marlonbwise

[marlonbwise]

Most New Yorkers support homeless shelters in their neighborhood: poll

Some six in ten New Yorkers say they would actually support a shelter opening in their community

The city has faced fierce opposition over its plans to build 90 new shelters for the city’s ballooning homeless population, but nearly six in ten New Yorkers say they would actually support a shelter opening in their neighborhood, according to a new poll.

The survey, conducted by homeless service group Win and market research company HarrisX, questioned 1,002 New Yorkers from all five boroughs on the city’s homeless crisis; more than 63,000 New Yorkers—enough to fill Yankee Stadium and then some—are currently lacking housing. Of those polled, 92 percent say shelter space should be offered to all who need it and 59 percent said they would support a homeless shelter opening its doors in their community.

“New Yorkers don’t agree on much, but the poll shows that New Yorkers believe we should do more to solve the problem of homelessness and they are willing to do their part, in their own neighborhoods,” said Christine Quinn, former City Council speaker and current president and CEO of Win, in a statement.

Those surveyed also expressed overwhelming support for city-offered supportive services, including career counseling and help obtaining housing; aid in accessing subsidized child care for homeless and formerly homeless children; tax incentives for employers who train and hire homeless and those who once were; and rent vouchers to help those struggling to make ends meet stay in their homes.

Last year, 133,284 homeless men, women, and children slept in city shelters, according to city data. That figure has ballooned over recent years with the number of homeless New Yorkers sleeping each night in municipal shelters 74 percent higher than it was 10 years ago, and the number of single adults a staggering 150 percent higher compared to a decade ago, according to analysis by the Coalition for the Homeless.

To reduce those numbers, in February 2017 Mayor Bill de Blasio announced “Turning the Tide on Homelessness,” an aggressive five-year plan to overhaul the city’s shelter system. Under the plan, the city seeks to end the use of commercial hotels for shelter, shutter all privately-owned city shelter units—often referred to as cluster sites—and replace them with 90 new shelters equipped with supportive services. Homeless shelters announced for Washington Heights, Midtown, and Crown Heights drew fierce ire from locals.

Win’s survey also pointed to the misconceptions New Yorkers often harbor when it comes to the homeless. While families with children represent over 70 percent of New York City’s homeless population, 62 percent of those polled believe that the city’s homeless are primarily single men and women. Some 65 percent also assumed that having a job is enough to stave off homelessness, but one in three homeless families have a working adult. The country’s level of working poor—those who spend 27 weeks or more in a year either working or looking for work, but whose incomes fall below the federal poverty line—is came in at just shy of 10 million in 2016, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Even those who opposed shelters coming to their neighborhoods admit living near one “isn’t as bad as we thought it would be,” as Dion Ashman, a longtime Crown Heights resident, told Curbed in October. Ashman, who opposed a family shelter opening on Rogers Avenue and Crown Street, even helped bring a lawsuit on behalf of concerned neighbors to halt the project.

“The things that people were concerned about, the quality of life issues, those haven’t really materialized,” he told Curbed. The advisory board for that shelter, of which Ashman is a member, shifted to meeting every three months instead of monthly because there simply wasn’t much to report within that window. “There wasn’t really enough new material to report on at the end of every month,” Ashman added.

from Curbed NY - All https://ny.curbed.com/2019/4/23/18513079/new-yorkers-support-homeless-shelters-neighborhood-poll-win

[marlonbwise]

Is NYC ready for the L train ‘slowdown’? Transit advocates weigh in

The short answer? Not really.

It’s T-minus three days and counting until the MTA begins its long-planned repair of the Canarsie Tunnel, disrupting the lives of the roughly 225,000 commuters who use the L train on a daily basis.

L riders who spent the past few years bracing themselves for a full cessation of service between Brooklyn and Manhattan now have a new set of challenges to contend with. The plan that will be carried out, cooked up by a panel of engineers hired by Gov. Andrew Cuomo at the end of 2018, will not require the Canarsie Tunnel to be closed entirely. Instead, work can be done on one track at a time, meaning trains can still run during rush hour and at off-peak hours.

But even though the new method of repairing the tunnel won’t necessitate a full shutdown—a fact that many praised when it was announced in January—that doesn’t mean service on the L will be pleasant during the 15 to 20 months (a specific timetable has yet to be determined, per the MTA) repairs will be taking place. Many transit advocates believe there’s a chance things will be just as bad—or worse—than they would have been during a full L train shutdown.

“We’re less prepared now for this plan, that would seem to be less of a disruption, than we would have been for the full 15 month shutdown,” says Joe Cutrufo, the communications director for Transportation Alternatives. “There was a really good mitigation plan for that. The mitigation plan for this partial shutdown is nowhere near as good.”

To recap, on weekdays, L trains will run as usual during rush hour, but will have limited service at night. Starting at 8 p.m., service will start to slow down so work trains can move into position, and subways will run every 20 minutes—that’s three L trains per hour—between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. On weekends, that three-L-trains-per-hour schedule will be the norm. And as anyone whose ridden the L train on a weekend knows, trains can get crowded even outside of the rush hour commute.

“The problem is the weekend peak hour, our ridership is 8,000 riders per hour,” explains Danny Pearlstein, the policy and communications director of Riders Alliance. “And with trains running every 20 minutes, the maximum that can be accommodated is 4,800 an hour. So that’s 3,200 frustrated riders in a weekend peak hour every weekend for who knows how long.”

