developments for Kushner Cos., the Fifth Ave project has been losing money since its purchase was first coordinated by Jared Kushner, currently a senior advisor to President Donald Trump, in 2007.
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Policy

Brooklyn Point, Extell Development’s first tower in the borough, will rise 720 feet

New rendering of City Point courtesy of Extell Development

October 12, 2017

Brooklyn Point, Extell Development’s first tower in the borough, will rise 720 feet

By Devin Gannon

Extell Development released a teaser website on Thursday ahead of its sales launch for Brooklyn Point, the group’s first tower in Brooklyn, and revealed more details about the luxury high-rise. Rising 68 stories and 720 feet high, the tower at 138 Willoughby Street will be the tallest building in the borough until 9 DeKalb Avenue rises, which will be roughly 1,000 feet tall. As the last phase of City Point, Brooklyn Point will join two other residential buildings, the Brodsky Organization’s 7 DeKalb and City Tower.
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MTA will replace Grand Central Terminal’s old eateries with more ritzy ones

Grand Central Terminal, photo via NYC & Company

October 12, 2017

MTA will replace Grand Central Terminal’s old eateries with more ritzy ones

By Devin Gannon

At Grand Central Terminal, it’s in with the new, out with the old. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority said it will replace stores that have served the busy terminal’s commuters for over two decades--Junior’s, Two Boots Pizza, Grand Harvest Wines--with more upscale shops. As the New York Post reported, new stores include Art Bird & Whiskey Bar, run by Oprah Winfrey’s former personal chef, Art Smith, and Tartinery, an open-face sandwich vendor. The restaurant refashioning process is expected to run through 2018.
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October 11, 2017

The Hub, Brooklyn’s tallest building, unveils even more awesome amenities

By Devin Gannon

In addition to being Brooklyn’s tallest tower, the Hub might also take the title for having the borough's best amenities. The Dattner Architects-designed 610-foot tall luxury rental at 333 Schermerhorn Street in Boerum Hill will feature a 75-foot indoor/outdoor lap pool, a gym, outdoor fitness level, a dog park and much more (h/t Curbed NY). The more than 40,000 square feet of amenities will provide residents with grilling cabanas, a landscaped terrace, club lounge and party rooms.
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Architecture And Design

New Museum taps Rem Koolhaas’ OMA to design next phase of Bowery expansion

231 Bowery sits next to the New Museum, image via New Museum

October 11, 2017

New Museum taps Rem Koolhaas’ OMA to design next phase of Bowery expansion

By Devin Gannon

The New Museum Board of Trustees announced Wednesday that OMA's Rem Koolhaas and Shoehei Shigematsu will design the museum's new building at 231 Bowery as part of the institution's expansion. The new structure, purchased by the contemporary art museum in 2008, will link the museum's Sanaa-designed building and double their footprint on the Bowery, adding 50,000-square-feet of space. OMA's first public project in New York City, 231 Bowery is expected to break ground in 2019.
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In the 19th century, sailors prayed on floating churches in the East River

Chapel of the Holy Comforter (1846-1856), courtesy of NYCago

October 10, 2017

In the 19th century, sailors prayed on floating churches in the East River

By Devin Gannon

While New York City’s waterways have featured both floating pools and floating parks, they also once held floating churches. The Seamen’s Church Institute of New York and New Jersey (SCI) first built a floating house of worship in 1844, designed for sailors. According to Untapped Cities, the group’s first big project included building the Church of Our Savior, which floated in the East River off of Pike Street in downtown Manhattan.
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History

October 10, 2017

A borough-by-borough guide to NYC’s food halls

By Devin Gannon

Cronuts. Raclette. Poke bowls. Avocado toast. While the list of trendy cuisines making a splash in New York City’s food scene appears endless, food halls are making it easier for New Yorkers to try a bit of everything all under one roof. The city is experiencing a boom in this casual dining style; real estate developers opt to anchor their buildings with food halls, as all-star chefs choose food halls to serve their celebrated dishes. Ahead, follow 6sqft’s guide to the city’s 24 current food halls, from old standby Chelsea Market to Downtown Brooklyn’s new DeKalb Market, as well as those in the pipeline, planned for hot spots like Hudson Yards and more far-flung locales like Staten Island.
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Stonewall Inn to get NYC’s first permanent LGBT pride flag

Stonewall Inn, photo via Wikimedia

October 10, 2017

Stonewall Inn to get NYC’s first permanent LGBT pride flag

By Devin Gannon

LGBT activists will unveil a rainbow flag outside the historic gay bar Stonewall Inn on Wednesday, marking the 30th anniversary of the 1987 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. The Greenwich Village bar at 53 Christopher Street is often credited with launching the gay rights movement after multiple violent police raids in the summer of 1969. President Barack Obama designated Stonewall as a national monument last year, the first National Park Service unit dedicated to the gay rights movement (h/t DNA info). Stonewall's rainbow flag will be the first permanent LGBT pride flag in New York City.
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Hill West design a modest, 19-story condo for Billionaires’ Row

Rendering of 7 West 57th Street found at its construction site, via CityRealty

October 9, 2017

Hill West design a modest, 19-story condo for Billionaires’ Row

By Devin Gannon

As Billionaires' Row on Manhattan's West 57th Street continues to grow with supertall towers, developer Sheldon Solow plans on constructing a more modest addition to the block. New renderings of the boutique condo at 7 West 57th Street, designed by Hill West, reveal a 19-floor building with an unassuming glass facade and a convex face, as CityRealty learned. The tower plays off of Solow's concave tower next door at 9 West 57th Street.
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As deadline nears, New York City’s bid for Amazon’s second headquarters heats up

Photo courtesy of Robert Scoble on Flickr

October 6, 2017

As deadline nears, New York City’s bid for Amazon’s second headquarters heats up

By Devin Gannon

With the deadline for proposals due Oct. 19, New York City politicians, business leaders and real estate developers are putting the finishing touches on their pitches intended to lure Amazon into building their second headquarters in the city. After Amazon first announced HQ2, which will bring $5 billion in initial city investment and 50,000 new jobs, over two dozen site proposals in 23 neighborhoods were crafted in New York. According to Crain’s, a group of city and state agencies is working together on a bid, with less than two weeks left before the due date. So far, proposals for neighborhoods like Williamsburg, the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Sunset Park's Industry City, Long Island City and areas in the Bronx have been discussed.
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Policy

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