NEW YORK | One Vanderbilt | 1,401 FT | 58 FLOORS

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by babybackribs2314

That's because the political climate in this city is toxic; there is no room for anyone besides far-left demagogues these days.

Wonder what the reaction will be when/if De Blasio acts on zoning; his constituents this election probably don't realize that he is actually pro-growth, so could see some decent backlash once he puts his 'plans' into action, assuming he actually does have plans...

Well, for one thing, the people De Blasio speaks for loudest aren't the people mobilizing against skyscrapers, that's for sure. They have far more important things in life to be concerned with. And certainly none of them live in this rezoning area.

For your second point, you sound overly skeptical that De Blasio could have a plan. I don't know if that's your own politics speaking or not, but here are the man's own words regarding development...

http://www.businessinsider.com/get-ready...nstruction-boom-in-new-york-city-2013-11

Last summer, de Blasio gave a speech to NYU's Wagner School of Public Service on fostering economic development in New York City. The speech is worth reading in full, but it's especially interesting for de Blasio's strong pro-development bias:

First and foremost, when given the choice to grow or to sit idle, we need to grow and we have to be aggressive about it. There are factors beyond our control — economic conditions, bureaucratic interference from afar — that can kill good projects. The things I value as a progressive — good jobs and affordable housing — cannot happen if projects stall or never materialize. If we aren’t doing everything possible as a City government to spur on development, even if valid compromises are included, we risk nothing getting built at all, and that is the worst possible outcome.

Originally Posted by Barbarossa

Upzone all you want, telecommuting, outsourcing, and especially downsizing will continue to make these mammoth office buildings less economical.

That aint happenin in Manhattan, and its not gonna happen. New York City will always build new office space - whether it be purely office space, or mixed use office/hotel/residential development.

Originally Posted by ILNY

I think we just got a taste what's comming for the city from de Blasio.

I don't see how on earth you come to that conclusion. This is Bloomberg's City Council, the same council the approved the various rezonings Bloomberg put forth and other special developments. They've done nothing more than what they normally do, follow the lead of the council member whose district the development falls in, in this case Daniel Garodnick. He's been pushing back against the rezoning from the beginning, and apparently all of Bloomberg's concessions weren't enough.

Now, if you want to actually know where De Blasio stands on the rezoning, I've already posted that:







If all of that is too much to read, here's where he stands on rezoning and development in general...

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324123004579059483893443404


In a July economic policy speech, Mr. de Blasio said promoting significant new development while demanding high-paying jobs and affordable housing would create a more equal city, even if it alienates community groups—often pejoratively dubbed NIMBYs.

"We can't afford a process rife with delays, subject to knee-jerk NIMBYism and tangled in bureaucracy," Mr. de Blasio said.

Mr. de Blasio has said he would shorten the timeline for debate on developments before they enter the formal approval process and promote more neighborhood-wide rezonings, as opposed to forcing developers to seek approval for large new projects individually.

Mr. de Blasio, along with others, also supports so-called mandatory inclusionary zoning, requiring affordable units when areas are rezoned. Mr. de Blasio has a particularly ambitious proposal to create 50,000 units of new affordable housing through this policy, which housing experts said would require a very large amount of new development. Mr. Bloomberg's administration did about 4,100 voluntary inclusionary units in nearly 12 years.

Yes, De Blasio will need a LOT of development. And nothing he has done or said suggest he will be against it. So let's stop with the fearmongering already.


_____________________________________________________________________________



In the meantime, work can progress on getting a more fitting tower for this site...


http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/re...lan-build-midtown-east-article-1.1515052

GRAND PLAN PAUSED: City Council dismisses Mike Bloomberg's push to develop Grand Central — but mayor-elect
Bill de Blasio promises to revisit







By Pete Donohue , Matt Chaban AND Erin Durkin
November 13, 2013

...The Council pulled the plug just as a developer revealed to the Daily News a sweeping proposal to spend $200 million on transit improvements in Midtown, including new passageways, escalators and entrances for train and subway users at Grand Central Terminal.

Those improvements, along with other projects proposed in a 73-block area around Grand Central, were thrown into limbo by the Council’s action.

De Blasio said, “I applaud the City Council for pressing the pause button.”

“For the sake of New York City’s long-term economic vitality, Midtown East should be rezoned to allow the creation of a world-class 21st century commercial district. But it needs to be done right,” he added.

Critics said there weren’t enough guarantees that transit and infrastructure improvements — to be funded by developers who cashed in on the looser zoning rules — would come through. Community groups argued the plan would result in overdevelopment. And Garodnick had complained the development rights the city planned to sell to fund transportation improvements were being priced too low.

During the mayoral race, de Blasio voiced support for rezoning the area, but he said the development rights were priced too low. On Tuesday, de Blasio said he will present a “revised zoning plan for the area by the end of 2014.”

The plan was shelved as The News got a glimpse of one developer’s plan for the zoning district.

Under the proposal by SL Green, the developer would provide $200 million for public improvements as part of its plan to build a 65-story office tower next to Grand Central.

SL Green’s plan calls for extending Grand Central’s underground concourse into the footprint of its office tower, which fills the entire block between Vanderbilt and Madison Aves., and 42nd and 43rd Sts.

SL Green would create a new circulatory system of passageways, escalators and stairs for commuters — with new access points to the Times Square Shuttle, the 4, 5, 6 and 7 subway lines, and the new Long Island Rail Road terminal now being built beneath Grand Central.

The plan also includes an underground hallway running from 42nd to 43rd Sts., and two new entrances to Grand Central, including a 4,500 square-foot, glass-enclosed “public space” at 43rd and Vanderbilt.

“We appreciate the growing consensus that there is an urgent need for modern office buildings in Midtown and the transit infrastructure to support them,” said Marc Holliday, SL Green’s chief executive officer.

“We look forward to working with the new mayoral administration, Councilmember Garodnick and the City Council to address concerns with the current plan and bring forward a new rezoning proposal early next year that delivers jobs, economic growth and transit improvements.”