The MTA has advised riders to anticipate crowding at subway stations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, most recently in a series of tweets about service options during the slowdown:

L trains will run every 10 minutes in Brooklyn between Rockaway Pkwy and Lorimer St. Every other L train will continue into Manhattan. In Manhattan and at Bedford Av, the L will arrive every ~20 minutes, but at certain times, it may be too crowded to board the first train. (2/8) pic.twitter.com/kStqMmctof

— NYCT Subway (@NYCTSubway) April 22, 2019

There are also plenty of alternative service options—more 7, G, and M trains, free transfers between stations, and special “Williamsburg Link” buses to shuttle riders to and from stations in that neighborhood. But whether or not riders use those, or decide to try and take their chances with the L, remains to be seen.

“I think before with the shutdown plan, that was going to be tough, too, but people had pretty clear choices about what the most direct route was going to be,” says Ben Fried, communications director at TransitCenter. “And with this plan, it’s less clear. I expect there to be really intense crowding at the stations on either side of the river.”

If crowding becomes an issue, the MTA has not ruled out making some high-traffic stations, like First and Third avenues, exit-only to deal with overflow. But that could lead to additional problems: overcrowding on platforms; riders clamoring to get onto buses; frustrated commuters; and ultimately, more riders turning to other options, like ride-hailing apps, to get from place to place (which will, in turn, lead to more congestion on city streets).

“What we’re looking at without an excellent public transit option above ground that’s direct, fast, [and] reliable, we’re looking at a mini L-pocalypse or L-mageddon on a weekly basis, if not more frequently,” says Pearlstein.

Buses could serve that need for direct, fast, and reliable service through Manhattan, but as of this writing, it’s unclear how they will fit into the larger spate of transit options during L repairs. One of the biggest issues cited by the advocates Curbed spoke with is the lack of clarity around the city’s plan for buses along 14th Street. Originally, when a full shutdown was planned, the MTA and the New York City Department of Transportation floated the idea of a dedicated busway on 14th Street between Ninth and Third avenues. This would have allowed the various M14 routes (A and D) to move seamlessly along the thoroughfare, without interruption from private cars or other vehicles.

We’re looking at a mini L-pocalypse or L-mageddon on a weekly basis, if not more frequently.

“This is official city policy, to be speeding up buses 25 percent and to reduce carbon emissions, and all that stuff justifies going ahead with the full busway,” notes Fried. “We’re talking about one of the most intensely-used surface transit routes in the city, if not the most intensely, even before a shutdown of the L train.”

But it’s unclear if a busway will actually end up happening; the city and the MTA have promised that they’ll release bus plans sometime this week, and the clock is ticking. Plans are in the works to add a SBS line on 14th Street this summer, but even that won’t do much to get people moving faster—on average, SBS lines move only slightly faster than local bus routes, according to an analysis by Comptroller Scott Stringer’s office.

“There could have been a way to do this where I would be telling you right now, the DOT and the mayor, they forged ahead and they decided that better bus service was a priority even without the full shutdown,” says Cutrufo. “I could be telling you that now, but I’m not, because they’ve been really kind of weak on making the 14th Street bus corridor work better. The fact that just regular old select bus service is coming, I don’t see it being a dramatic improvement.”

So what advice do these advocates have for riders who may soon find themselves in dire commuting straits? “I would say now’s a good time to get comfortable biking on New York City streets if you’re capable and courageous,” Cutrufo says. (May is Bike Month in NYC, after all.) Even without pedal-assist Citi Bikes on the roads—they were recently removed due to safety concerns—biking is still fast and relatively attractive for those who are able to do so.

Fried, meanwhile, suggests commuters “get loud and agitate” if it becomes clear very quickly that the slowdown is turning into an L-pocalypse. “If things don’t work out the way we’re expecting with the substitute service, it’s not too late to implement a better plan,” he says. “These are inherently flexible modes that can be set up at relatively short notice. We’ve had very high-capacity, temporary bus lines set up to deal with natural disasters and after 9/11. The city and the MTA can mobilize quickly if things don’t work the way they’re supposed to.”

from Curbed NY - All https://ny.curbed.com/2019/4/23/18511565/l-train-shutdown-mta-transportation-alternatives

[marlonbwise]

Staten Island’s Bay Street rezoning approved by City Planning Commission

The Staten Island BP calls the rezoning a “boondoggle” while activists say it is “irresponsible”

A proposal to rezone a stretch of Staten Island’s north shore passed the City Planning Commission (CPC) on Monday, despite simmering concerns that a spike in density will overburden the area’s infrastructure and create housing that is unattainable for locals.

In an 8-to-3 vote, the commission approved the city-initiated rezoning that would bring a swell of new apartments, retail, and office space to a 14 block-span known as the Bay Street corridor, which runs through St. George, Tompkinsville, and Stapleton. The city estimates it will add 1,800 new apartments into the area—up to 30 percent would be set aside for below-market-rate units—to house some 6,500 residents on the sleepy corridor, which at the moment is zoned for mostly manufacturing uses.

During the vote, CPC chair Marisa Lago touted the proposal’s vision for Staten Island’s north shore. “I’m pleased that the Bay Street corridor rezoning is more than just a rezoning, it’s a vision for a future community that provides new affordable housing options and allows residents to live, work, play, shop, dine, and enjoy the arts all within walking, biking, or public transit distance of their home,” said Lago, noting that she’s “confident” lingering concerns can be addressed in conversations leading up to the final City Council vote.

But the rezoning has faced opposition from locals and elected officials. Staten Island’s Community Board 1 voted to reject the majority of the changes after a heated five-hour meeting where borough residents vented their concerns, chiefly that there must be a greater commitment to low-income housing, and the need for significant infrastructure investments.

“We need housing that is truly affordable, housing that will allow my family tree, which have lived on this island for decades, to stay here,” said Laura Labetti, a nurse and a longtime Staten Islander, who weighed in during January’s community board vote. “But if that’s done without adding schools, making things accessible, really figuring out how to meet the peoples needs before the changes, then of course they’ll be problems down the road.”

