Feed

zoning

1 By Matt Chaban 1/12 10:51am

Tales of Retail

Shrink to fit. (wilm23/Flickr)

UWS Fights Back Against Chain Stores

Maybe the Fulton Mall just needs some zoning changes to save its mom and pop shops. That's what they're doing on the Upper West Side, tired of all the giant Duane Reades and Chases. New zoning requirements would limit the size of stores on Columbus and Amsterdam avenues, protecting the character of the neighborhood and possibly discouraging national retailers, who tend to prefer bigger spaces.

Not surprisingly, landlords are not happy about the proposal, according to The Journal. Read More

2 By Matt Chaban 10/13/11 12:22pm

Greensward

Don't worry, we've got it. (Brookfield)

Is the Zuccotti Park Cleanup Really a Trap for Occupy Wall Street?

The protestors occupying Wall Street/Zuccotti Park are worried about the new plans to clean up the park tomorrow, calling it an eviction notice. The mayor showed up last night, politely informed the occupation of the move, and asked them to make way for Brookfield's cleaning crews.

The protestors have responded by calling for bucket brigades, but according to a source with intimate knowledge of the site, they may not have to. It appears Brookfield, and not the occupiers, would be breaking the law if they tried to return and were denied access. Read More

9 By Matt Chaban 9/07/11 2:48pm

Tales of Retail

Racks upon racks upon racks.

Century 21, Tourist Horde’s Favorite Department Store, Expanding Just in Time for Ground Zero Crowds

It may be the worst shopping experience after the Trader Joe’s in Union Square. Still, when Century 21 is good, it’s really good. Dress shoes, bow ties, and some of the best clearance deals in town—if you can stand slapdash shelves and crammed clothes racks, the flood of tourists fighting for clothes and the woefully indifferent staff, the store can be a goldmine.

These problems could be disappearing as Century 21 plans to expand its downtown flagship in the coming months, according to Crain’s. Well, everything except for the rudeniks behind those red aprons. Read More

By Roland Li 11/23/09 1:51pm

City Plans To Rezone Far West Village

The city is moving to rezone a six-block area in the far West Village, a victory for local preservation groups and a potential obstacle for developers in the area.

The rezoning would affect buildings between Washington and Greenwich streets, from 10th to 12th streets. The effort is expected to take six months to a year to Read More

By Steve Cohen 11/12/09 7:25pm

Zoning the Sustainable City

About a week before Election Day, with little fanfare, the Bloomberg Administration announced its one hundredth zoning change since the mayor came into office in 2002. In New York City, zoning is one of the most important regulatory tools available to government in its efforts to enhance sustainability and the quality of life available for Read More

By Reid Pillifant 7/06/09 2:52pm

The Grande Dame of New York City Land Use

The way Doris Diether tells it, she was the last holdout in her Waverly Place building a few years back, when the landlord moved in someone new to intimidate her.

“Every time he’d go by me, he growled. Then one night he banged on my door and said, ‘If you think you’re getting any money, Read More

By Reid Pillifant 6/11/09 4:54pm

Bizarro Zoning Fight in Williamsburg: Housing Advocates Want City to Build Taller and Bigger

Opponents of a Brooklyn redevelopment project packed a Community Board 1 meeting last night in Williamsburg, drowning out a presentation by the city’s Housing Preservation and Development office, in a battle that could influence City Council primaries in the 33rd and 34th districts this September.

Roughly 50 protesters, armed with signs and a bullhorn, chanted “Open Read More


Parse error: syntax error, unexpected $end in /var/www/observer.com/wp-content/themes/nyo_tech/footer.php on line 191