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UWS tower may be in jeopardy following Supreme court zoning ruling
The judge said the city should not have approved SJP Properties and Mitsui Fudosan’s 51 story condo tower
At a proposed 668 feet, 200 Amsterdam Avenue was slated to be the tallest tower on the Upper West Side. Now that may be in jeopardy.
On Thursday, the state Supreme Court overruled a previous decision by the city to allow construction of the tower, according to Crain’s.
It’s a serious blow for developers SJP Properties and Mitsui Fudosan America.
“The development team for 200 Amsterdam has followed the law completely and continues to make construction progress,” said a spokesperson.
Community groups and local politicians had previously challenged the city Department of Buildings’ approval for the project, claiming the developers had cobbled together an illegal zoning lot.
But in July 2018, the city’s Board of Standards and Appeals on Tuesday sided with SJP Properties and Mitsui Fudosan, finding that the project complied with zoning rules.
The latest Supreme court ruling orders the BSA to re-evaluate the tower using a new method that may change its previous findings, according to Crain’s.
The building’s spire is currently under construction. Opponents aim to limit the tower to around 17 stories, its current size, instead of the planned 51 stories.
“This is a major victory,” Richard Emery, the attorney for the the plaintiffs who challenged the project, told Crain’s, “A development site where a developer wants to build can’t just get around the zoning codes.” [Crain’s] – Decca Muldowney