Carl Weisbrod

Carl Weisbrod to Step Down from Roles at Planning Commission, Planning Department

7:00 am on January 5, 2017 By Reid Wilson

On the heels of the City Planning Commission voting to certify the proposed rezoning of Midtown East, kicking off the public review process, the Commission’s chairman, Carl Weisbrod, announced he will be stepping down from his position by the end of the month. Weisbrod will also retire from his position as director of the New York City’s Department of City Planning, the New York Times reported. Weisbrod, appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2014, has served a key role in implementing the current administration’s zoning policies, with a career in government and civic life spanning decades. City officials say Weisbrod will become the new chairman of the Trusts for Governors Island, a nonprofit organization tasked with leading development projects and overlooking daily operations on the island.

John F. Kennedy International Airport

$10 Billion Redesign Unveiled for John F. Kennedy International Airport

6:30 am on January 5, 2017 By Reid Wilson

Governor Andrew Cuomo has unveiled plans for a $10 billion redesign of John F. Kennedy International Airport, in Queens. Broadly, the goal of the project is to better interconnect the airport’s existing terminals and improve the flow of vehicles and people through reconstruction and expansion of roadways, Crain’s reported. There would also be a large parking garage at the center of the airport, possibly to be topped by green space. Mass-transit upgrades are also in store, including plans for a one-seat ride to Manhattan. The state’s Department of Transportation will head the construction pertaining to roadways and mass transit, while the airport is expected to be rebuilt under partnerships with airline companies and operators, including the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey.

210 Jackson Street

Five-Story, Five-Unit Residential Building Filed at 210 Jackson Street, Williamsburg

6:00 am on January 5, 2017 By Reid Wilson

Brooklyn-based Agora Development Group has filed applications for a five-story, five-unit residential building at 210 Jackson Street, in northern Williamsburg. The project will measure 6,066 square feet and its full-floor apartments should average 1,000 square feet apiece, indicative of condominiums. Oscar M. Fuertes’s Huntington, N.Y.-based architecture firm is the architect of record. The 2,500-square-foot lot is occupied by a two-story townhouse. Demolition permits were filed in December.

30-02 39th Avenue

10-Story, 428-Unit Mixed-Use Building Tops Out at 30-02 39th Avenue, Long Island City

1:00 pm on January 4, 2017 By Reid Wilson

Construction has topped out on the 10-story, 428-unit mixed-use building under development at 30-02 39th Avenue, in the Dutch Kills section of Long Island City. Progress on the structure, including façade installation, can be seen thanks to photos posted to the YIMBY Forums. The latest building permits indicate the project encompasses 413,138 square feet and rises 123 feet to its main roof. There will be 3,181 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, followed by 428 residential units across the ground through 10th floors. The apartments should average 679 square feet apiece, indicative of rentals. The Lightstone Group is the developer and Gerner, Kronick + Valcarcel (GKV Architects) is the architect. Completion is expected later this year.