Lexington (Kentucky)
Hamptons Real-Estate Ad War Spreading?
Weak in the knees over the competition for lucrative Hamptons real-estate ads?
Here, at the corner of 54th Street and Lexington, is a fallen soldier: a box for Dan's Papers, the beloved and batty Hamptons weekly. Although it's not exactly involved in the drama between The East Hampton Star and the budding East Hampton Press, maybe Dan's is feeling the pressure?
- John KoblinArmory Armageddon (Well, Hellish at Least)
At issue are plans that the Seventh Regiment Armory Conservancy has for the 127-year-old brick fortress between Park and Lexington avenues and 66th and 67th streets. The conservancy, which expects to sign a 99-year lease with the state for a performance-arts center and exhibition space for the building, has been battling the Veterans of the Seventh Regiment and neighborhood groups who are opposed to the change.
At issue last night, at least initially, was whether to demand a thorough environmental-impact statement for the proposed use changes. (An E.I.S. is required for certain large-scale projects; it studies the environmental impact of traffic, noise and pollution, among other things, on the surrounding neighborhood.) The conservancy has already conducted an environmental assessment, which has less public-input mechanisms such as public hearings on both the draft and final findings.
The conservancy responded that it has fulfilled all its legal duties for the project to begin.
But rather than mollifying its critics, it infuriated them: "This is a community issue, not a legal issue," shouted one project opponent.
The veterans group, citing traffic engineer Brian Ketcham, also accused the conservancy of fudging certain traffic-count figures to minimize the traffic's effect on the surrounding community.
"It will be the equivalent of adding the amount of traffic as a Wal-Mart or Costco," said the veterans' attorney. He adding that an E.I.S. is mandated by law if only one adverse condition is projected for a new project.
The lawyer for the conservancy called the veterans' traffic engineer's findings "palpably erroneous." The conservancy's traffic engineer, Philip Habib, stated that the neighborhood would be able to accommodate the projected extra traffic.
The board has found itself in a curious twilight area with the project as of late. Sponsored by the powerful Empire State Development Corporation, a state private-public development entity, the project doesn't need the approval of the board to move forward. But the opposition groups were looking for a ally in demanding the E.I.S., hoping to leverage enough community outcry for the E.S.D.C. to concede and allow the E.I.S. to begin. But the board, stuck between two rival camps, each seemingly unwilling to compromise, itself devolved into indecisiveness and petty infighting.
Groans, jeers and scattered applause followed each testimony, depending on which side of the issue the strictly segregated audience sat. Catcalls and threats--"You will be held accountable"--even comments demeaning speakers' professional capabilities, were bandied about.
In the end, the board made no decision.
See The Real Estate's previous coverage here. read more »
Breaking: Fire on East 70th, the City's Best Townhouse Block
Earlier this year, Michael Calderone wrote:
When Mr. Krakoff purchased his new 30-foot-wide townhouse on East 70th Street, between Park and Lexington avenues--the same tony block that director Woody Allen now calls home--it was reported that the fashion executive would have about $2.5 million in renovations in front of him.
After it took 140 firemen to put out the main blaze, the FDNY said: the fire "appears suspicious."
UPDATE: WCBS-TV is reporting that authorities are suspicious because (a) the fire "began at around 2:30 in the morning" and (b) the townhouse "was not occupied; it was in the process of being renovated." - Max AbelsonFeel Good Story of the Summer?
The Pratt Area Community Council has renovated and sold ten green (and affordable) Brooklyn buildings--thanks to a $2 million loan from the Enterprise Foundation and a $1.3 million subsidy from Housing and Urban Development (more on them soon). The homes have energy efficient ventilation, inuslation, and cooling systems, plus "room by room temperature control allowing for passive solar heating."
But according to this week's City Limits profile, the story hasn't always been a happy one. In the late 90s, HUD's 203(k) program was "designed to rehabilitate poorly kept buildings and sell them to owners who would live in them." Instead, speculators created bogus non-profits, leading to years of fraud. Meanwhile, the tenants of the already downtrodden Brooklyn buildings suffered.
In 2002, the NY Dept. of Housing Preservation and Development finally brought in non-sham groups like Pratt: since then, $168 million has been dedicated to fixing the 2003(k) mess. $1.3m is a good start. read more »
A full list of the ten renovated buildings is after the jump.
- Max AbelsonEvents for July 17-18, 2006
Tomorrow, the Lexington Democratic Club host Jessica Lappin and Scott Stringer at their monthly meeting at Brown Gardens.
The Women's National Republican Club hosts a summer BBQ.
A benefit to save Washington Square Park will be held at St. Mark's Church. A peace rally will take place at the U.N. —Nicole BrydsonA Hole in Green's Silk Stocking
Or maybe it was just a concession to the polls.
(I'm going with the latter.)
But last night, the executive committee of the Lexington Democratic Club - the oldest and largest club in the heart Mark Green's home base on the East Side of Manhattan -- voted to endorse Andrew Cuomo.Following the lead of Jonathan Bing, a club member who was the first elected official on the East Side to endorse Cuomo, the Lexington Democrats went for him by a vote 20-13, despite the fact that nearly all of the Club's six District Leaders and two State Committee members recommended supporting Green.
Needless to say, this is not helpful to Green's efforts to build support heading into the Democratic State Convention in Buffalo on Memorial Day weekend.
The club's general membership votes on June 1.
It’s Always the Broken Headlight: Dotty Pothead Nabbed on Road
It's Always the Broken Headlight: Dotty Pothead Nabbed on Road
Toxic Substance at Sotheby’s! House HazMat Team Cleans Up
Big Step for Seagram
We're a little late on this one, but last week the Landmark Preservation Commission approved RFR Realty's plan under Section 74-79 of the city's zoning text for its development at 610 Lexington Avenue. RFR is halfway home now--it now needs to get approval from the Department of City Planning to transfer air rights from the Seagram Building, at 375 Park, before construction begins.
Section 74-79 allows developers to transfer air rights from landmarked buildings as long as the upkeep of the landmarked property is guaranteed. RFR, which owns both the Seagram Building and 610 Lexington--it's an old YWCA, for now--has agreed to maintain the property for perpetuity (which means, if it sells the building, its maintenance will be written into the deed). read more »
The new 257,000-square-foot, 62-story building, if and when it's built, will be residential condos and a hotel.
-Matthew Grace