The median rent for the St. George and Stapleton area has steadily climbed, data from the NYU Furman Center shows, with the typical rent for an apartment at $1,950/month in 2017—that’s up from $1,868/month in 2016 and $1,250/month in 2010. School District 31 is slated for 1,701 new school seats by 2024, but a report by the Independent Budget Office says the borough would need more than double that to eliminate overcrowding. Some North Shore schools are packed hundreds past capacity. And locals have long-asked for expanded bus service.

In February, Staten Island Borough President Jimmy Oddo followed the community board’s lead and largely opposed the rezoning, calling it a “boondoggle” that creates “entirely new neighborhoods with absolutely no foresight or consideration of infrastructure and community concerns.”

“For five years, we have implored the de Blasio administration to focus on infrastructure first, before they dictated any zoning or rules changes that would allow a dramatic spike in housing density along the Bay Street Corridor and beyond,” Oddo said in a statement. “At every turn our pleas for collaboration, discussion, analysis, and a willingness to address current and future needs have been delayed, deferred, and ultimately ignored.”

In a statement, the Staten Island Housing Dignity Coalition—which is made up of community groups and churches on the north shore—said it is “deeply disappointed” that the CPC is advancing the rezoning.

“To be clear, we are not against much needed investment in this area, but we are against an irresponsible rezoning plan advanced by an administration that is ignoring the voices of Staten Islanders,” the group said.

The Department of City Planning says it is “leading a larger coordinated effort with an interagency team” when it comes to transit upgrades. Improvements that are being actively studied include new traffic signals, pedestrian islands, and wider sidewalks and medians. A DCP spokesperson noted that the city has already invested $27 million toward the implementation of the North Shore Transportation Improvement Strategy, with $3.7 million to create public spaces around the Tompkinsville Station on the Staten Island Railway, and $500,000 for streetscape improvements such as lighting and benches. Department of Transportation officials say the agency is looking into a new Bus Rapid Transit line for the neighborhoods, a reconfiguration of the streets leading to the Cromwell Center, and other potential upgrades.

“These are initial investments with more to come as the proposal moves through ULURP. To ensure that the right strategies are implemented at the right time, DOT and DCP will commit to a Traffic Monitoring Program to track development over time,” DCP said in a statement. “This will allow us to adjust the scope and timing of mitigation measures as we know more about the timing of new development and effects on roads, pedestrians ,and cyclists.”

City Council member Debi Rose, whose vote in the council carries more heft as the local lawmaker, has her reservations about the plan and calls for significant improvements to transportation, schools, open space, and sewer upgrades.

“With those investments, this rezoning would be a good plan for the future of North Shore residents and small businesses,” Rose said in a statement. “We move to continued negotiations in coming weeks that will be crucial for the future of this project. Thoughtful planning and a commitment to infrastructure will reap a successful rezoning.”

Of the commissioners who voted against the rezoning, Alfred Cerullo, a former City Council member, questioned the wisdom of continued talks as the proposal heads into the final hurdles of the land use review process: review by the council ahead of a make-or-break vote.

“Aren’t we the planners? Shouldn’t we be analyzing these plans to ensure that these decision that shape neighborhoods make sense?” Cerullo said before casting his vote. “So how do we get this right? I’m just not sure it’s like this.”

from Curbed NY - All https://ny.curbed.com/2019/4/23/18512473/nyc-staten-island-bay-street-rezoning-approved-by-city-planning-commission

[marlonbwise]

First look at the TWA Hotel’s rooftop infinity pool with runway views

The 10,000-square-foot pool observation deck will overlook the Jamaica Bay and bustling JFK runways

The much-anticipated TWA Hotel at JFK Airport will open in May 15—and so will its rooftop infinity pool and observation deck.

The pool will have a 10,000-square-foot observation deck with views to the Jamaica Bay and one of JFK’s biggest runways—including the Bay Runway—which once served as the backup landing strip for NASA’s Space Shuttle, according to the developers.

The 512-room hotel, which revived Eero Saarinen’s midcentury landmark, began taking reservations on February 14, with rooms starting at $249/night. Not planning a stay at the hotel anytime soon? Starting May 15, non-guests can make reservations to use the pool and hang out at the bar.

“Our rooftop pool provides a JFK runway view that rivals an air traffic controller’s vantage point,” Tyler Morse, CEO of MCR and MORSE Development, said in a statement. “There’s simply no better place for plane-spotting and enjoying a cocktail, in the world.”

Additional pool features include underwater seating and the possibility to become a “pool-cuzzi” in the winter, with temperatures up to 100 degrees. The pool bar will serve food and will be operated by Gerber Group, the company that manages The Campbell at Grand Central.

The TWA Flight Center closed in 2001 and has largely been hidden from public view ever since. MCR Development was awarded the contract in 2015 to bring the stunning building back to life.

from Curbed NY - All https://ny.curbed.com/2019/4/23/18512813/twa-hotel-jfk-airport-rooftop-pool-new-york

[marlonbwise]

In City Island, a Colonial-style house near the beach seeks $1.4M

This lovely blue house has stunning views to the Long Island Sound

This charming Colonial-style house on City Island, located at 626 King Avenue and overlooking the Long Island Sound, has just listed for $1.49 million—and it is here to remind you that it is possible to live within the five boroughs and by the beach.

Built in 1920, the 2,323-square-foot, two-story house has six bedrooms, three bathrooms, and glass doors that lead to a fenced yard and a porch. It also features a wood-burning fireplace and a space for an infinity pool.

Aside from the stunning beach views, the house is just a three minute walk from lively City Island Avenue (and all its seafood restaurants). The island itself is a close-knit community where “everyone knows each other,” according to Max Krull, a longtime resident who spoke with Curbed last year. “I feel like I’m on vacation, even though I go to work,” he said.

