NEW YORK | City and State struggle to increase residential development

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by UrbanImpact

Unfortunately it's such a demanding/stressful job that not many sane people run.

If he wins, he seems smart, honest and hardworking, at least.

But putting aside charisma, he's likely a gift to MAGA, will be used endlessly as the new AOC-like boogeyman, and none of his policies make sense. Government grocery stores? MTA already nixed his transit ideas, and governor already nixed his housing ideas.

And he basically has no resume. I have a summer intern with a more impressive resume. Hoping for the best.

[chris08876]

Shame Adams inherited such a 🞵🞵🞵🞵 position to begin with and circumstances thrown at him

With housing, he showed a lot of promise and I think another term we would see the fruits of that labor shine.

Well, whoever wins, they have a lot of work to do. Better learn the ropes quick whoever it is.

If its going to be another Deblasio but worse situation... not good!

Also curious how he will inact free buses. That money will come from somewhere lol. Maybe he should just not enforce folks paying, like what is occuring daily although they cracked down on that to some extent. Also with the sharp edges on subway turnstiles. Folks still jump over them though.

This next mayor will have some good foundations to build on, thanks to Adams and his team, at least with zoning and housing. Just a matter of not botching it up!

[JManc]

Originally Posted by Crawford

I see zero reason for optimism if Mandami wins. He has no resume, and all his major initiatives are not under his control. Pro-Palestine and wants free transit. That's great, and irrelevant to the job.

He seems like a nice guy, but just like the not-so-nice guy in the White House, it's angry voters saying let's break stuff and go for easy answers to tough policy solutions. I mean, free housing. Who doesn't like that?

He strikes me as similar to our county judge (similar to a county executive in NYS); idealistic, sincere and bright but she's totally out of her league and has used her position to weigh in on issues that have nothing to do with being a county judge. She's been utterly useless.

[UrbanImpact]

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/26/nyregion/nyc-brooklyn-queens-train-housing.html
A New Rail Line May Come to New York. Will a Housing Boom Follow?
The Interborough Express, a rail line connecting Brooklyn and Queens, could spur the building of tens of thousands of homes. Obstacles await.

For decades, transit supporters in New York City have clamored for the Interborough Express, a passenger rail line that would wend through overlooked parts of Brooklyn and Queens, the city’s most populous boroughs, without entering Manhattan.

In April, the plan took a major step toward becoming a reality, when Gov. Kathy Hochul approved $2.75 billion for its funding, half of the project’s estimated $5.5 billion price tag. The light-rail line, the city’s first, is expected to make 19 stops, from Jackson Heights in Queens to Bay Ridge in Brooklyn, in less than 40 minutes — a fraction of the time it would take with subway and bus routes. It will run alongside a 19th-century freight train route that winds past houses, beside highways, near factories and even under a cemetery.

Now, in a sign of its transformative potential, the project is gaining the attention of real estate developers, long before the first track gets laid.

More than 70,000 new homes could be built within a half mile of stops along the train line over the next decade, if some land-use changes are approved by city officials, according to an analysis released Thursday by the New York Building Congress, a trade group for construction and real estate companies……..

[Crawford]

Yeah, the Interborough Express is gonna fuel huge housing development. There's tons of underutilized land along the whole route, and basically all the neighborhoods have bad housing shortages. Time to massively upzone.

[jmecklenborg]

Originally Posted by UrbanImpact

The light-rail line, the city’s first, is expected to make 19 stops, from Jackson Heights in Queens to Bay Ridge in Brooklyn, in less than 40 minutes — a fraction of the time it would take with subway and bus routes.

Except there will be almost no such thing as a one-seat ride on this thing. For many likely trips, there will be two transfers and three trains, which means people will drive or take a cab instead, especially at night when frequencies are lower.

[Crawford]

A majority of NYC households don't own vehicles, and Uber/Lyft here has heavy local surcharges, so I doubt they cut that much into ridership.

Yes, many users will likely transfer, but that's why the line makes so much sense. It connects a ton of subway lines, as well as providing a new crosstown route.

