City proposes Harlem rezoning The city last month submitted a proposal for a rezoning of 125th Street that could convert the historic Harlem corridor into a dense hub for business, retail and the arts, the New York Sun reported. The plan, which would double the allowable building density to 29 stories, calls for more than 600,000 square feet of additional retail space and 2,300 new apartments. The targeted area would stretch from Frederick Douglass Boulevard to Second Avenue between 124th and 125th streets. Some residents, though, say the development would clash with the neighborhood’s character.
Bill would allow tenants to sue landlords A City Council bill introduced by Speaker Christine Quinn would for the first time give tenants the right to sue landlords for harassment, AM New York reported. Charges could include lack of heat and hot water, pressure to accept a buyout or frivolous litigation. Fines could range from $1,000 to $5,000. A provision limits the number of times a tenant can unsuccessfully sue a landlord. Under current law, tenants can only bring landlords to court for specific violations, not a pattern of harassment.
Schumer says 15,000 homes in New York City will face foreclosure Senator Chuck Schumer said the subprime mortgage meltdown will lead to almost 15,000 New York City homes being foreclosed on and $9.4 billion in property values being lost. Nationally, a Senate report warned that $103 billion in property values could be lost, the New York Daily News reported.
Plan calls for Greenwich Street South housing The Lower Manhattan Development Corp. chairman has called for building 3 million square feet of housing in the neighborhood near the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel known as the Greenwich Street South corridor. The neighborhood north of Battery Park and below the World Trade Center site is “moribund and dead,” said LMDC chair Avi Schick. Part of lower Greenwich Street that is blocked by roadways leading out of the tunnel could be redeveloped. Affordable housing could make up a large portion of the plan, the Daily News reported.
Queens building violations jump Building violations in Queens increased nearly 25 percent to 570 in September compared to last year, the city’s Buildings Department reported, a result of increased inspections. The city said the increased inspections were spurred by the Building Department’s Stop Work Order Patrol, formed in November 2006. Last year, 43 people died in construction accidents in New York City, up 87 percent from 2005, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 43 deaths were the most in a decade.
New ferry line could come to Brooklyn The city is fielding proposals for a Manhattan-bound ferry service that will make at least three stops in Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Paper reported. In Greenpoint, ferry stations could be built at Green Street and Greenpoint Avenue, and in north Williamsburg, one could be built at Toll Brothers’ Northside Piers luxury housing development between North 4th and North 5th streets. The ferry would operate year-round, with at least one round trip every half hour during morning and evening rush hours. The city hopes the new ferry will reduce congestion on roads and subway lines.
Pols doubt plan for Indian casino in city The Shinnecock tribe’s bid for a $1.4 billion casino at the Aqueduct Race Track in Queens hinges on tribal recognition by the federal government, the Daily News reported. Proponents say the casino, which would bring slot machines, poker and blackjack tables and 1,200 hotel rooms, could generate 12,000 jobs and nearly $400 million a year for the city and state. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said they were skeptical about the plan.