Con Edison

WNBC.com is reporting that a manhole explosion on East 39th Street prompted the evacuation of six nearby buildings early this morning.

No injuries have been reported.

The blast occured just a few blocks from the scene of last July's steampipe explosion near Grand Central Terminal, which injured 41 people and caused one woman to die from a heart attack.

Last week Mayor Bloomberg announced that the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) would request proposals from private developers to enter into a 20-year deal with the city to buy, install, own and maintain solar panels on city-owned buildings in New York’s five boroughs.

The goal is to deliver two megawatts (MW) of solar power to city-owned buildings. In 2007 New York City was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (D.O.E) as one of 13 cities to help build the country’s solar-energy market. As part of this partnership, the city set a goal of increasing its photovoltaic cell capacity from 1.1 MW in 2005 to 8.1 MW by 2015.

This is of course a small drop in a very large bucket.  read more »

Yesterday, New York's political class lined up to condemn the politically insulated MTA-whose members are in effect appointed by the governor-for the third rain-caused system-wide disruption of the nation's most heavily used subway system in the past seven months.

They were right to do so.  read more »

Muss Development announced today that Con Edison and New York City have signed leases totaling 120,000 square feet in Queens Tower.

The city will take 105,000 square feet on the first six floors of 88-11 165th Street in Jamaica, Queens, according to a press release, and Con Edison signed on for 15,000 square feet on the 10th floor. The leases are for 20 and 10 years, respectively.

According to the release, long-time tenant Verizon Communications vacated the 10-story building in 2005, and Muss Development came in and carried out a significant rehab, gutting the building and installing new utilities and elevators.

Full release after the jump.  read more »