The Council will also vote to help newsstand operators survive

City Hall, NY – Removing a child from his or her home is a last resort but too often the Administration for Children’s Services relies on emergency removals, which allow the agency to remove a child without going through family court. The Council is voting on a legislative package designed to better report on these emergency removals, better inform parents of their rights and hold the agency more accountable. The first bill requires ACS to provide parents and/or caretakers with written information about their right to request a fair hearing to challenge a report made against them during an ACS child protective investigation.

The Council will also vote on a bill that requires ACS to report on the total number of emergency removals of children each quarter, providing information disaggregated by race, community district, and primary language. Another bill requires ACS to create a plan to address disparities identified in the report. Legislation being voted on will also require ACS to annually submit to the Council information on how long it takes for the families of children in ACS custody to visit their child after a placement or transfer, how many children are placed in boroughs outside of where they are from; and to report on emergency removal cases.

With newsstand operators struggling to stay open, the Council will also vote on legislation to amend existing law to allow partnerships among operators. Current and new licensees would be able to hold a newsstand license as a “corporate entity,” as long the newsstand profits are their primary source of income, enabling operators to partner with one another to better maintain their livelihood. The bill would also shield their personal assets from liability, help the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection enforce a limit on two newsstand locations per licensee, and prohibit any licensee from renting or attempting to rent out their newsstand, giving operators a more stable business model.

The Council will also vote on legislation requiring the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to waive any fee for applicants requesting to amend a death certificate to list the cause of death as COVID-19 or health complications caused by COVID. This will ensure that all who are eligible for federal funeral assistance benefits can fairly get access.

The Council will vote on a bill that would require the Department of Social Services to review the services and resources it provides specific to LGBTQI+ individuals entering the City’s domestic violence emergency shelters. DSS would also be required to better train emergency shelter employees who work with LGBTQI+ individuals.

The Council will also vote on legislation to extend deadlines mandated by Local Law 152 of 2016. Local Law 152 requires that building gas piping systems be inspected every four years to make sure there are no gas leaks and that any issues identified during the inspection be fixed.

Following the inspection and, if needed, repairs, the building owner is required to submit a certification to the Department of Buildings. Currently, a building owner can have no more than180 days from the date of inspection to submit the certification that any conditions that need to be repaired have been repaired. Local Law 152 does not allow for any other extensions to any other deadlines.

This bill allows all owners of buildings with gas piping systems and gas service to apply for a 180-day extension of the deadline, gives DOB the ability to grant additional time beyond 180 days to buildings owners who have identified conditions that need to be corrected, and allows owners of buildings with gas piping systems but without gas service to forego the required inspections. The Council will further vote on legislation that extends compliance deadlines for gas piping system inspections for buildings in community districts 2, 5, 7, 13, and 18 in all boroughs from December 31, 2021 until June 30, 2022.

The Council will vote on a bill to relieve retail stores from the responsibility of placing price stickers on each item they sell, as has already been done in Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties.

The Council will vote on legislation to protect homeowners against deed fraud. In 2017, the Council created the Notice of Recorded Document Program which requires the Department of Finance to provide notice to property owners whenever a deed-related or mortgage-related document is filed against their property. This bill will strengthen that notification and require the notice to provide information on what property owners can do if they believe that the recording is fraudulent

Additionally, the Council will vote on legislation to extend the certification of no harassment pilot created by Local Law 1 of 2018 until September 27, 2026.

Finally, the Council will vote on several land use and finance items.

GENERAL WELFARE

Reports on emergency removal cases by ACS

Int. No. 1727-A, sponsored by Council Member Stephen Levin, will require the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) to report on emergency removal cases, which mean the removal of a child out of a home prior to a court hearing, when during the investigation of a report of abuse or neglect, ACS determines that such child is not safe at home.

