Category: Articles
-
Water Taxi to Suspend Service
Original photo: Gowanus Lounge The New York Water Taxi notified its customers today that is suspending East River service effective 1 January 2008. Commuter service will not resume until 1 May 2008. In a flyer handed out to patrons this evening, NYWT cited noted that it “broke even during the spring, summer and fall when…
-
Beauty Pageant
Photo: sps The Landmarks Preservation Commission officially designated [pdf] the Dumbo historic today. Coming in the final LPC hearing of the year, this closes out what has turned out to be a banner year for the oft-maligned industrial heritage of the city. In addition to this designation, LPC has also designated the Domino Sugar Refinery,…
-
BSA Allows Finger Building to Proceed
I just learned that the BSA has approved the application to resume construction at 144 North 8th Street (the Finger Building). BSA’s decision was based on a letter from DOB Deputy Counsel Felicia Miller, stating in part: the permit issued in connection with Job # 301784399 for a 16 story building was a validly issued…
-
Ouch
When I linked to TRE’s Karl Fisher interview a few days ago, I said: unfortunately, with the exception of 20 Bayard Street, just about every Fischer project is a box devoid of curved lines, angled lines, and, dare we say it, flair; which is probably for the better, as 20 Bayard is the worst of…
-
Oops
The good news is that 227 Grand Street was going to be demolished anyhow. Unfortunately, gravity reared its ugly head before the demo crew could get to that end of the building. This is all part of the Gandar’s demolition at the corner of Grand and Driggs (where a 14-story condo is proposed – that’s…
-
Construction Accidents Fall
The Oberserver reported today that DOB fatalities and accidents resulting in injury are down for the year to date. That is good news, indeed (though as the Commissioner herself reminds us, one fatality is one too many). Before everyone declares victory, let’s keep in mind that the data sets are pretty small. Scaffold fatalities, for…
-
Grades
The Department of Education released its schools report card today. By and large, the local schools fared very well, almost without exception earning strong As and Bs. The one exception is the much-maligned PS 84 (Jose de Diego), which lives up to its reputation with a D. 84 has been the subject of a nasty…
-
Eminent Domain Abuse
I am a big fan of Brownstoner and the community he has created on his blog, and usually I am in tune with his thinking on issues of development, design and so on. Today, though, he has staked out a position on the question of eminent domain that is, quite simply, off base. Writing about…
-
Housing Boom
Good news on the housing shortage front: Crain’s New York Business reported yesterday NYC is on pace to issue permits for 34,000 new housing units this year. That would be the highest number of permits since the early 1960s (the last high was 33,084 in 1972). The vast majority of those will be in Brooklyn…
-
They’re Back…
As we predicted, Quadriad is back. Henry Wollman of Quadriad made a brief informational presentation to Community Board 1 tonight. Mr. Wollman professed his fondness for the board, and stated that the as-of-right project is being permitted now and will start construction “next week”. That is the five-story project that requires no rezoning and no…