On July 18, 2024, the City Council introduced legislation (Int. No. 991) that would require hotels to obtain a license in order to operate in New York City. The stated aim of the legislation is to address what is described as...more
Kramer Levin recently hosted a seminar titled “Emerging Issues in Land Use: The Year in Review and What’s Ahead,” where experts discussed New York City planning initiatives and land use trends. Among the speakers were Jessica...more
On Dec. 8, Mayor Eric Adams released “Get Stuff Built,” a report on the building and land use approval streamlining task force (BLAST). The task force was convened from more than two dozen city agencies and was charged with...more
On Dec. 15, 2021, the City Council approved the City’s rezoning plan for the SoHo and NoHo neighborhoods. The Council’s action completed the legislative process, thereby turning the plan into law. The stated objectives of the...more
The Department of City Planning (DCP) has proposed a text amendment to modify regulations relating to gyms, spas, and licensed massage therapy and other health and fitness facilities defined as Physical Culture or Health...more
6/2/2021
/ Commercial Tenants ,
Fitness ,
Massage Therapists ,
Municipalities ,
Permits ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Small Business ,
State and Local Government ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Zoning Maps
The Department of City Planning (DCP) has proposed text amendments to modify and expand the existing Food Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH) program under ZR 63-00 for neighborhood grocery stores and supermarkets...more
6/2/2021
/ Commercial Tenants ,
Construction Project ,
Food Supply ,
Grocery Stores ,
Incentives ,
Infrastructure ,
Neighborhood Revitalization ,
Real Estate Development ,
Retailers ,
State and Local Government ,
Underserved Locations ,
Urban Planning & Development
On May 17, the City Planning Commission (CPC) certified the SoHo/NoHo Neighborhood Plan (the Plan), which would replace outdated zoning regulations that preclude residences, including affordable housing, and severely restrict...more
On May 3, 2021, the City Planning Commission referred out for public review a zoning text amendment that would require a special permit for the creation or material enlargement of transient hotels (Zoning Use Group 5) and...more
Continuing a trend reported in our Sept. 9, 2020 alert (“Zoning and Land Use: Turning the World Right-Side Up Again”), the Appellate Division for the First Department, which exercises appellate jurisdiction over courts in...more
On March 9, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a series of proposed citywide zoning text amendments intended to incentivize the creation of local grocery stores, boost transit station accessibility, and ease administrative...more
3/12/2021
/ Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Grocery Stores ,
Low-Income Issues ,
New York ,
Real Estate Development ,
Recovery Plans ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Retail Market ,
State and Local Government ,
Tax Incentives ,
Underserved Locations ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Zoning Maps
On Jan. 19, 2021, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo proposed an amendment to Section 277 of the New York State Multiple Dwelling Law (MDL) that would “authorize flexibility in zoning to address high commercial vacancy rates and...more
1/26/2021
/ Affordable Housing ,
Community Development ,
Conversion ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Homeless Issues ,
Hotels ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State and Local Government ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Vacant Properties ,
Zoning Maps
On Oct. 19, 2020, the City Planning Commission certified for public review a proposed citywide text amendment known as Zoning for Coastal Flood Resiliency (ZCFR). The proposal seeks to update and make permanent those zoning...more
The New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) provided greater detail on its proposal to rezone nearly 56 blocks of the SoHo and NoHo neighborhoods of Manhattan, which includes the following key features...more
The New York City Open Storefronts Program will allow existing ground-floor storefront businesses to conduct business activity on sidewalks and on roadways that are part of the Open Streets: Restaurants program. ...more
11/2/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Non-Essential Businesses ,
Public Gatherings ,
Public Health ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Seating ,
State and Local Government ,
Workplace Safety
This summer has brought two appellate court decisions that should help alleviate growing concern in the development community that the New York courts are overly receptive to community-based challenges to new development in...more
On May 29, 2019, the City Council adopted a zoning text amendment to count certain mechanical voids as zoning floor area in residential towers.
The amendment does not prohibit any mechanical space outright; instead, it...more
On Dec. 20, 2018, the City Council adopted a zoning text amendment to require a special permit for the development of a transient hotel (Use Group 5) in M1 districts. ...more
1/18/2019
/ Building Permits ,
Construction Industry ,
Construction Project ,
Hotels ,
Moratorium ,
New Amendments ,
Real Estate Development ,
Regulatory Standards ,
State and Local Government ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Zoning Maps