“Today’s passage of bills in the ACS Accountability Act is an important step and I celebrate the increased information these bills will bring to families and the council about the ACS process,” said Council Member Stephen Levin. “The General Welfare Committee is committed to ensuring that parents who interface with the child welfare system have the information and resources they need and deserve. We have a duty to ensure the process is as fair as possible to protect children and families.”

The bill would take effect on April 1, 2022.

Provides information to parents about hearings

Int. No. 1729-A, sponsored by Council Member Levin, will require ACS to provide a parent or caretaker written information about their right to request a fair hearing to challenge an indicated report made against a parent or caretaker during an ACS child protective investigation.

The bill would take effect 150 days after it becomes law.

Reports on youth in foster care

Int. No. 1719-A, sponsored by Council Member Margaret Chin, will require ACS to submit to the Council no later than July 31, 2022, and annually thereafter, information on how long it takes for the families of children in ACS custody to visit their child after a placement or transfer, as well as the number of children that are given placements in boroughs other than those which they are from, disaggregated by borough.

“My bill Introduction 1719 requires the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) to report to the Council on how long it takes for the families of children in ACS custody to visit their child after a placement or transfer, as well as the number of children who are placed out of their original borough,” said Council Member Margaret Chin. “Requiring additional reporting from an agency that has an outsized impact on parents of color and non-English speaking immigrants is extremely important and I am pleased to see this particular bill moving forward. Intro 1719 was not created as a stand-alone bill, however, and the Council’s oversight must not be limited to simply increasing an agency’s reporting. I thank Council Member Levin and Council Member Rivera for their unwavering advocacy on the important and emotional topic of parental rights and child welfare and it is my sincere hope that the key bills missing in this legislative package are rightfully called for a vote during the next Stated meeting.”

The bill would take effect immediately.

Informs on demographics of emergency removals

Int. No. 1716-A, sponsored by Council Member Adrienne Adams, will require the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) to report on the total number of emergency removals of children each quarter. This bill also requires ACS to provide such information disaggregated by race, community district, and primary language of each child and parent or person legally responsible for the child.

“Emergency removals that separate families have long-term consequences and can traumatize both parents and children alike. We need to fully understand who is impacted by these actions, and why these disparities persist,” said Council Member Adrienne Adams. “This legislation will require more detailed reporting on emergency removals of children, and bring more transparency and accountability to our child welfare system.”

The bill would take effect on April 1, 2022.

Reports on child’s every step in welfare system

Int. No. 1717-A, sponsored by Council Member Alicka Ampry-Samuel, will require the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) to report on various demographic information including race, ethnicity, gender, community district, and primary language of parents and children at every step of the child welfare system and to create a plan to address any disparities identified as a result of such reporting.

The bill would take effect immediately.  

HEALTH

Waives fees to amends death certificates related to COVID

Int. No. 2373, sponsored by Council Member Rafael Salamanca, will require the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) to waive any fee for applicants requesting to amend a death certificate to list the cause of death as COVID-19 or health complications caused by COVID-19.

“For the families of the more than 34,000 New York City residents who lost their lives due to COVID-19, the painful loss of a family member was made worse by the unexpected funeral costs that followed,’ stated Council Member Rafael Salamanca. “As the city, state and federal government began offering much-needed COVID-19 funeral assistance funding, New Yorkers experienced another gut-wrenching blow; the death certificates of their loved ones indicated ‘natural causes’ instead of COVID-19, leading to the denial of critical pandemic-related burial assistance funds in the process. In order to amend this error, the Department of Health & Mental Hygiene required families to pay a $40 correction fee. Losing a loved one is hard enough. Placing an additional financial burden to correct an error made by medical professionals is wholly inappropriate. That is why I introduced Intro. 2373, which waives this fee for families applying for COVID-19 cause of death designations. On behalf of all those who experienced this issue, I thank Speaker Corey Johnson and my colleagues for supporting this legislation.”