Recently renovated, the house has hardwood floors throughout, granite countertops, an eat-in kitchen with stainless steel appliances, high ceilings, and central A/C. Taxes for the property will be $10,873/month.

The house is located at 626 King Avenue and is listed by Louise DelGiudice of Century 21 Marciano.

from Curbed NY - All https://ny.curbed.com/2019/4/23/18511610/city-island-bronx-beach-house-ny-for-sale

[marlonbwise]

Stately Clinton Hill landmark transforms into a shared co-living space

Common, a co-living startup, remade a historic townhouse into one of its shared homes

Co-living startup Common has expanded rapidly since launching its first shared home back in 2015: In addition to operating more than a dozen “homes” in New York City, the company has expanded to other major municipalities including Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Seattle, with 27 buildings total in its portfolio.

Many of those buildings are retrofitted townhouses, with a few new builds here and there—including Common Baltic in Boerum Hill, which has both co-living units and market-rate rentals. The company has also expanded into family-friendly co-living with Kin, a collaboration with Tishman Speyer.

But its latest home, located on Grand Avenue in Clinton Hill (and known as Common Grand), was a different experience for the firm. It’s part of the Clinton Hill Historic District, and marks the first time that the company has worked on a home that has landmark protections.

The house itself dates back to 1909, and is one of several on the block that was designed by the architecture firm of Kirby, Petit & Greene, best known as the firm behind Coney Island’s Dreamland amusement park. It’s not quite as opulent as some of the other homes in Clinton Hill; rather, it’s a stately neo-Federal-style house, with a brick and limestone exterior and a front entrance framed by Doric columns.

Sophie Wilkinson, Common’s head of design and construction, said that as soon as she saw that entrance, she was hooked. “We were on the same page about bringing it back to its former glory, rather than being like, How can we pull it down and modernize it,” she says of working with the owner, Stuyvesant Group. “No, we want[ed] to make these original details sing.”

According to Wilkinson, many of the home’s original turn-of-the-century details—including dark millwork and a stunning marble fireplace—were well-preserved, despite the condition of their surroundings. “The original details inside hadn’t been stripped in anyway, though it was so run-down, it was completely unlivable when we got there,” she explains. But some of those didn’t survive: A grand staircase that was removed because of accessibility issues, but some of its spindles were kept in the redesign of the space.

“When we initially saw this building we didn’t have a plan for it, but we knew we had to buy it,” Stuyvesant Group said in a statement. “We’re extremely thankful that we did this deal with Common. It allowed us to fit this building into our current business model and do what we enjoy the most which is restoring and breathing years of life into these properties.”

Elsewhere, the suites shared by residents have a more modern feel, with furnishings from Room & Board, CB2, and Studio McGee. The home can accommodate 23 beds, which are spread out across the home’s five floors (although one of those is dedicated to a common space for all of the building’s residents). There are also several shared spaces—kitchens, living rooms, and the like—that are open to residents, and a roof deck.

Rooms in Common Grand start at $1,600/month, and residents have access to free Wi-Fi, a laundry room, and other perks that aren’t found in traditional rentals.

from Curbed NY - All https://ny.curbed.com/2019/4/23/18511120/coliving-historic-house-renovation-common-brooklyn

[marlonbwise]

Pacific Park megaproject gains steam as construction begins on two new rentals

The next phase of the Pacific Park megaproject is moving forward

As Greenland Forest City Partners seeks to keep things moving at the long-in-the-works megaproject formerly known as Atlantic Yards, some progress is being made on the development.

After inking a deal last year with developers TF Cornerstone and the Brodsky Organization to build three sites within the Pacific Park complex, Greenland Forest City announced today that it’ll also work with Brodsky on 18 Sixth Avenue, which will rise next to the Barclays Center at the intersection of Atlantic and Sixth avenues. The New York Post first reported on the deal.

Once completed in 2022, the building will have 859 rentals, 258 of which will be affordable, although the income bands for those units has not yet been determined. Perkins Eastman has been tapped to design the structure, which will rise 500 feet—the tallest in the complex—and have a school at its base.

As part of the deal brokered last year, Brodsky has also partnered with Greenland Forest City on the parcel formerly known as B15, at 664 Pacific Street. That building, another rental, will also have a school as well as more public space. Construction on both of those buildings is due to begin in the next few weeks.

Two other sites, to be developed by TF Cornerstone, will rise at 615 and 595 Dean Street; while the sale of those sites closed last year, work has yet to begin.

from Curbed NY - All https://ny.curbed.com/2019/4/23/18512517/brooklyn-pacific-park-megaproject-brodsky-organization

[marlonbwise]

What $5,000 rents in NYC

See what $5,000/month rents in five NYC neighborhoods, including Dumbo and Soho

Welcome to Curbed Comparisons, a weekly column that explores what one can rent for a set dollar amount in various NYC neighborhoods. Is one man’s studio another man’s townhouse? Let’s find out! Today, we’re looking at apartments renting around $5,000/month.

Warburg Realty

Upper East Side

On the Upper East Side, a one-bedroom in a condo building is renting for $5,000/month. The apartment was recently renovated, and has a brand new kitchen with a large marble island, plenty of storage space, one full bathroom, and a powder room. It’s located in prime Upper East Side, on East 70th Street between Lexington and Third avenues.

Halstead Property Development Marketing

Dumbo

A Dumbo one-bedroom with Manhattan views is renting for $5,008/month (a figure that is so oddly precise because it reflects pricing with one month of rent offered for free as an incentive). The place gets plenty of light thanks to its floor-to-ceiling windows, and has all new everything. It’s around the corner from the F train at York Street.

Compass

West Village

This West Village one-bedroom has plenty of modern conveniences—brand new kitchen appliances, a “cutting-edge bath” (not pictured, alas)—along with vintage touches like a wood-burning fireplace with a brick surround. It’s also located in the heart of the West Village, on Charles Street between Greenwich Avenue and Waverly Place. The downside? No pets.

