Tenants Trying Again to Buy Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village
According to the NY Times, the tenants at Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village are again seeking to buy the financially troubled complexes in order to maintain the developments’ history of providing affordable housing for the middle class. If the sale goes through, the tenant association would covert the complexes to a condo or cooperative and offer residents the opportunity to buy or remain as rent-regulated tenants.
Closings Begin at New Bensonhurst Townhouse Development
It’s nice to hear about developers who seemingly have the community in mind. Steve Hidary, a principal at Hidrock Realty, worked with architects to ensure their latest residential development in Bensonhurst was designed to fit into the surrounding neighborhood and make productive use of all square footage available.
http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=5&id=47799
As Tastes Change in Harlem, Old-Look Liquor Store Stirs a Fight
A group of residents in Harlem, the Mount Morris Park Community Improvement Association, take action against a new liquor store, arguing that the neighborhood is better suited for a more upscale storefront.
‘Zero-Energy’ Construction Crosses the Ocean
A new conservation-minded development standard, called “passive house,” is emerging in the US after gaining speed in Europe. The New York Times reports that passive, or “zero energy,” houses maintain a comfortable interior climate without active heating and cooling systems, according to the Passivhaus Institut, which administers the standard. As a result, they use less than a quarter of the energy of a traditionally powered home. According to the article, there are around 32,000 passive houses worldwide; and a number of buildings in New York City are being retrofitted as passive houses.
Renewed hopes for a High Line-like greenway in Queens
A group of Queens park advocates have renewed efforts to convert an abandoned stretch of LIRR tracks into a park similar to the High Line in Manhattan, according to The NY Daily News. The proposed park would occupy land that stretches from Rego Park to Ozone Park.
Adding Spice in ‘NoMad’
The Wall Street Journal reports that cultural institutions in the Flatiron District are thriving partly because of the willingness of local landlords to give breaks on rent to cultural groups and independent retailers. One developer explains that they are willing to give breaks because they have a long-term interest in the neighborhood as a whole. After a bad experience in another area of the city, The Museum of Mathematics has taken advantage of the opportunity and will be moving into a showroom in the neighborhood soon.
Tax-Exempt Deadline Arrives For City Non-Profits
According to NY1, only 47% of NYC’s non-profit organizations responded when notified in July of the approaching deadline (December 5, 2011) by which they must register with the city to maintain tax-exempt status.
http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/151929/tax-exempt-deadline-arrives-for-city-non-profits
Last independent bookstore in the Bronx – Books in the Hood – will close this month
Financial problems are forching Books in the Hood, the Bronx’s last independent bookstore and the only bookstore in the South Bronx, to close this month, according to the NY Daily News. The owner had aimed to cultivate a community-bonding atmosphere and create a place for neighborhood kids to foster a love for reading.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bronx/independent-bookstore-bronx-books-hood-close-month-article-1.986062#ixzz1fgiDCHMS
Stalled New York City Construction Sites Become Farms, Stores
In order to keep undeveloped lots from becoming eyesores, developers are coming up with innovative ways to utilize the spaces until construction can begin, the Huffington Post reports. One successful such endeavor is DeKalb Market, located in Brooklyn, which boasts shops fashioned out of giant, colorful shipping containers. According to the article, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer is pushing for the city to create new zoning laws that would loosen the current restrictions at construction sites.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/03/stalled-new-york-city-con_n_1127114.html?ref=new-york
Hudson River Park To Get Luxury Dog Run Renovation
Despite the concerns of many who feel the money would be better spent elsewhere, a $6.5 million renovation to Hudson Rive Park in Tribeca will create an innovative outdoor play space of the dogs of the neighborhood. The Huffington Post reported that the new section will feature an interactive water centerpiece, shade umbrellas, and colorful pavements designed to stimulate dog’s colorblind eyes.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/28/hudson-river-park-to-get-_n_1116952.html?ref=ny-around-town
Economic Revival, Without the Fancy Cheese?
According to the NY Times, residents in Staten Island have felt ignored as the city has developed the Manhattan and Brooklyn waterfronts over the years. However, that sentiment might change since the city made recently completed
the sale of a seven-acre site on the Staten Island waterfront called Homeport. The site was sold to a New Jersey development company that played a big role in the
revitalization of Hoboken and Jersey City.
Why Start-Ups Need ‘Crowd-Funding’
Crowd-funding is a way for people anywhere (“the crowd”) to use the Internet to find and finance endeavors they believe in. Tom Szaky of the NY Times, explains why crowd-funding can help strapped early-stage ventures, especially social enterprises.
http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/05/why-start-ups-need-crowd-funding/?ref=business
Taking the Tiny House Movement Tinier
The NY Times reports that the as yet smallest home of the ‘tiny house movement’ has been created and measures up at just 84 square feet. The microhome prototype is 7 by 12 feet stem-to-stern and includes a wood-burning stove, an antique parlor chair that also serves as a seat for the compost toilet beneath it, and a shower under the bed.
Green given to Navy Yard redevelopment
Crain’s reports that The City Council unanimously approved the development of the historic six-acre site in the Brooklyn Navy Yard known as Admirals Row. The plan is to redevelop the site into a 74,000-square-foot supermarket with 127,000 square feet of light industrial space above the market.
http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20111129/REAL_ESTATE/111129907#ixzz1fh2X38AA
Contests fund mission-driven small businesses
As an alternative to crowd-funding, young entrepreneurs are vying to win contests—run by foundations that are backed by major companies—aimed at discovering the best socially responsible entrepreneurs.
http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20111204/SMALLBIZ/312049989
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