Developers could be sued under fair housing act
Developers and landlords, including the Related Companies
and the Durst Organization, may have to spend millions of dollars to
renovate more than 100,000 apartments to comply with federal housing
laws requiring wheelchair accessibility. For the past 20 years,
residential developers have followed city laws to make sure apartments
are accessible to disabled tenants, but the U.S. attorney’s office says
many buildings don’t abide by the federal Fair Housing Act, the New
York Times reported. Violators of the act can be fined up to $110,000,
and courts can order the apartments to be retrofitted for disabled
tenants.
Stringer claims 800 buildings pose fire risks
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer charged that more
than 800 city buildings are vulnerable to the kind of catastrophic fire
that ripped through the former Deutsche Bank building last summer,
killing two firefighters. Stringer called for a five-step plan that
includes better cooperation with federal and state agencies, the New
York Daily News reported. The former Deutsche Bank building was exempt
from city building codes because it was owned by a state agency, the
Lower Manhattan Development Corp. Other exempt buildings include Grand
Central Terminal and the UN Secretariat. Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants
to require federal and state buildings to comply with city fire codes.
City approves 125th Street rezoning
The City Planning Commission voted late last month in favor
of rezoning the eastern portion of 125th Street. The vote helps pave
the way for a 1.7 million-square-foot mixed-use complex, which will
include housing, offices, restaurants and stores. City officials have
been working with community activists on the plan for months, but have
yet to pick a developer for the project. Vornado Realty Trust, Thor
Equities and General Growth Properties are among the confirmed bidders,
Crain’s reported. The City Council plans to vote on the rezoning plan
next month.
Sex offenders barred from real estate licenses
Governor David Paterson signed a new law last month that
prevents convicted sex offenders from holding a New York real estate
license. The law closes a loophole that prevents convicted felons from
obtaining a license. It does not, however, apply to misdemeanor sex
offenders. Any offender who already has a license was required to
report their conviction to the state Department of Law by Aug. 13.
Harlem tenants sue Pinnacle Group
Tenants in a rental building at 668 Riverside Drive, at
144th Street, are suing their landlord Pinnacle Group. The tenants say
leaking pipes, rotting wood, damaged ceilings and other problems in the
building must be fixed before Pinnacle converts the Harlem building
into a condominium. The tenant group paid for a report from Rand
Engineering and Architecture, which shows the building needs about
$1.87 million in repairs to comply with plans for the conversion,
including a new roof, the New York Sun reported.
510 Madison Avenue gets stop-work order
Macklowe Properties’ 510 Madison Avenue was hit with a
partial stop-work order from the Department of Buildings, which halted
work on parts of six floors. The DOB said inspectors found a scaffold
without a permit, “failure to safeguard all persons and property” and
“failure to provide adequate protection between personnel hoist and
curtain wall,” the New York Post reported. A construction worker was
hospitalized last month when an unidentified object fell from the site.
The 30-story tower will house a Tourneau watch store.
Compiled by Linden Lim