Ordinarily, DOHMH charges a non-refundable $40 processing fee to correct most death certificates. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a backlog at funeral homes, hospitals, and at the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME), which has resulted in some death certificates needing to be changed to include COVID-19 as the cause of death. This legislation would require DOHMH to waive any fee for amending a death certificate to include COVID-19.

CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND BUSINESS LICENSING

Amends newsstands current law

Int. No. 499-A, sponsored by Council Member Karen Koslowitz, will amend existing law to allow current and new licensees to hold a newsstand license as a business entity, as long as each shareholder, partner, member or principal does not have another source of income, except for investment income, that exceeds what is earned by operating the newsstand — meaning the newsstand profits are their primary source of income. Existing law only allows newsstand operators to hold their license in their personal capacity — so only one person may buy into and operate a newsstand; partnerships have been prohibited. 

“Currently, only an individual can obtain a newsstand license,” said Council Member Karen Koslowitz. “This bill, would permit partnerships, companies and corporations to obtain a newsstand license as well. There are approximately 300 newsstands in operation in our city. These newsstands are overwhelming operated by immigrants. That is operated, but not owned by immigrants. By expanding ownership to partnerships, companies and corporations, the current “personal” license holder would be given the ability to bring in the operator as a partner. And, when the current license holder retires or passes on, because the definition of ownership is to be expanded, the immigrant operator, as a partner, would have the ability to become the sole owner; or the immigrant operator would have the ability to buy the license from the licensee. Under current rules, this is not possible. You may ask: doesn’t an individual have the ability to apply for a new license at a new location? The short answer is yes. But, the reality is that other locations are available because nobody wants them. They are not financially viable locations. The 300 or so desirable locations are all taken. Under current law, no individual can own more than two newsstands. If Intro 499 is enacted, no individual, in any form of business model, can be part of more than two newsstand businesses. I urge my fellow committee members to vote in the affirmative for Intro 499. In doing so, many who immigrated to this country, will be able to realize the American dream.”

Newsstand operators have struggled to stay in business as newspapers, magazines and other paper periodicals have become a less popular choice for consumers. However, these iconic fixtures remain on our City’s streets, and operators have been asking for the ability to partner with one another in order to maintain their livelihoods.

Allowing newsstand licensees to hold their licenses as corporate entities is also important because it allows operators to shield their personal assets from business debts and liabilities. Additionally, it provides an opportunity for newsstand workers to join an existing operation as a partner or shareholder, for example. The income restrictions in this bill ensure that the industry continues to be accessible to the small proprietors operating newsstands now – many of them immigrants – rather than large corporations.

The bill also contains deeming provisions that would help the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) to enforce a limit on two newsstand locations per licensee, another measure to ensure that the small business owners maintain exclusive entry into this business model. This bill would also prohibit any licensee from renting or attempting to rent out their newsstand. Doing so would be a basis for license revocation. Finally, the bill requires DCWP to mail current newsstand licensees, before their next license renewal, a letter explaining important legal requirements that may be applicable if they incorporate.

This bill would take effect 120 days after it becomes law, except that the section requiring DCWP to mail a letter to current licensees would take effect immediately.

Exempts item pricing requirements by retail stores

Int. No. 1145-A, sponsored by Council Member Peter Koo, will relieve retail stores from the responsibility to place price stickers on each item they sell, a step that has already been taken by many jurisdictions in New York, including Suffolk and Westchester Counties.

 “Item pricing violations are one of the most common retail fines for small businesses,” said Councilmember Peter Koo. “Allowing retail stores to utilize price scanners in place of traditional sticker guns would streamline operations, increase competition with larger stores, and save store owners and employees time and money while allowing employees to focus on more important tasks.”

The City currently requires retail stores to label certain items they sell with a price sticker, even though prices must also be displayed on shelves or signs adjacent to the items, and even though many stores have price scanners available for use as well. Despite its questionable usefulness, grocery store operators have testified that price sticker law violations are some of the biggest penalties they pay, as the law is enforced on a per-item basis and penalties may reach $8,000 on a single visit by an inspector.

