Policy

Photo by Daniel Lee on Unsplash

January 4, 2022

Manhattan housing market makes record rebound to close out 2021

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New York City real estate made a major comeback to close out 2021, experts say. According to a new report from Compass, condo and co-op sales volume hit $7 billion in the last quarter of the year, the highest of any fourth quarter on record. More than 3,400 apartments were sold in this quarter, between October 1 and December 31, up 79 percent from the previous year and the highest total in a Q4 since 2013. After Covid crippled much of the market in 2020, 2021 saw an impressive turnaround in Manhattan, particularly with the sales of luxury properties, new development condos, and townhouses.
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See NYC’s sweeping master plan that promises climate resilience for Lower Manhattan

Image credit: NYCEDC

January 4, 2022

See NYC’s sweeping master plan that promises climate resilience for Lower Manhattan

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New York City has taken an important step toward protecting one of the country’s largest central business districts from the costly and destructive effects of climate change. The city's Economic Development Corporation and the Mayor's Office of Climate Resiliency recently released the Financial District and Seaport Climate Resilience Master Plan. At a projected cost of up to $7 billion, this environmental blueprint for the Lower Manhattan shoreline imagines a resilient waterfront that can withstand severe storms and rising sea levels.
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Hochul announces Covid ‘surge plan 2.0’ as New York sees record number of daily cases

Photo of Gov. Kathy Hochul announcing the Winter Surge Plan 2.0 by Don Pollard/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul on Flickr

January 3, 2022

Hochul announces Covid ‘surge plan 2.0’ as New York sees record number of daily cases

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On Friday, the state of New York recorded over 85,000 new cases of the coronavirus, the highest daily total since the start of the pandemic. Nearly 50,000 of those cases were reported in New York City alone. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced over the holiday weekend a "winter surge plan 2.0," an attempt to strengthen the state's fight against Covid with more testing, additional testing sites, and an increase in access to vaccines.
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Walk-in Covid testing now available at 7 subway stations across NYC

Photo: Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit on Flickr

January 3, 2022

Walk-in Covid testing now available at 7 subway stations across NYC

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Pop-up coronavirus testing sites are now open at seven subway stations across New York City. After opening two walk-in PCR testing sites at Grand Central and Times Square stations last week, Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority opened additional sites at five subway stations, including Penn Station, Broadway Junction in Brooklyn, East 180th Street in the Bronx, and Roosevelt Avenue and Jamaica-179th Street in Queens. The state is currently experiencing a record surge in new Covid cases, which officials are attributing to the highly contagious Omicron variant.
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How the Times Square Ball is made

The 2007 Times Square Ball during construction. Image courtesy of Focus Lighting.

December 30, 2021

How the Times Square Ball is made

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When midnight hits this New Year's Eve, the Times Square Ball will dazzle people just the same from five feet away or on their television. Making this magic happen is no easy feat, though. To learn a bit more about how the nearly 12,000-pound ball was created, we chatted with principal designer Christine Hope of Focus Lighting, the architectural lighting design firm that conceptualized the current ball more than 10 years ago. From engineering a new system to make all 2,688 Waterford Crystal triangles sparkle to dreaming up the magical light show that plays leading up to the ball drop, Focus Lighting shares the inside scoop on this world-famous tradition.
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NYC schools will reopen in January with increased Covid testing

Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

December 28, 2021

NYC schools will reopen in January with increased Covid testing

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Despite a surge in new coronavirus cases, New York City officials said classrooms will reopen after winter break and stay open. Mayor Bill de Blasio and Mayor-elect Eric Adams announced on Tuesday public schools will reopen as scheduled on January 3 with new health and safety measures in place, moving away from the remote learning model which many schools across the country have shifted to due to the recent surge in cases. Put together by the de Blasio administration and incoming Adams administration, the “Stay Safe and Stay Open" plan utilizes a massive increase in testing that will allow classrooms to stay open even if students test positive.
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NYC is offering $100 to New Yorkers who receive Covid booster by end of year

Image courtesy of Don Pollard/Office of former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo

December 21, 2021

NYC is offering $100 to New Yorkers who receive Covid booster by end of year

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To combat the rapid upsurge of Covid cases in New York City due to the Omicron variant, the city is offering New Yorkers an incentive to get their booster shot. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Tuesday city-run vaccination sites, as well as city-partnered SOMOS clinics, will be giving $100 to every New Yorker getting their booster starting today through December 31.
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As Covid cases surge, NYC to give out a million masks and 500K free at-home tests

Photo by Billie Grace Ward on Flickr

December 17, 2021

As Covid cases surge, NYC to give out a million masks and 500K free at-home tests

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With a sudden surge of coronavirus cases in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday announced several new measures to curb the spread of the virus. The city will distribute one million free KN95 face masks and 500,000 rapid antigen self-testing kits, open new testing sites, and expand hours at existing sites. City officials say the new highly-contagious variant is to blame for the rising number of cases; the seven-day average for new cases has tripled in the last month. "It is clear the Omicron variant is here in New York City in full force," de Blasio said on Thursday.
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NYC Council approves plan to rezone Soho and Noho, which will add 900 affordable units