Citi Habitats

Crown Heights

A positively huge (2,000 square foot!) four-bedroom duplex in Crown Heights is renting for $4,995/month. In addition to the bedrooms, the place has two bathrooms, three fireplaces, hardwood floors, a laundry room, and period details. It’s situated within a townhouse on Park Place between New York and Brooklyn avenues, right between the C or the 2 and 5 at Nostrand Avenue.

Compass

Soho

And finally, on the Soho/Hudson Square border, a large, “loft-like” apartment (translation: it’s a studio with a “sleeping area”) is renting for $5,000/month. It’s bright an airy thanks to several large windows, and the sleeping area is actually rather large, if not closed off from the rest of the apartment. It’s located in a former school building on King Street, less than a block from the 1 at Houston Street.

from Curbed NY - All https://ny.curbed.com/2019/4/23/18511513/new-york-apartments-for-rent-soho-dumbo

[marlonbwise]

MTA looks to rooftop solar power to raise much-needed funds

The transit authority plans to lease more than 100 rooftops to generate renewable energy

The MTA is transforming the roofs of its bus depots and train yards into solar fields.

The cash-strapped transit authority is looking to lease more than 10 million square feet of rooftop space at dozens of its buildings to companies that will install solar panels. Once fully realized, the project could generate over 100 megawatts of renewable energy—enough to power 18,000 households in New York.

The effort is the authority’s latest bid to generate sorely needed revenue, joining experiments in digital advertising and newsstand vending machines to utilize every scrap of space in the system.

“Green energy always had a dual benefit—it can help save the planet and it can be a big money-maker as well,” MTA Chief Development Officer Janno Lieber said in a statement.

For the first phase of the initiative, the MTA put out a Monday request for proposal for seven properties belonging to NYC Transit, the Long Island Rail Road, and Metro-North Railroad to generate some six and a half megawatts of clean electricity for New York households.

Those spaces include bus depots and maintenance facilities in Brooklyn and Queens, and parking lots in the Hudson Valley. Tours for interested bidders will be held in May with negotiations expected to begin in September. The MTA would not say when it anticipates the full roll out of the initiative.

The agency embarked on a similar undertaking in 2008 when, amid a push to be more environmentally friendly, it outfitted about a dozen bus depots, warehouses, and other facilities with solar panels. More recently, in 2014, the authority tested solar-powered kiosks to provide Metro-North riders with arrival estimates at the Woodlawn station in the Bronx.

from Curbed NY - All https://ny.curbed.com/2019/4/23/18511589/mta-nyc-transit-leases-rooftop-solar-power-profits

[marlonbwise]

City may demolish and rebuild two NYCHA buildings in Chelsea: report

The project, part of the Mayor’s ten-year plan to resolve $24 billion in repairs, would bring profit to the embattled agency

The city’s plans to partner with private organizations to fix NYCHA’s problems appear to be underway. Back in November, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced public-private partnerships to repair 62,000 units of public housing; he followed that in December with a 10-year plan to resolve $24 billion in repairs.

Now, according to Politico, officials are considering demolishing two NYCHA buildings in Chelsea, with the intent of rebuilding them in partnership with private developers.

The plan, Politico has learned, includes demolishing the smallest buildings at Chelsea’s Fulton Houses, and replacing them with one larger structure, as the value of the land will earn them enough profit to pay for the repairs at the complex (which are estimated to mount to $168 million in five years).

“This is an ambitious plan, and we will work with local elected officials and residents to discuss the different paths to achieve this,” Olivia Lapeyrolerie, a spokesperson for the de Blasio administration, said in a statement.

As part of that plan, 70 percent of the new apartments would be market-rate, while the 30 percent remaining would be “affordable enough” for public housing residents.

A source told Curbed that the plan is still tentative and other options are still being considered to address NYCHA’s capital needs. The source also said that families that currently live at Fulton Houses won’t be relocated unless the plan moves forward.

The project would be part of the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) federal program, which de Blasio’s administration is currently partnering with to provide $400 million worth of upgrades on nearly 2,400 NYCHA apartments in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

from Curbed NY - All https://ny.curbed.com/2019/4/22/18511380/nycha-fulton-houses-nyc-housing-deblasio

[marlonbwise]

Staten Island could get its own dockless bike-share pilot

More than 61,000 riders have used dockless bikes on Staten Island since last summer

Building on the success of last summer’s initial dockless bike-share pilot program, the New York City Department of Transportation announced today that it wants to keep those two-wheelers rolling with a borough-specific pilot on Staten Island.

The DOT has released a request for expressions of interest (RFEI) for a Staten Island pilot program, saying that it wants to “evaluate the safety, orderliness, quality, practicality, utilization, and sustainability” of a larger dockless investment in the city.

And Staten Island is a solid candidate for that experimentation. Currently, it’s not served by Citi Bike, and As part of the larger, citywide dockless pilot, which launched last summer, 400 bikes—provided by Lime and the Uber-backed Jump—rolled out in the North Shore, with 61,000 trips taken since then.

“Lime is proud of the success of its dock-free bikeshare programs in the Rockaways and Staten Island, and would love to see them grow so that more New Yorkers who need reliable, affordable transportation have access to our vehicles,” Phil Jones, senior director of east coast government relations and strategic partnerships at Lime, said in a statement. “We hope that, very soon, all New Yorkers will have access to dock-free bikes and scooters—so that anyone can get around their city easily, regardless of income or zip code.”

In a statement, DOT commissioner Polly Trottenberg noted that the pilot was so popular, that some of the bikes ended up in other parts of the borough. “Now that riders have voted with their feet, we want to have the entire island to be available to them,” she said. “Not only do we know that bike share is offering a great new travel option of thousands, we also think it has helped contribute to Vision Zero, as the last year with hundreds of Lime and JUMP bikes on the street has also been the safest year ever on the borough’s streets.”

