Bill De Blasio

Leading up to Mayor de Blasio's press conference on Tuesday about his proposed Brooklyn-Queens streetcar plan, the internet has been abuzz with criticism and concerns, including whether or not it will accept MetroCard transfers, how it won't really connect to existing subway lines, funding matters, and the issue that the system may favor "tourists and yuppies." But Streetsblog makes another very interesting point–the fact that the proposed route will run almost entirely through city- and FEMA-designated high-risk flood zones, which "raises questions about how the streetcar infrastructure and vehicles would be protected from storm surges, as well as the general wisdom of siting a project that’s supposed to spur development in a flood-prone area."
What does the Mayor have to say about this?

February 4, 2016

De Blasio to Announce $2.5B Brooklyn-Queens Streetcar Line

Earlier in the month, 6sqft shared news of a detailed proposal from non-profit advocacy group Friends of the Brooklyn Queens Connector that called for a Brooklyn-Queens streetcar line to connect "underserved, but booming" areas of the boroughs. The city must've been listening, because Mayor de Blasio is expected to announce today in his State of the City speech that he'll be backing such a proposal. Like the original scheme, the city's plan will run 16 miles along the East River, from Astoria to Sunset Park, but at a projected cost of $2.5 billion, it will be significantly more expensive than the previous estimate of $1.7 billion, but significantly less than a new underground subway. Not only would the streetcars serve bustling commercial hubs like the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Long Island City, but they'd provide access for about 45,000 public-housing residents.
More details

Transit

October 14, 2015

Gracie Mansion Reopening for Public Tours Next Month With a New Art Collection

Gracie Mansion will reopen for public tours starting next month, and visitors will be welcomed with a new, diverse art collection. According to the Wall Street Journal, "Mayor Bill de Blasio’s wife wanted the art and objects inside the 1799 home where her family now lives—one of the oldest surviving wooden structures in New York City—to be a broader and more accurate reflection of the city as it looked in the late 1700s and early 1800s." She therefore brought in 49 new works that include "portraits of freed slaves, historic documents, imported goods and items traded to American Indians." The new installation is called "Windows on the City Looking Out at Gracie’s New York" and will be unveiled at an open house on October 25th.
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October 12, 2015

State and City Finally Agree on Funding Plan for the Debt-Ridden MTA

After months of squabbling over who's responsible for funding repairs and expansions of NYC's transit system, Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio reached an agreement on Saturday to keep the MTA's $26.1 billion, five-year capital plan on track. The state will put in $8.3 billion and the city $2.5 billion (much more than de Blasio's original $657 million planned contribution). However, Cuomo was clear that their commitment won't come from increasing taxes and that he's confident the money can be found in the existing state budget. The city, too, said it would not raise taxes, but rather take $1.9 billion from city funds and the rest from sources that could include development rights or rezoning. The agreement still leaves the MTA $700 million short of its total, but the agency hopes to close the gap by finding "further efficiencies."
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Times Square Characters and Performers May Get Confined to Designated ‘Activity Areas’

Map courtesy of the Times Square Alliance

September 11, 2015

Times Square Characters and Performers May Get Confined to Designated ‘Activity Areas’

It looks like Mayor de Blasio's wish of coralling the costumed characters and topless performers in Times Square may be coming true. The Daily News reports that the Times Square Alliance has endorsed the "Times Square Commons" plan, which Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and Councilmen Daniel Garodnick and Corey Johnson publicized in an op-ed in the paper yesterday. The proposal would rezone Times Square's pedestrian plaza so that instead of being mapped as a street it would become a special district called Times Square Commons. This area would be divided into three zones: general civic zones, which would feature tables and chairs and arts events; pedestrian traffic flow zones, areas to walk with no physical obstructions; and the aforementioned designated activity zones, small slivers of space that "would allow any activity involving the immediate exchange of money for goods, services or entertainment."
More this way

Policy

August 21, 2015

Mayor de Blasio Proposes Ripping Out Times Square’s Pedestrian Plazas

There are a lot of nuisances to be found in Times Square, but apparently for Mayor de Blasio, none are as bothersome as the topless women and aggressive Elmos traipsing around the area's overly lit streets. As the NYDN reports, de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton have formed a special task force aimed at ridding the bustling tourist destination of its "jiggly panhandlers." And the solution at the top of their list is tearing up the pedestrian plazas and letting cars back in.
Find out more on the issue here, as well as alternative plans

June 30, 2015

Rent Guidelines Board Approves Freezes on One-Year Leases for First Time in History