Additionally, the bill will amend the existing law and provide that a retail store is not required to label an item with a price sticker if the item and the store meet certain conditions. To qualify for an exception, the item would need to be scannable by a price scanner; and the retail store would have to place a sufficient number of price scanners for consumer use, in proportion to store size, in adequate locations around the store. This bill would not affect the requirement that stores list item prices on shelves or adjacent signs.

This bill would take effect 120 days after it becomes law.

WOMEN AND GENDER EQUITY

Reviews and requires reporting on services provided to LGBTQI+ individuals entering domestic violence shelters

Int. No. 1712-A, sponsored by Council Member Helen Rosenthal, will require the Department of Social Services (DSS) to review the services and resources it provides specific to LGBTQI+ individuals who are entering the City’s domestic violence emergency shelters. DSS would be required to submit to the Mayor and the Speaker, and publish on its website, an annual written report disclosing the total number of demographic information survey forms regarding sexual orientation and gender identity that were distributed by the department and the total number of individuals who identified as LGBTQI+ on such forms, a description of the department’s efforts to collect data specifically about LGBTQI+ domestic violence survivors, the department’s outreach efforts, any complaints the department received about domestic violence emergency shelter services provided to LGBTQI+ residents and recommendations for enhancing outreach efforts and services offered by DSS specifically for domestic violence emergency shelter residents who identify as LGBTQI+.

“No one should be marginalized when it comes to receiving emergency assistance, no matter their identity. We are passing this legislation today to ensure that all LGBTQI New Yorkers experiencing domestic violence receive the services they urgently need. My bill will increase oversight of how the City’s domestic violence shelters are serving LGBTQI people, and all the information we gather will be critical to improving support for LGBTQI survivors,” said Council Member Helen Rosenthal.

Domestic violence (DV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) affects many people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, gender non-conforming and non-binary (LGBTQI+), but little is known about its prevalence, both within LGBTQI+ communities and from traditional DV service providers. According to advocates, emergency shelter resources are often prioritized in a way that does not provide support to DV survivors who identify as LGBTQI+. Additionally, DV programming in New York state is often structured in a way that does not assist people outside of the heteronormative construct, which is cisgender women abused by cisgender men. Without access to competent services, LGBTQI+ DV survivors often endure abuse far longer and with greater intensity than the average cisgender heteronormative survivor, sometimes being forced to choose between homelessness and going back to their abusive partner. Transgender survivors often face even more pervasive and unique barriers and discrimination in trying to access safety and support.

In addition, DSS will also be required to consult with a community-based organization with culturally specific expertise in challenges faced by survivors of domestic violence self-identifying as LGBTQI+ to develop and provide LGBTQI+ cultural competency trainings to domestic violence emergency shelter employees who work directly with shelter residents.

The bill would take effect 180 days after it becomes law.

HOUSING AND BUILDINGS

Requires certification of no harassment

Int. 2404-A, sponsored by Council Member Brad Lander, will extend the certification of no harassment (CONH) pilot created by Local Law 1 of 2018 until September 27, 2026. Under the CONH pilot, the following list provides for the types of buildings that would be required to apply for a CONH where certain work is to be performed: buildings discharged from Article 7-A program, unless such building is the subject of a rehabilitation loan; buildings where a full vacate order has been issued, except where such vacate order was issued due to a fire; buildings where there has been active participation in the alternative enforcement program which have been discharged from such program; buildings where a court or DHCR have made a harassment finding; and buildings indicating significant distress as determined by the Building Qualification Index (BQI). A CONH would not be required for Interior demolition conducted during renovation of occupied units necessary to protect public health and safety, or repairs, replacement, modification, or for partial demolition work in a building that is the minimum required to be performed to address conditions for rescission of a vacate order.