[chris08876]

Speed is going to be an important factor. If the speed is there, that'll make residents happy. That and service frequency.

Or really another way to say it is time. Time from position X Y and Z.

Driving in the city 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵. It can literally take you an hour sometimes to go 2 miles, no joke.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by jmecklenborg

Except there will be almost no such thing as a one-seat ride on this thing. For many likely trips, there will be two transfers and three trains, which means people will drive or take a cab instead, especially at night when frequencies are lower.

Nobody in NYC really cares about one seat rides. People care more about how close the subway gets them to their doorstep.

[NYguy]

https://therealdeal.com/new-york/2025/07...ommission-takes-aim-at-member-deference/

4 ballot questions could defang City Council’s stronghold over rezonings and housing


By Kathryn Brenzel
July 1, 2025

New Yorkers may soon decide whether a local Council member should be able to kill a rezoning.

The city’s Charter Revision Commission on Tuesday released draft questions to pose to New York voters in November, asking whether the city charter should be changed to speed up housing development and weaken the City Council’s leverage over zoning changes.

The commission is pitching five questions, four of which are related to land use and one that would move local elections to coincide with presidential elections to increase turnout. If approved, these measures could seriously deflate City Council’s power over major land-use changes.

Deference demise

One proposed amendment to the city charter takes aim at the City Council’s tradition of voting on land use actions based on the wishes of the local Council member, commonly referred to as member deference. The proposal would create a land use appeals board, which would replace the mayor’s ability to veto City Council decisions on actions that go through the city’s months-long land use review process known as the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, or ULURP.

The board would consist of the mayor, applicable borough president and City Council speaker. In order to reverse a land use decision by the City Council, at least two of the three officials must agree.

New “fast tracks”

Under other proposals, some housing projects would be able to skip City Council or City Planning Commission review entirely.

One proposed charter revision would introduce a builder’s remedy-type option for housing projects in certain parts of the city, which wouldn’t take effect until 2027.

The proposed change would create an affordable housing fast track for housing projects in community districts that haven’t been pulling their weight. Such projects must be subject to the city’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program’s affordability requirements and located in the 12 community districts with the lowest rates of affordable housing construction over a five-year period.

Those projects would go through a condensed ULURP, bypassing final City Council review. A borough president’s review would occur during the same 60 days that community boards consider a land use action. The City Planning Commission would then have 30 days (down from 60) to consider and hold a final vote on the proposal. The Commission must also find that a proposal is “adequately supported by transit, sewer, and other infrastructure” before approving.

The fast-track adds some teeth to the Fair Housing Framework, which was approved by the City Council in 2023. The framework set five-year housing production targets for each of the city’s 59 community districts, without repercussions for those who failed to meet them.

Enter: ELURP

Another proposal would introduce a new land use acronym: ELURP, which stands for Expedited Land Use Review Procedure.

The process would speed up ULURP for certain projects by having a borough president review applications during the same 60-day period that community boards consider a land-use action. The City Planning Commission would then have 30 days to consider, hold a hearing and vote on a proposal — if the action doesn’t require City Council approval, that vote is final. In cases where a proposal requires City Council approval, City Planning’s review period would be replaced by a 30-day review by the Council.

Schierenbeck said ULURP works well for larger projects but is “fundamentally broken” for more modest zoning changes and small housing projects. The commission estimates that ELURP would halve public review times.

This speedier review would apply to projects in medium- or high-density districts that increase residential capacity by no more than 30 percent or to housing projects in low-density districts that are no taller than 45 feet.

City Map 2.0

The final land-use-related proposal would drag the city into the 21st century by consolidating and digitizing the City Map. The City Map is the official street map of the city, and each borough has its own set, consisting of more than 8,000 individual paper maps.

The proposal would unify and digitize these maps, saving applicants trips to the Borough President’s Topographical Offices. A report by the Charter Revision Commission noted that the anachronistic system has made city map changes “perhaps the most feared ULURP actions among private applicants.”

The 13-member commission must still finalize the language of the questions that appear on the November ballot. That vote is expected to happen this month.