In a historic decision made last night, the Rent Guidelines Board voted 7-2 last night to freeze rents for the first time on one-year leases for New York City’s more than one million rent-stabilized apartments. The board, entirely appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio, also moved to increase rents on two-year leases by just two percent, the lowest in the board's 46-year existence. The decision follows last week's lackluster vote at the state level to only extend but not strengthen rent regulations. "Cuomo betrayed us, the RGB can save us," tenants chanted at the meeting.
Find out more here

March 26, 2015

Mayor’s Affordable Housing Plan Flawed, More Likely to Harm Brooklyn’s Most Expensive Nabes

The revitalization of East New York is at the center of Mayor Bill de Blasio's affordable housing plan, but like his ambitious Sunnyside Yards project, his ideas for the fallen areas of Brooklyn are apparently also filled with holes. According to a piece published by the Wall Street Journal yesterday, de Blasio's plan to re-zone 15 neighborhoods to allow for taller and denser housing won't do much good for affordable housing. The main reason? The rents are too low. In fact, housing experts believe that his plan is more likely to hurt the character of Brooklyn's most tony areas, including Park Slope, Fort Greene, and Crown Heights, amongst many others.
More on their findings here

5,484 Affordable Housing Units Could Be Lost if 421-a Abatement Isn’t Renewed, Says New Report

Brooklyn’s Pacific Park development, one of the pipeline projects examined in the report for it’s affordable housing offer. Rendering by COOKFOX

March 16, 2015

5,484 Affordable Housing Units Could Be Lost if 421-a Abatement Isn’t Renewed, Says New Report

This morning the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) released a report today saying if the city fails to renew the existing 421-a partial tax exemption program, we could stand to lose thousands of affordable units. REBNY took a look at a sample of projects in the pipeline—including Essex Crossing, 5Pointz, Domino and Pacific Park, amongst others—and found that 421-a is responsible for 5,484 affordable apartments and 13,801 market-rate units in these developments. They argue that without the abatement the theses units would be in jeopardy and be "immediately be sent back to the drawing board." They add that some of the units could even end up as high-end luxury condominiums and some of the middle- and low-income housing now in the works would be lost forever.
Find out more

February 9, 2015

Building on Sunnyside Yards Comes with a Slew of Political, Cost and Engineering Complications

Of the new city initiatives laid out by Bill de Blasio last week during his State of the City address, few were as ambitious as the mayor's plan to build 11,250 affordable apartments on Sunnyside Yards. But, as it turns out, more than just the mayor are looking to turn the 200-acre property into their legacy project. Crain's reports that since the plan was announced, Governor Cuomo has emerged with his own ideas, namely tunnels that would bring the Long Island Rail Road into the heart of Midtown. Former Bloomberg administration Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff has also chimed in with a plan of his own that encompasses a huge new money-spinning convention center. But it doesn't stop there; the clashing of ideas is just one of the burdens that comes with building on this coveted site—meaning we probably won't see any affordable housing here for more than several decades.
More on the complications here

Real Estate Trends

Map Revealed for de Blasio’s City-Wide Ferry System

While there were plenty of highlights in Mayor de Blasio's State of the City address yesterday–from affordable housing to raising the minimum wage–it was undoubtedly the announcement of a city-wide ferry system that really got New Yorkers talking. De Blasio said that the ferry service will open in 2017, with pricing on par with the Metrocard, as a way to accommodate the growing population of New York. It will serve neighborhoods including the Lower East Side, Astoria, the Rockaways, Sunset Park, Brooklyn Army Terminal, Bay Ridge, Red Hook, and Soundview, among others. A new map released today shows the entirety of the system, breaking down existing ferry lines, those planned for 2017 and 2018, and those proposed.
More details and the full interactive map ahead

February 3, 2015

HIGHLIGHTS: De Blasio Announces Plans for More Affordable Housing and a New City-Wide Ferry Service

Mayor Bill de Blasio just wrapped up his State of the City address, and in addition to focusing in like a laser beam on affordable housing, the mayor also unveiled a number of additional improvements that certainly had us sitting up straight in our seats. In his address, De Blasio emphasized that his plan would look to creating denser, economically diverse affordable residential communities for not only low-income New Yorkers, but also for chronically homeless vets, seniors and artists. “While the state of our city is strong, we face a profound challenge,” de Blasio said during his speech. "If we fail to be a city for everyone, we risk losing what makes New York, New York…Nothing more clearly expresses the inequality gap—the opportunity gap—than the soaring cost of housing." The mayor also spoke about the administration's plan to raise minimum wage and expand public transit, which would include adding more Bus Rapid Transit lines to the outer boroughs, and, most notably, a brand new city-wide ferry system that would serve areas such as the Lower East Side, the Rockaways and Red Hook for the same cost as a subway ride. Keep reading for more highlights.
Highlights from de Blasio's speech here