“I am thrilled that my colleagues in the City Council will be voting to pass a 5-year extension and citywide expansion of the successful Certificate of No Harassment Pilot Program,” said Council Member Brad Lander. “In a moment of skyrocketing rents and an expiring eviction moratorium, protecting tenants from bad actors who use harassment as a tool for displacement is more critical than ever.  The success of the program, as well as the key improvements won via the expansion, is due entirely to the strong tenant organizing led by the Coalition Against Tenant Harassment. It has been an honor to work with them to ensure this program will reach more buildings, provide real, tangible benefits to tenants, and more effectively disincentivize harassment.

Where the Department of Buildings issues a stop-work notice or order or rescinds an approval of construction documents for work without a permit or the required certification of no harassment or HPD denies a certification of no harassment, such stop-work notice, rescission, or denial shall be deemed to be a per se finding of harassment, and the CONH shall be denied or rescinded, as applicable, and the building shall be restored to its legal configuration prior to commencement of such work.

A court may find that acts of harassment that caused the denial of a certification of no harassment constitute harassment and shall in those cases award to each lawful occupant of a dwelling unit that was subject to such harassment $5,000 plus reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs.

Extends time to complete gas piping inspections

Int. No. 2321-A, sponsored by Council Member Robert Cornegy, will allow all owners of buildings with gas piping systems and gas service to apply for a 180-day extension of the deadline by which they must conduct gas piping system inspections and submit certifications as required by Local Law 152 of 2016. This bill would also allow the Department of Buildings to grant additional time, beyond 180 days, to buildings owners who have identified conditions that need to be corrected but who cannot correct these conditions within 180 days. Finally, this bill would allow owners of buildings with gas piping systems, but without gas service, to forego the required inspections as long as they provide certification from themselves and from their utility company that the building is not receiving gas service. If the building owner would like to resume gas service to the building, the owner must obtain a certificate of approval of gas installation from DOB and comply with the inspection and certification requirements of Local Law 152 before gas service may be resumed.   

“I do not accept that buildings should explode every few months,” said Council Member Robert Cornegy. “We must strive for safety through thoughtful legislation that incorporates the input from a wide range of stakeholders. Local Law 152 provided for more gas inspections, but it created new responsibilities for owners which were especially burdensome because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The bills we are passing today provide reasonable accommodation to owners, so that we can have a safer city that works in cooperation with all New Yorkers.”

The present legislation would take effect 120 days after becoming law, and the sections related to the extension of time to certify corrections and to the inspection of buildings without gas service would be retroactive to January 1, 2020.

Extends deadline for inspection and correction of gas piping systems

Int. No. 2259-A, sponsored by Council Member Cornegy, will extend the deadline by which owners of buildings in community districts (CD) 2, 5, 7, 13, and 18 in all boroughs must have building gas piping systems inspected and, where applicable, certify that hazardous conditions have been corrected, from December 31, 2021 until June 30, 2022 as required by Local Law 152 of 2016 and Department of Building rules. This bill would also require DOB to conduct targeted outreach regarding the requirements of Local Law 152 by December 1, 2021. This would be the second bill passed by the Council to extend inspection and certification deadlines due to COVID-19. In December of 2020, the Council passed what became Local Law 12 of 2021 which extended gas piping system inspection and certification deadlines in CD 1, 3 and 10 from December 31, 2020 until June 30, 2021.

The present legislation would take effect immediately, and sections related to extending the compliance deadline would be retroactive to January 1, 2021.

FINANCE

Int. No. 1919-A, sponsored by Council Member Dromm, will require the Department of Finance (DOF) to strengthen the Notice of Recorded Document program established by Local Law 249 of 2017 in an effort to combat the devastating act of deed fraud. Deed fraud happens when criminals record fraudulent deeds, mortgages or other liens against a property without the owner’s knowledge or consent. Anyone can be a victim of deed fraud, but seniors, immigrants, and people of color are most at risk. Currently, DOF is required to send a notification to property owners when a deed-related or mortage-related document is recorded against their property. This legislation would mandate that the required notice include information about what to do if the property owner believes that the recording is fraudulent, including information about whom to contact for assistance, filing a complaint or reporting an alleged criminal violation.