[chris08876]

Good stuff. Should usher in much needed housing for this particular zone.


While Manhattan is great, I'd like to see even more aggressive zoning in Queens. Much of the housing needs to come outside of Manhattan. Eastern Queens and Eastern Brooklyn are the future.

We just need Nassau and Suffolk County to get its 🞵🞵🞵🞵 together and stop stifling development. Can't just be Northeast NJ footing the effort.



= = = =

City Council Land Use Committees Approve Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan

On August 6, the City Council’s Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises and Committee on Land Use voted to approve the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan, a major rezoning in Midtown, Manhattan that will allow for the creation of more than 9,500 new homes, including over 2,800 permanently affordable units. The initiative is the city’s largest residential rezoning in two decades. Developed as part of the city’s broader housing strategy, the plan introduces Mandatory Inclusionary Housing to Midtown South for the first time and includes a $488 million package of community and infrastructure investments.

The approved plan permits high-density residential development in areas of Midtown that previously restricted housing. Alongside new housing, the rezoning provides $120 million in economic development resources aimed at supporting the Garment District’s legacy industries. Initiatives include Midtown Made, a campaign to elevate local fashion businesses, the Greenlight Innovation Fund for nonprofit space development, and a revived M-CORE program to incentivize commercial building renovations. An additional $340 million will fund public realm improvements, upgrades to parks, and transportation infrastructure.

===============
NYY

[chris08876]

City Planning Commission Approves Jamaica Neighborhood Plan In Queens

The New York City Planning Commission has approved the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan, a rezoning initiative aimed at transforming 230 blocks of Jamaica, Queens. Led by Mayor Eric Adams and the NYC Department of City Planning, the plan is expected to create over 12,000 new homes, including 4,000 permanently affordable units, along with 7,000 new jobs and more than 2 million square feet of commercial and community space. The plan will now advance to the City Council for final review after two years of development with extensive community engagement.

To support anticipated growth, the plan includes more than $300 million in infrastructure upgrades, particularly for the sewer system, as part of broader investment efforts in Southeast Queens. It also proposes improvements to public spaces, including two new plazas adjacent to Jamaica Station and enhancements to the pedestrian streetscape along Jamaica Avenue.

“With the potential for thousands of new homes, including permanently affordable units, new jobs, and critical infrastructure upgrades, this plan must deliver on its promise in a way that reflects the priorities of the people who call Jamaica home,” said New York City Councilmember Nantasha Williams. “As the proposal comes before the City Council, I will continue fighting to ensure it centers our residents, strengthens our small businesses, and builds a Jamaica where current and future generations can live, work, and thrive.”

================
NYY

[chris08876]

Planning Commission Approves OneLIC Neighborhood Plan In Long Island City, Queens

The New York City Planning Commission has approved the OneLIC Neighborhood Plan, a rezoning plan that will bring nearly 14,700 new homes and 14,400 jobs to Long Island City, Queens. Led by Mayor Eric Adams and Department of City Planning Director Dan Garodnick, the plan introduces Mandatory Inclusionary Housing to the neighborhood for the first time, ensuring that approximately 4,300 of the planned homes will be permanently affordable. In addition, the proposal includes more than 3.5 million square feet of new commercial and industrial space.

Notably, rezoning will update the Waterfront Access Plan and coordinate public and private efforts to create a continuous, resilient public waterfront from Gantry Plaza State Park to Queensbridge Park. Improvements to the space will include new public spaces, active recreation areas, and consistent access to the shoreline.

“The Adams administration’s OneLIC Neighborhood Plan is the largest residential rezoning that this city has pursued,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Adolfo Carrión, Jr. “Today’s action from the Planning Commission meets the urgency of our housing crisis, not just with 14,700 new homes but also with a wide array of neighborhood investments.”

===============
NYY

[mhays]

Love the upzone. But the other 10,400 potential units will be more expensive to subsidize the 4,300.

