121 Meserole Avenue

Four-Story, Two-Unit Mixed-Use Project Coming to 121 Meserole Avenue, Greenpoint

An anonymous Midtown South-based LLC has filed applications for a four-story, two-unit mixed-use building at 121 Meserole Avenue, in the heart of Greenpoint. The project will measure 7,803 square feet. It will include 1,657 square feet of retail space, for an art craft stop on the ground floor, followed by two apartments across the second through fourth floors, plus an upper penthouse level. The apartments should average 2,028 square feet apiece, which means condominiums are likely in the works. Freeport, N.Y.-based Zambrano Architectural Design is the architect of record. The 1,905-square-foot site is occupied by a two-story structure. Demolition permits were filed in October.

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The north side of Randolph Houses under construction in November.

How a Block of Abandoned Harlem Tenements Were Transformed Into Affordable Housing

A decade ago, the New York City Housing Authority emptied out 22 decaying tenement buildings on the south side of 114th Street in central Harlem, sending residents to public housing elsewhere in the city. Those long-vacant buildings, part of Randolph Houses, have now been renovated and filled with residents, and workers have begun revamping 14 brownstones on the north side of the block.

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Carl Weisbrod

Carl Weisbrod to Step Down from Roles at Planning Commission, Planning Department

On the heels of the City Planning Commission voting to certify the proposed rezoning of Midtown East, kicking off the public review process, the Commission’s chairman, Carl Weisbrod, announced he will be stepping down from his position by the end of the month. Weisbrod will also retire from his position as director of the New York City’s Department of City Planning, the New York Times reported. Weisbrod, appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2014, has served a key role in implementing the current administration’s zoning policies, with a career in government and civic life spanning decades. City officials say Weisbrod will become the new chairman of the Trusts for Governors Island, a nonprofit organization tasked with leading development projects and overlooking daily operations on the island.

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John F. Kennedy International Airport

$10 Billion Redesign Unveiled for John F. Kennedy International Airport

Governor Andrew Cuomo has unveiled plans for a $10 billion redesign of John F. Kennedy International Airport, in Queens. Broadly, the goal of the project is to better interconnect the airport’s existing terminals and improve the flow of vehicles and people through reconstruction and expansion of roadways, Crain’s reported. There would also be a large parking garage at the center of the airport, possibly to be topped by green space. Mass-transit upgrades are also in store, including plans for a one-seat ride to Manhattan. The state’s Department of Transportation will head the construction pertaining to roadways and mass transit, while the airport is expected to be rebuilt under partnerships with airline companies and operators, including the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey.

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