Offering plans slow down
The New York State attorney general’s office is receiving fewer offering plans for apartment buildings. Offering plans were down 19 percent in the first several months of 2008 compared to last year. If that trend continues, the attorney general’s office expects an 11 percent decrease for the year. Last year, there was a 4.5 percent decrease in offering plans compared to 2006, the first drop since 1999, the New York Sun reported.
West Chelsea gets landmark status
The Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the West Chelsea Historic District last month, landmarking an area from West 25th to West 28th streets between 10th and 12th avenues. The district is made up of 30 buildings that recall the area’s manufacturing era.
Investigation of former PA head possible
State Senator John Flanagan recently called for an SEC investigation of former Port Authority head Anthony Shorris’ statements about the World Trade Center redevelopment, the New York Post reported. He says Shorris may have violated federal securities rules by misleading investors about the project’s schedule. Shorris’ replacement, Christopher Ward, revealed almost every aspect of the project is over-budget and behind schedule. Last month, the Port Authority named David Tweedy its new chief of capital planning. Tweedy was previously deputy commissioner at the Department of Environmental Protection.
DOB increases stop-work orders
The Department of Buildings issued 5,948 stop-work orders citywide in the first half of the year, 44.8 percent more than in the same period last year. There were 67.2 percent more stop-work orders in Queens, 65.6 percent more in Brooklyn and 25.7 percent more in Manhattan. The number of stop-work orders in the Bronx fell by 45 percent. The overall rise comes following increased scrutiny by the Department of Buildings over construction safety following several fatal accidents. Inspectors can order a job site shut down because of safety issues, unauthorized work and even paperwork violations.
City acquires fourth Willets Point parcel
A Willets Point property owner with 4,000 square feet of land within the proposed 62-acre development site became the fourth business owner to agree to sell to the city and relocate. Flushing Towing owner Carlos Canal said his company will relocate from 126-28 35th Avenue to a property in Flushing that is vacant and zoned for industrial use but not owned by the city. Neither Canal nor EDC would comment on the price. Three other companies owning a total of 95,500 square feet signed agreements with the city over the past two months.
Brownfields program clamps down on tax credits
New York State’s Brownfield Cleanup Program has been revamped again, this time by a new bill passed by the Legislature in the last hours of its 2008 session. The bill, which was set to be signed by Governor David Paterson, aims to encourage the cleanup of brownfields, abandoned or under-utilized properties where development is impaired by a risk of environmental contamination. It increases the subsidies for cleanups, while at the same time placing stricter controls on tax credits for subsequent developments that had been widely criticized for mostly enriching a few big builders.
New York City’s population grows
According to the latest U.S. census, New York City grew by 23,960 people over the past year, as its population reached 8.27 million. In upstate New York, however, cities showed losses in the annual estimate. Buffalo’s population was down 0.93 percent, Albany was down 0.46 percent, and Syracuse lost 0.78 percent.