Mayor De Blasio Builds a “Privacy Fence” Around Gracie Mansion to Keep Curious Eyes Out

Image: Gracie Mansion before the extra four feet of fence was added. © wallyg via photopin cc

December 12, 2014

Mayor De Blasio Builds a “Privacy Fence” Around Gracie Mansion to Keep Curious Eyes Out

“Man of the People” Mayor De Blasio seems to be getting a little annoyed with his constituents’ nosy nature. The Post reports that De Blasio has just erected a “privacy fence” adding another four feet to the home’s existing barrier. The new fence was constructed inside an existing red brick wall and a wrought-iron fence that […]

Celebrities

October 17, 2014

Mayor De Blasio Finds a Tenant for His Park Slope Home

All the buzz surrounding Mayor De Blasio's home has yielded some great results for NYC's First Family. Bill and his wife Chirlane McCray have rented their house to the first folks who came to check out the property located at 442 11th Street. De Blasio listed the Park Slope home less than two weeks ago through Brooklyn Properties for $4,975 a month. Let's take a look inside...
Find out more

October 2, 2014

Tour Mayor de Blasio’s Park Slope Home Now Renting at $4,975 a Month

Mayor de Blasio's Park Slope clapboard house, located at 442 11th Street, has hit the rental market today, asking $4,975 a month. The 100-year-old, three-story home has a private backyard (complete with herb garden and crab apple tree) and three bedrooms...but only one bathroom, which is up on the third floor. Chiara and Dante definitely had a hand in painting their bedrooms (photos and video after the break), and the dwelling retains some of its original, historic details. It may not be Gracie Mansion, but according to its broker, this mayoral abode offers a lot for it's price.
Let's see for ourselves in the video after the break

July 16, 2014

Mayor Bill De Blasio Proposes to Transform Downtown Brooklyn

Mayor Bill de Blasio is set to make a proposal on Wednesday that will launch an initiative to transform Downtown Brooklyn into a community that will rival some of its brownstone counterparts. The area has undoubtedly grown significantly over the last decade with new restaurants and cultural institutions that have attracted an influx of residents. However locals feel that the area still feels a bit disconnected. De Blasio’s plan aims to create a greater sense of community in the neighborhood.
Find out more about the proposal here

Real Estate Trends

July 14, 2014

Upper East Side Hopes to Create High Line-esque Park Over Garbage Transfer Site

What is it they say about one man’s trash being another man’s treasure? Well, after failed attempts to stop construction of the Upper East Side's inevitable new garbage dump, community groups have chosen the next best route: give the dump a makeover. That’s so Upper East Side, isn’t it? The idea, according to the NY Daily News, is to transform the garbage-transfer station into a community park. The plan, a collaboration with Sam Schwartz Engineering, would relocate a quarter-mile long garbage truck ramp to the side of the Asphalt Green complex. The ramp would be covered by a green High Line-esque walkway.
Find out more about the plan here

Real Estate Trends

July 11, 2014

Your Daily Link Fix: Happy Birthday Erno Rubik; Have You Seen This Spider?

Cross-Laminated Timber Could Be Construction’s New “It” Material: Treehugger details all of CLT’s attributes. Park Slope Neighbors Annoyed With De Blasio’s Junk: NY Mag hilariously details how Mayor Bill De Blasio’s neighbors begrudgingly shopped at the moving family’s “free” pile despite the slim pickings. Happy Birthday Rubik’s Cube: It’s Erno Rubik’s birthday weekend and the Wall Street […]

Uncategorized

June 25, 2014

Your Daily Link Fix: A Quirky Mmuseumm Serenade; Mayor De Blasio to Rent Family Home

Borrowing the Internet from the Library: Anything that involves more internet hotspots is a good thing. Well, according to Gizmodo, libraries may start offering Wi-Fi in areas with lower bandwidth. We can’t help but wonder what the overdue fees will be. Multitasking is So Yesterday: According to FastCo. there’s a new group of people in […]

Uncategorized

May 30, 2014

One Vanderbilt: New 65-Story Tower Near Grand Central to Stand Taller Than the Chrysler Building