A storm-damaged home in the Rockaways

Hurricane Sandy’s devastation has created an uptick in demand for many day laborers — a largely immigrant work force, the New York Times reported. Their work, which can range from carrying damaged items from flooded basements to installing new flooring in storm-battered homes, has been a boon in a time when demolition and construction services have been slow. [more]

From left: Marc La Vorgna, Mayor Bloomberg and a storm-battered home in Queens

Amid unprecedented demand for repair services and a shortage of electricians, Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s press secretary, Marc La Vorgna, defended the city’s efforts in its Rapid Repairs program, NY1 reported. Dubbed NYC Rapid Repairs, the program was established in the wake of Hurricane Sandy to provide free emergency repairs, including fixes to heat, power, hot water and other services, to affected property owners. [more]

The Battery Park City turf (credit: DNAinfo)

A plot of artificial turf ball field located in Battery Park City, which sustained serious flooding during Hurricane Sandy, will have to be replaced entirely, the Broadsheet Daily reported. As of yet, there is no estimate available regarding funding or the time needed to reconstruct the area, located on the West Side Highway between Murray and Warren streets. [more]

The City Council has proposed anti-flooding legislation that affects requirements for new and renovated buildings, in an effort to buttress New York’s ability to weather future “superstorms” such as Hurricane Sandy, Crain’s reported. [more]

Lower Manhattan

Showing steady signs of progress, 12.4 percent of office space below Canal Street remains closed six weeks after Hurricane Sandy made landfall, according to Jones Lang LaSalle tallies.

Out of 183 Class A and B properties, 15 are still shuttered — accounting for some 12.6 million square feet. The total inventory in the neighborhood ticks in at 101.2 million square feet. [more]

The One57 crane and Mayor Bloomberg

Mayor Michael Bloomberg appears to have changed his mind about skyscraper damage resulting from wind-related incidents, the New York Observer reported. Last month’s infamous One57’s dangling crane reminded the Observer of when April 2004’s freakish wind storms dislodged constructions material from the then-unfinished Time Warner Center.

Back in 2004, Bloomberg ordered work to be stopped immediately at Time Warner Center and reportedly chastised the developer. As previously reported, after the One57 crane collapsed, Bloomberg defended the Extell project and its developer, Gary Barnett. [more]

From left: Mayor Bloomberg and storm damage in the Rockaways

During a major speech today about Hurricane Sandy’s aftermath, Mayor Michael Bloomberg reiterated his commitment to waterfront development, but said that the parts of the city most vulnerable to storm damage must undergo a “climate risk assessment” before new development takes place.

“We are not going to leave the Rockaways or Coney Island or Staten Island’s South Shore,” Bloomberg said. But we can’t just rebuild what was there and hope for the best. We have to build smarter and stronger and more sustainably.” [more]

From left: Storm-damaged homes and Ron Moelis of L+M

A new deal between private landlords and city officials gives Sandy victims priority placement for roughly 2,500 vacant units across the city, the Wall Street Journal reported. This deal comes in an effort to alleviate a housing crisis that the storm, which made landfall in late October, created.

Negotiations for the deal — details on the length of leases and what would make tenants qualify — lasted nearly a month. Some city landlords have agreed to let tenants break their leases without penalty. [more]

Shaun Donovan

Shaun Donovan, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary, said it is crucial for Congress to approve aid for Sandy victims in order for storm-affected residents to begin planning their rebuilding, WNYC reported. Though immediate concerns, such as getting the displaced back home, are a top priority, long-term issues, such as climate change and where to rebuild, remain as well.

“One of the things the President has made clear to me is we have to rebuild not exactly what was there before,” Donovan told WNYC. “We have to rebuild smarter and stronger to make sure that we minimize the enormous damage to people’s lives and their families and their communities that we saw in this storm.” [more]

From left: Faith Hope Consolo and a rendering of Pier 17

The future of the proposed South Street Seaport revitalization project is uncertain, the Wall Street Journal reported. The culprit: Hurricane Sandy, whose landfall in Lower Manhattan not only damaged the South Street Seaport Museum, but also could have damaged Pier 17, where Howard Hughes Corp. is planning a redesigned mall.

Now that the site is closed, and could be closed for two years with construction, retailers could get cold feet in signing leases and the site may have problems getting visitors, real estate experts told the Journal. “People have a short time span to remember,” Faith Hope Consolo, chairman of Douglas Elliman’s retail group, told the Journal. [more]