Per the RFEI, the pilot could include regular dockless bikes, or pedal-assist e-bikes that are equipped with dockless technology. (Jump’s dockless e-bikes are already in use in San Francisco, among other cities.) It also puts potential vendors on the hook for ensuring that the bikes are cleaned, maintained, and charged (in the case of e-bikes), as well as for rebalancing bikes and ensuring they’re not left in strange places.

DOT, meanwhile, expressed the possibility that it will implement “corrals” where dockless bikes could be parked.

The agency will be taking responses through May, with the expectation that a pilot could launch as soon as July—one year from when the city’s initial foray into dockless technology began.

from Curbed NY - All https://ny.curbed.com/2019/4/22/18511384/bike-nyc-staten-island-dockless-bike-share

[marlonbwise]

Manhattan BP sues city over plan for private housing at NYCHA complex

The city has “illegally circumvented” the typical land use review, according to the lawsuit

A controversial private development planned on an Upper East Side public housing complex faces a new legal hurdle.

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer has followed through on threats to sue Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration over Fetner Properties’s plans to erect a 50-story building on the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) Holmes Towers development. Instead of going through the typical Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), which gathers input from locals and elected officials before culminating in a City Council vote, the city plans to skirt the lengthy process and acquire mayoral zoning overriders for the project. But Brewer’s suit argues that steamrolling the public review process is unlawful.

“From the beginning, Borough President Brewer has made clear that robust public review following established land use procedures is needed—and indeed legally required—to vet a proposal of this magnitude,” states a Manhattan Supreme Court suit, which was filed Thursday. “Unfortunately, despite the enormity of the proposed changes, Respondents have illegally circumvented ULURP, to the detriment of the communities they are tasked with serving.”

Brewer charges that the project, which is set to raze a playground and rise between two 25-story NYCHA buildings, violates state public housing law and the city’s charter. The suit comes as a blow to a project that is poised to be the first of NYCHA’s 50/50 program—rental towers built by private developers on land owned by the cash-strapped city agency.

Fetner Properties is set to lease land at East 92nd Street for 99 years and collect rent from the units—169 are slated as affordable housing units while another 169 will be market rate. In exchange, Fetner will pay NYCHA $25 million toward repairs at Holmes Towers.

A spokesperson for Fetner said the agency is “committed to delivering new affordable housing, open space, and a state-of-the-art recreational and community center, as well as new funds to support much-needed building and infrastructure repairs for NYCHA residents.”

And while Brewer acknowledges the potential the 50/50 project offers the city and its public housing tenants, she has her doubts that the $25 million will be enough for upgrades at the complex, especially when NYCHA itself puts estimates of the complex’s capital needs at $35 million.

“Serious questions exist as to whether respondents negotiated adequate compensation from the developer and whether the revenue generated will address NYCHA’s pressing capital needs,” according to the suit. “At the same time, the Holmes Towers Infill Development is also an exciting opportunity to create a model for thoughtful, inclusive planning on NYCHA land to raise funds for capital improvements and create affordable housing.”

The city’s law department says the suit is under review.

from Curbed NY - All https://ny.curbed.com/2019/4/22/18510921/gale-brewer-sues-nyc-over-private-housing-nycha

[marlonbwise]

Former Bronx army reserve center will transform into affordable housing

Designed by MHG Architects, the development will have 54 studio units for formerly homeless veterans and 35 for low-income individuals

The former Joseph A. Muller Army Reserve Center at 555 Nereid Avenue will be transformed into an affordable housing development in the Wakefield section of the Bronx, offering 90 affordable residential units. The Doe Fund, a nonprofit serving homeless and formerly incarcerated individuals, will renovate the 51,000-square-foot building.

Designed by MHG Architects, the development will have 54 studio units for formerly homeless veterans and 35 for low-income individuals, with a preference for current area residents. The four-story building will also have a private side yard, a bike room, social services administered by the Doe Fund, and a 123-seat lecture hall theater.

As we reported last week, the Doe Fund is also developing a 15-story building with 355 affordable housing units at 1331 Jerome Avenue in the Bronx, as well as a 10-story building with 68 units at 3188 Villa Avenue.

“Supportive housing is one of the most effective, long-term solutions to the crisis of homelessness,” Eric Enderlin, acting commissioner of NYC’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), said in a statement. “By pairing 90 new affordable homes with supportive services, this project will provide greater stability and hope to some of our city’s most vulnerable residents, including 54 veterans.”

The Doe Fund acquired the former army reserve center in 2013 through the federal government’s Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) program. The renovation of the center is expected to last two years, the Doe Fund said in a statement.

from Curbed NY - All https://ny.curbed.com/2019/4/22/18511034/affordable-housing-developments-bronx-nereid-avenue

[marlonbwise]

Long-awaited Pier 35 park on the Lower East Side finally debuts

Designed by SHoP and Ken Smith Workshop, the park is part of the city’s East River Waterfront Esplanade project

After many years and several false starts, a long-promised piece of parkland is finally open on the Lower East Side.

SHoP Architects announced last week that Pier 35, an “eco-park” on the East River waterfront, is finally open to the public. Designed by SHoP and Ken Smith Workshop, Pier 35 is part of the city’s East River Waterfront Esplanade project, a two-mile open space that stretches between the Battery Maritime Building and Montgomery Street.

The Pier 35 project had been in the works since 2011 but it was pushed back several times, as we previously reported, because of Hurricane Sandy and negotiations between city agencies.