[chris08876]

Adams Administration Advances 11 Projects Set To Deliver Nearly 10,000 Homes On City-Owned Land

The Adams administration has announced a progress report on 11 housing projects currently under development on city-owned land, expected to create approximately 9,750 new homes across New York City. The projects are the result of Executive Order 43, issued in August 2024, which directed all city agencies to identify underutilized properties suitable for residential development.

Two new sites were introduced as part of this announcement. At 390 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the city will issue a request for proposals following public engagement to transform a deteriorating city facility into more than 900 new homes, at least 25 percent of which will be affordable. The project will offer public waterfront access. In East Harlem, Manhattan, a parking lot at 1880 First Avenue, located across from NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan, will be redeveloped into approximately 800 new homes, with a similar affordability commitment. City employees will retain parking access during and after construction.

The remaining nine projects span all five boroughs. In The Bronx, the Grand Concourse Library site will be redeveloped with a new library and 100-percent affordable housing. In Manhattan, the city is reviewing proposals for a mixed-use development with up to 600 units at Gansevoort Square, and is planning to replace a city-owned office building at 100 Gold Street with more than 1,000 mixed-income homes. Brooklyn will see additional development at 395 Flatbush Avenue Extension, where a public review is underway for a proposal to build over 1,200 new homes, as well as in Coney Island West Parcel A, where the city is advancing plans for around 500 housing units and ground-floor retail.

=================
NYY

[chris08876]

City Unveils $146M Jewel Streets Neighborhood Plan To Add 5,000 Homes, Alleviate Flooding

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has announced an infrastructure and housing initiative for the Jewel Streets neighborhood, spanning East New York in Brooklyn and Lindenwood in Queens. The Jewel Streets Neighborhood Plan follows more than two years of community engagement and will bring over $146 million in public investment. The plan includes a full drainage overhaul to address chronic flooding, traffic safety upgrades along Linden Boulevard, and a large-scale rezoning to support new housing. The project is being spearheaded by multiple agencies including NYC DEP, DOT, and DDC, with the city set to begin implementation immediately.

Central to the plan is the transformation of 17 acres of city-owned land into 1,400 new affordable and mixed-income homes. An additional 3,600 units are expected through a comprehensive rezoning process that will allow for new multifamily housing and retail development. The city will also restore the local street grid, incorporate green infrastructure, and introduce new community and retail spaces. Environmental review for the rezoning is expected to begin with a scoping hearing by the end of 2025, followed by the ULURP public review process in 2026.

=================
NYY

[chris08876]

These Council Districts Produced Zero Affordable Homes This Year

A major effort to speed construction of badly needed housing with a referendum vote on changes to the City Charter appears to be gaining momentum as opposition by the City Council comes under increased scrutiny.

Updated data from the New York Housing Conference released Wednesday shows that some areas of the city are producing virtually no affordable housing, a situation one of the charter reforms aims to change.

A new poll released Wednesday by the pro-charter reform group YES on Affordable Housing shows that at least 70% of likely voters plan to support the three proposals.

[...]

The housing charter proposals — measures 2, 3 and 4 — are designed to speed the development of more affordable housing. Item 2 would remove the City Council from the review process for some subsidized affordable housing projects and for development in the dozen community districts that have produced the fewest affordable units, giving the City Planning Commission final say. Item 3 similarly fast-tracks modest zoning changes and approvals for infrastructure.

[...]

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https://www.thecity.nyc/2025/10/29/affordable-housing-ballot-items-city-council/

[chris08876]

Just continuing with the trend of rezonings and action plans to increase development. More within pdf.


Some reading material: Staten Island North Shore Action Plan:
Building a Vibrant, Mixed-Use
Waterfront Community

Via: https://edc.nyc/sites/default/files/2023-09/NYCEDC-Staten-Island-North-Shore-Action-Plan.pdf

[chris08876]

Just a quick follow up on the OneLIC Neighborhood Plan posted on September 4th 2025 that is has recieved further approval via Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises and Land Use.

Whole area will boom in time. Estimates put it at 15k units or more.

Regarding: ****




The more rezonings that happen, the better!



Extra Reading Material on Plan: https://www.licplan.nyc/ ****

[chris08876]