LAND USE

Dorrance Brooks Square Historic District – Landmarks Preservation Commission’s designation is the first historic district named for an African American in New York City. The district features intact streetscapes of buildings located on either side of Fredrick Douglass Boulevard, generally bounded by St. Nicholas Avenue to the west, West 140th Street to the north, West 136th Street to the south, and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard to the east. The district features intact streetscapes of buildings designed by prominent New York City architects creating a striking collection of row houses, religious structures and apartment buildings designed in architectural styles popular in the late-19th and early-20th century, in particular the Renaissance Revival, Queen Anne, and Romanesque Revival styles. The residential enclave is significant for its association with notable African Americans in the fields of politics, literature, healthcare, and education during the Harlem Renaissance from the early 1920s to the 1940s, in Council Member Bill Perkins’ district.

101 Varick Avenue – New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) and New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), seek approval for the proposed site selection and acquisition of property located at 101 Varick Avenue for use as a DOT Sidewalk Inspection and Management (SIM) Citywide Concrete Field Operations facility combined with a new Traffic Operations Street Light Warehouse facility, with acquisition terms to be determined. The site is located in an M3-1 zoning district in the North Brooklyn Industrial Business Zone (IBZ). The property at 101 Varick Avenue is proposed to house one of eleven new space needs associated with SIM Citywide Concrete’s expansion pursuant to a settlement with the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association that affects 162,000 street corners and requires the installation of new curb ramps and upgrading existing curb ramps to current ADA standards. DOT is in the process of hiring approximately 440 new staff members to implement these proposed safety and equity improvements and approximately 20 of these new employees will be assigned to this location. Additionally, 101 Varick is proposed to be used for DOT’s Street Lighting Warehouse operation supported by six DOT Traffic Operations staff, in Council Member Antonio Reynoso’s district.

130 St. Felix – 130 St. Felix Street LLC (subsidiary of Gotham Organization), seeks a zoning map amendment to change a C6-1 district within the Special Downtown Brooklyn District to C6-4 and C6-6 districts, zoning text amendment to Appendix F to establish an MIH Area, zoning text amendment to make an existing Special District special permit applicable to the site, special permit pursuant to ZR Section 101-82 to modify rear yard, court, and tower lot coverage regulations, and a special permit pursuant to ZR 74-533 to waive parking requirements to facilitate affordable housing. The proposed actions would facilitate development of a proposed 23-story mixed-use building, with 120 condominiums and affordable home-ownership residences (30%), and a 16,500-sqf community facility for expansion for the Brooklyn Music School, in Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo’s district.

495 Eleventh Avenue –Slaughterhouse – 495 11th Ave Owner Realty and New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), propose a zoning text and map amendment to change the existing M1-5 zoning district to a C6-4 (R10 equivalent) zoning district, include the site within the Special Hudson Yards District (SHYD), create a new subdistrict (Subdistrict G) in the SHYD which the site would be included in, and map Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) on the site. These actions would facilitate the development of a mixed-use commercial and residential tower with a total floor area of 581,601 sqf, a 55-story hotel tower and a 56-story residential tower atop a 5-story mixed-use podium.

The hotel would comprise 282,557 sqf with approximately 680 guest rooms. The residential portion would contain 275 affordable dwelling units across 236,699 sqf, approximately 71 units of which would be permanently affordable to households with incomes averaging 80% AMI pursuant to MIH Option 2, and 75 of which would be supportive housing units for formerly homeless individuals and families and would include 1,828 sqf of space for social services.