The park and “urban beach” features landscaped lawn and dunes, a 35-foot-tall and 300-foot-wide plant-covered folded screen wall, and a raised porch with swings that face the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges. The pier also features “Mussel Beach” a 65-foot shoreline designed as a habitat for blue and ribbed mussels, with “sloping precast concrete surfaces, textures, and rockeries in the tidal zone,” according to SHoP.

“The creation of this unapologetically urban landscape was truly a collaborative effort with the city, the design team, the construction management team and their consultants, and the community,” project director Cathy E. Jones said in a statement. “The new eco-park provides the passive recreation space requested by the local residents, as well as the vertical visual effect of the vine wall that acts as a green billboard to the city.”

from Curbed NY - All https://ny.curbed.com/2019/4/22/18508064/pier-35-shop-architects-lower-east-side

[marlonbwise]

In the West Village, rare 197-year-old wood-frame home seeks $12M

The house at 17 Grove Street is one of the neighborhood’s few remaining wood-frame homes

One of the oldest and most fascinating properties in the West Village has come onto the market for $12 million. The house, at 17 Grove Street, is a rare wood-frame structure that dates back to 1822, and despite being close to 200 years old, it’s surprisingly intact. (It’s not the oldest house in the neighborhood, according to the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, but it comes close.)

The property was originally built by William Hyde, a sashmaker, and comprises two buildings: There’s the main house at 17 Grove Street, which has three bedrooms over three stories (and a finished basement), as well as a smaller, two-story building at 17 Grove Street that likely served as Hyde’s shop, according to the designation for the Greenwich Village Historic District, to which the buildings belong.

Both of the buildings have been altered—the house on Grove Street was originally just two stories, per GVSHP—but that hasn’t diminished their vintage bona fides. There are plenty of charming details throughout, including beamed ceilings, brick flooring in the kitchen, and a wood-burning fireplace on the parlor level.

(The listing also claims that a secret underground tunnel once connected the house to Chumley’s, the famed bar located down the block on Bedford Street.)

But there are also modern conveniences, including a laundry room, walk-in closets, updated kitchen appliances, central air, and an elevator.

The home also comes with the small, two-story back house at 100 Bedford Street, which has one bedroom, an office, a kitchen, and a living/dining room. It’s separated from the main house at 17 Grove by a backyard, and was at one point rented out for close to $4,500/month.

The one-of-a-kind property at 17 Grove Street and 100 Bedford Street is listed for $12 million with Jane Beal of Corcoran.

from Curbed NY - All https://ny.curbed.com/2019/4/22/18510386/west-village-historic-house-for-sale-wood-frame-home

[marlonbwise]

In Bushwick, a designer’s own home embodies a quirky, open ethos

Inside Brooklyn designer Michael Yarinsky’s carefully crafted two-bedroom apartment

Public buildings and spaces often get the glory when it comes to design accolades. Finnish architect Alvar Aalto put it this way: “I tell you, it is easier to build a grand opera or a city center than to build a personal house.” But homes are the stages on which life happens, and designer Michael Yarinsky believes in treating them with care, attention, and affection.

For Yarinsky’s own home, in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood, he focuses on natural light and the textures and colors of a wide palette of materials, creating a space that evolves as continuously as his practice.

“Designing space,” says Yarisnky, “is about...touching things, smelling things, and feeling the sun on your face.”

A Likeminded Objects lamp sits next to a custom desk and Bi-Right chair. The table lamp is by Menu.

A piece by Chiaozza is wedged into a corner of the ceiling. The figure drawing below is Ohni Lisle.

A Michael Yarinsky for Dittohouse blanket sits in the seat of an Alvar Aalto Paimio Chair, while Chen & Kai coasters sit atop a pre-Artek Alvar Aalto Stool 60.

Yarinsky moved into the apartment three years ago, sharing the two-bedroom home with a roommate. It was then that Yarinsky built the bookshelf in his bedroom, removed a layer of drywall over the brick throughout the home, added air conditioning, and renovated the bathroom.

When his roommate moved out at the beginning of 2019, Yarinsky decided to go solo, embarking on a second renovation. He transformed the second bedroom and, with permission from his landlord, cut an amoeba-shaped hole between it and the living room to create a dining room filled with light and artwork. “[My landlord] doesn’t know quite what it looks like, but he knows that I’m a designer, so he’s pretty trusting,” says Yarinsky.

Yarinksy’s dining table is a modified Reform kitchen panel, and the dining chairs are Folke Pallson. Broste plates, Amelia Black bowls, and CB2 flatware partner up with Ferm Living glassware, Louise Roe mugs, an Anderssen & Voll candlestick, a Workaday Handmade serving bowl, and aluminum trivets by Yarinsky and Rosie Li.

Designer Michael Yarinksy at his dining table.

The playful cut-out “brought light into the center of the apartment where there was just, like, basically none before,” Yarinksy explains, adding that the opening is sometimes mistaken for a mirror. “Including a massive dining room [in a tiny apartment]—it’s kind of a funny thing. But it’s also makes complete sense in this layout.” The space, Yarinsky adds, is “really a machine for dinner parties.”

Yarinsky says that while he often injects these kinds of organic shapes into his work, he didn’t have a lot of that in his home. He wanted to incorporate this design to tie his home more closely, visually, to his other projects.

“I wanted to create a conversation between this and my other work, making [that window] integral to the space,” he says. Yarinsky goes on to say that for clients, it’s a risky thing to incorporate these types of permanent elements, with people leaning toward daring furniture instead—which can be rotated out if a client’s taste changes. Being able to exhibit the success of some of his more daring design moves in his own home makes it clear that such choices can work in other spaces just as effectively.

The cut-out Yarinksy made creates a visual link between the living and dining rooms. The sofa and record shelving are custom, by Yarisnky and Pat Kim. The pillows are from Steven Alan. The refurbished coffee table is home to a blue Russel Wright bowl. An Anthony Cudahy piece hangs above the shelves.