A rendering of West Broadway in Soho, looking downtown; courtesy of City Planning Commission

December 16, 2021

NYC Council approves plan to rezone Soho and Noho, which will add 900 affordable units

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The New York City Council on Wednesday voted to approve the plan to rezone Soho and Noho, a major policy win for Mayor Bill de Blasio in his final days in office. The rezoning aims to bring about 3,000 new homes, with roughly 900 of them permanently affordable, to the Lower Manhattan neighborhoods, which are two of the wealthiest in the city.
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New York City bans natural gas in new buildings

“Ally Block” will include the city’s first all-electric skyscraper; Rendering: Alloy Development

December 16, 2021

New York City bans natural gas in new buildings

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New York City is now the largest city in the United States to phase fossil fuels out of new construction. The City Council on Wednesday approved legislation banning the use of natural gas in new buildings under seven stories tall starting in 2023 and in structures over seven stories in the middle of 2027. The legislation means new buildings in the city, with very few exceptions, will be all-electric.
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One year after NYC’s first Covid vaccination, 90% of adults have received at least one dose

Photo Scott Heins/Office of former Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

December 14, 2021

One year after NYC’s first Covid vaccination, 90% of adults have received at least one dose

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On December 14, 2020, Sandra Lindsay, a nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens, received the first coronavirus vaccine in the country. One year later, New York City has hit a significant milestone in its fight against the virus: 90 percent of all adults in the city have received at least one dose of the vaccine. "We've come a long, long way," Mayor Bill de Blasio said during a press conference on Monday.
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All New York businesses will mandate masks indoors unless there’s a vaccine requirement

Photo courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office on Flickr

December 10, 2021

All New York businesses will mandate masks indoors unless there’s a vaccine requirement

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As coronavirus cases and hospitalizations rise statewide, Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday announced a new mask requirement for all indoor public places in New York that don't require proof of vaccination for entry. The new measure comes as the state experiences a "winter surge." Since Thanksgiving, the statewide seven-day average case rate has jumped by 43 percent and hospitalizations have increased by 29 percent. "I have warned for weeks that additional steps could be necessary, and now we are at that point based upon three metrics: Increasing cases, reduced hospital capacity, and insufficient vaccination rates in certain areas," Hochul said in a statement.
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Hochul announces $539M fund to help New York homeowners who are behind on payments

Photo by Daryan Shamkhali on Unsplash

December 7, 2021

Hochul announces $539M fund to help New York homeowners who are behind on payments

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Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday that New York will be the first state to receive the U.S. Department of the Treasury's approval for its Homeowner Assistance Fund. The program offers up to $539 million to help low- and moderate-income homeowners affected by the Covid-19 pandemic avoid mortgage delinquency, default, foreclosure, and displacement.
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Senator Schumer calls for free, at-home Covid tests in New York

Mayor Bill de Blasio is tested for COVID-19 in 2020. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

December 6, 2021

Senator Schumer calls for free, at-home Covid tests in New York

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Sen. Chuck Schumer on Sunday called for free rapid at-home coronavirus test kits to be available at community health centers across New York as the number of virus cases continues to grow. While last week President Joe Biden announced private health insurers will reimburse those who purchase over-the-counter tests starting January 15, Schumer said it's important to offer free tests to New Yorkers in the meantime, with the arrival of winter and the new Omicron variant.
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New York City announces vaccine mandate for all private employers

Photo of NYC vaccine hub, The Jefferson by Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

December 6, 2021

New York City announces vaccine mandate for all private employers

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Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday announced a new coronavirus vaccination mandate for all private-sector employers in New York City, described as a "preemptive strike" to stop the spread of the Omicron variant. The city has already put in place a vaccine mandate for all city workers and for most indoor activities. The new mandate, considered to be a first in the United States, goes into effect on December 27.
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‘Fearless Girl’ statue faces possible eviction as permit expires

Image via Anthony Quintano’s Flickr

December 2, 2021

‘Fearless Girl’ statue faces possible eviction as permit expires

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In 2018, 6sqft reported that artist Kristen Visbal's "Fearless Girl" statue was on the move to her current spot across from the New York Stock Exchange. Now, the diminutive statue is in the news once again, as her time there may be drawing to a close. The statue's permit with the Landmarks Preservation Commission expired on November 29, and with a city hearing scheduled for December (or even later), the fate of "Fearless Girl" is not a sure thing.
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Hochul declares a state of emergency for New York to prepare for omicron variant

Photo: Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul on Flickr

November 29, 2021

Hochul declares a state of emergency for New York to prepare for omicron variant

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Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday declared a state of emergency for the state of New York to prepare for the new omicron variant of the coronavirus. The order allows the Department of Health to stop non-urgent surgeries at hospitals with less than 10 percent of beds available. While the new variant has not yet been detected in New York, "it's coming," according to Hochul, who in her order said the state is now experiencing Covid transmission rates not seen since April 2020.
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NYC Council approves sweeping Gowanus rezoning