The lower floors would also contain a 4,791 square-foot supermarket, 8,899 sqf of office (co-working) space, and 38,971 sqf of NYPD vehicle storage to allow continued access to emergency police vehicles on an as-needed basis in a strategically desirable location. The site, in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan and formerly the location of a slaughterhouse, has been used as an open NYPD parking lot since 1993, in Speaker Corey Johnson’s district.

252 Victory Boulevard – Victory Boulevard Realty LLC, requests approval zoning map amendment from (1) R3-2 to R6B/C1-3 and R3-2/C1-3; and (2) R3X to R6B and R6B/C1-3, and a zoning text amendment to Appendix F of the Zoning Resolution would be required to make the Rezoning Area applicable as a Mandatory Inclusionary Housing area under Options 1 and 2. A new 5-story mixed-use building would be constructed on the Development Site. The building will include 54,942 sqf of residential space, 7,500 sqf of community facility use (daycare space) and 1,187 sqf of commercial retail area. The residential space would consist of 46 dwelling units, with 34 market rate and 12 affordable units through MIH. 59 accessory parking spaces would be provided in the cellar and first floors, made accessible via two new curb cuts both 12-feet in width, in Council Member Deborah Rose’s district.

62-04 Roosevelt Avenue Rezoning – Woodside 63 Management, LLC, requests approval of proposed zoning map amendment to change the project area from an R6 zoning district, and R6 zoning district with a C1-4 overlay measuring 100 feet deep from Roosevelt Avenue, to a C4-4 zoning district. The proposed zoning text amendment seeks to designate the Project Area as a Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (“MIH”) area (MIH Options 1 and 2). These actions will allow the development of a new 13-story mixed-use building at the intersection of Roosevelt Avenue and 63rd Street. The new building will contain a total of 211,541 sqf of floor area consisting of 213 dwelling units, of which 54 units will be permanently affordable (pursuant to MIH option 1), 48,837 sqf of commercial floor area, and 188 sqf of community facility floor area (an additional 31,500 gross sqf of floor space for performing arts and other community uses is located on the cellar level and not included as zoning floor area). Approximately 7,500 sf of performing arts space will be made available to Mare Nostrum Elements, Inc. and other arts-based collaborators. Accessory parking spaces will be provided for 156 cars, in Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer’s district.

48 -18 Van Dam Teamsters Rezoning – 48-18 Van Dam Property Holdings, LLC, seeks a zoning map amendment, from an M2-1 to M1-5 zoning district. This rezoning would allow for the enlargement of an existing two-story loft building located at 48-18 Van Dam Street to contain an additional four stories. The proposed enlarged building would add 94,452 sqf of office space to the existing approximately 27,007 sqf of commercial space, and 49 self-park accessory parking spaces on the second floor, which are permitted but not required. The ground floor would continue to consist of 22,267 sqf of retail space, while 2,000 sqf on the ground floor would be used for safety and steward training space with a vehicle simulator, which aligns with the underlying Industrial Business Zone (IBZ) policies. Lastly, the building will also contain significant record storage space for the Teamster’s files. The proposed enlarged building would also contain two new curb cuts along Hunters Point Avenue, one 16’ wide and the other 15’ wide. The existing curb cut on Van Dam Street would be removed, in Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer’s district.

Broadway and 11th Street Rezoning – 11 St & Broadway LLC, requests approval of proposed zoning map amendment to change the project area from an R5 zoning district to a Special mixed-use district designated MX-23 that pairs an R7A zoning district and an M1-4 zoning district. The proposed zoning text amendment seeks to designate the Project Area as a Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (“MIH”) area (MIH Option 1). These actions will allow the development of a new seven-story mixed-use building with approximately 205 dwelling units, of which 51 units will be permanently affordable. The proposed development contains approximately 3,700 sqf of local retail, an approximately 9,800 sqf  grocery store, an approximately 4,600 sqf artist studio, an approximately 4,000 sqf wine distributor, and an approximately 5,700 sqf floral production studio, in Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer’s district.

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