The kitchen sports custom terrazzo countertops. A pink Fort Standard bowl and a ceramic urn by Jessica Hans sit to the left.

Construction was simple: Yarinsky drew a line on the wall with a pencil and took a reciprocal saw to it. “The fact that it looks like this hand drawn line in the air, is because it is,” he says, laughing. The clean edging is informed from his architectural work, and he had it finished by a plaster worker.

Beyond the use of organic shapes, a few themes emerge in both Yarinsky’s practice and in his home. One is a love of collaboration: Yarinsky, who operates his eponymous interdisciplinary studio near the Brooklyn Navy Yard and designs restaurants, residences, and retail spaces, also runs Design Field Trip with Jean Lee and Dylan Davis of Ladies & Gentlemen Studio, and is the lead curator for Cooler Gallery.

One of Yarinksy’s cats finds a perch in the cut-out between his living and dining rooms.

These types of partnerships have also inspired furnishings, artwork, and objects throughout his home. “Half of the furniture in the house is custom, and the other half is selected pieces that I’m really a fan of,” says Yarinksy. Every piece in his home, he goes on to explain, is either by a designer from the past that has influenced him or a contemporary designer with whom he is friends. He points to the light fixture in the dining room, designed with Lee and Davis at Ladies & Gentlemen Studio; and a daybed and record shelving by Pat Kim.

Yarinsky is especially fond of Alvar Aalto’s work because, he says, it reflects his own philosophy about furnishings, one that centers people in a space and concerns itself with how to support them both physically and emotionally. The Aalto-designed lounge chair originally made for the Paimio Sanatorium is one of Yarinsky’s favorites.

The lounge chair was made with “the idea that someone is meant to look out at a sunset and regain health,” says Yarinsky. “There’s this deeper, conceptual wellness element to it, but in a premodern way. It’s round because it’s meant to be touched.”

A CB2 sconce illuminates Yarinsky’s bed, which is dressed with Dusen Dusen textiles.

A hand-painted shower curtain by Elise McMahon of Likeminded Objects hangs in the bathroom.

Another tenet to which Yarinsky adheres is sensitivity to space; anything he incorporates is included with intention. His projects tend to feel “light, bright, and open” says Yarinsky, and this aesthetic is guided by a desire to create moods in a space, too. He relied on this thinking in his own home, which he says he “wanted to be a place where he could come in and be challenged, aesthetically and conceptually. He adds: “I like surrounding myself with friction.”

To Yarinsky, what interiors can do when they are at their best is create opportunities for people to forge close connections with one another, as well as the furnishings and objects in their environment.

“Does it make you feel how you want to feel?” he questions. “Does it bring up the ideas that you want to be constantly immersed in? Do the details inspire you?”

Yarinsky playfully warns that his space might not look the same within a year. “I’m all about continuing to morph and change and make things better, switch around the art,” he says. “It’s all an experimentation for me, specifically because it’s my own. I want to keep changing.”

from Curbed NY - All https://ny.curbed.com/2019/4/22/18485074/brooklyn-new-york-home-tour-michael-yarinsky

[marlonbwise]

Best Earth Day 2019 activities in New York

How to celebrate Earth Day in the five boroughs this year

Today marks the 50th annual celebration of Earth Day, and what better time is there to think more proactively about ways to take care of the planet?

If you live in New York City, you’re already probably doing your part to help the earth; taking public transportation and recycling are part of many New Yorkers’ daily routines, as are things like shopping at local Greenmarkets and spending time in parks.

But Earth Day is a good time to up your eco-friendliness—and in that spirit, we’ve compiled a few easy (and fun!) ways that you can celebrate this year.

Car-free streets

For the fourth year running, the Department of Transportation will close a stretch of Broadway to vehicular traffic the weekend after Earth Day, in an effort to bring awareness to the fact that a car-free New York City isn’t as scary as some automobile addicts would think. Cars will be banned from a two-mile stretch—from Union Square to Times Square—from 9 a.m. to 3p.m.

In addition to those 30 blocks of Broadway, car-free streets programs will be happening in upper Manhattan, Downtown Brooklyn, Chinatown, and more. More details about what, exactly, will be happening can be found on the DOT’s website.

Go green in Union Square

This Manhattan park is hosting one of the city’s biggest Earth Day events on Tuesday, April 23, in conjunction with the Earth Day Initiative, a nonprofit whose mission is to get people involved in environmental activism. The group will host a daylong celebration, with different vendors sharing information on how to green your life, along with live performances, activities for children, and more.

Head to your local park

While you shouldn’t limit yourself to helping out in New York’s parks on the easiest day to do so, there are plenty of activities happening throughout the city for Earth Day—so head to your nearest green space and see how you can help out.

The NYC Parks Department has planned myriad activities in every borough: you can help clean and beautify small parks, go on a mile-long bike ride through Staten Island’s Greenbelt, and more.

Ride a Citi Bike

Lessen your carbon footprint by taking a Citi Bike instead of a cab to that appointment you have across town—the bike-sharing service is offering free rides on April 22 in celebration of Earth Day. Simply enter the code EARTHDAY19 into the Citi Bike app once you’re near a docking station, and get ready to ride. (Here’s a map of all of the city’s bike lanes so you can familiarize yourself with those pathways, if you’re not already an experienced rider.)

Do something eco-friendly in your neighborhood

There are plenty of small ways that you can green your immediate surroundings: Find a place where you can drop off compost scraps; if you’ve been in the throes of spring cleaning, take your old clothes to a textile recycling center; pick up a piece of trash from your block; or request a street tree.

And remember—sometimes small changes can have the biggest impact.

from Curbed NY - All https://ny.curbed.com/2019/4/22/18510712/earth-day-2019-nyc-things-to-do