Photo by bobistraveling on Flickr

November 24, 2021

NYC Council approves sweeping Gowanus rezoning

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The New York City Council on Tuesday approved the biggest rezoning of Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration just weeks before his term ends. In a near-unanimous vote, the Council approved plans to upzone 82 blocks of Gowanus, a former industrial hub turned affluent residential neighborhood. As the first rezoning of de Blasio's administration in a predominantly white and wealthy neighborhood, the decision could pave the way for upzoning in similar communities, including the proposal to rezone Soho and Noho, scheduled for a vote next month.
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See billionaire Bill Ackman’s plan for a glass house atop a historic UWS building

All renderings designed by Foster+ Partners, courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission

November 17, 2021

See billionaire Bill Ackman’s plan for a glass house atop a historic UWS building

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A plan funded by one of the world's wealthiest people and designed by one of the world's most famous architects still can't get approved in New York City. Billionaire Bill Ackman on Tuesday presented to the Landmarks Preservation Commission his plan to construct a new glass penthouse addition designed by Norman Foster on top of a 100-year-old Upper West Side co-op building where he owns an apartment. After hours-long public testimony, LPC Chair Sarah Carroll sent Ackman and his team back to the drawing board, calling for a scaled-down design.
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Gowanus rezoning deal reached, with affordable housing and sewer upgrades on board

Photo by Danny Navarro / Flickr cc

November 11, 2021

Gowanus rezoning deal reached, with affordable housing and sewer upgrades on board

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Mayor Bill de Blasio’s ambitious plan for the rezoning of Brooklyn's formerly industrial Gowanus neighborhood was finally approved by the city's Land Use Committee on Wednesday, after a decade of debate and drama. As Gothamist reports, the rezoning plan, the current administration's largest, was given the green light after Council Members Brad Lander and Stephen Levin, the borough's Community Board 6, and members of the Gowanus Neighborhood Coalition for Justice reached a deal with City Hall that includes more investment in public housing and sewer infrastructure.
Find out more about what's ahead for Gowanus
New employer survey shows 54 percent of Manhattan workers remain fully remote

Via Creative Commons

November 10, 2021

New employer survey shows 54 percent of Manhattan workers remain fully remote

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In March, 6sqft reported that only 10 percent of Manhattan's office employees had returned to the workplace full-time. Since then, a recent survey shows, only 28 percent are back in the office on an average weekday. According to a survey of major employers between October 19 and October 29 by The Partnership for New York City, only 8 percent of employees are in the office five days a week and 54 percent are only working remotely. A third of employers surveyed said their need for office space will go down over the next five years, and 13 percent expect a reduction of jobs physically located in NYC, especially in the financial services industry.
-More on who's not heading back to the office->
One of Manhattan’s most ornate office building lobbies is now a NYC landmark

Photo: George Comfort & Sons via Landmarks Preservation Commission

November 9, 2021

One of Manhattan’s most ornate office building lobbies is now a NYC landmark

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One of Manhattan's grandest lobbies is officially a New York City landmark. The Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to designate the ornate, T-shaped first-floor lobby of 200 Madison Avenue on Tuesday. Designed by Warren & Wetmore in 1925--the firm behind Grand Central Terminal--the Murray Hill lobby features a 200-foot-long through-block arcade that boasts a beautiful vaulted ceiling, polished marble walls, and other stunning elements reflective of the era.
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Infrastructure bill will bring billions in funding for NYC transit projects and more

Photo courtesy of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office

November 8, 2021

Infrastructure bill will bring billions in funding for NYC transit projects and more

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The long-awaited bipartisan infrastructure bill passed in the wee hours of last week's end will mean billions of dollars in much-needed investment in New York City's own infrastructure. The bill, which President Joe Biden has said he will sign this week, adds $550 billion to be spent on transportation, bringing the total to $1.2 trillion, as Gothamist reports. The New York City region will see that investment in the form of projects like the addition of subway station elevators, upgrades to Amtrak–and a revival of the long-stalled Gateway Project's Hudson River tunnels. Carlo Scissura, president and chief executive officer of the New York Building Congress, said, “It really does transform the physical part of our region in a way that we haven't had a federal investment like this in decades honestly.”
Find out more about the $$$$ headed for NYC
Hochul wants to rename Penn Station as part of revised renovation plan

All renderings courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office

November 4, 2021

Hochul wants to rename Penn Station as part of revised renovation plan

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Would Penn Station still be as much fun to mock if it wasn't named after the commonwealth of Pennslyvania? Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday unveiled a revised redevelopment plan of the cramped transit hub, a pet project of her predecessor. In addition to redesigning and upgrading the existing facility and adding public space to the surrounding area, Hochul is also calling for the notorious train hall to be renamed.
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