02
Proposed Construction by:
DDG
Location:
180 E 88th Street
Action:
Add your voice by emailing us:
Sample email: “I urge you to oppose the DDG’s new tower coming to 180 East 88th Street because of the harm it will do to our neighborhood comprised of historic low-rise structures."
By speaking up you hold our officials accountable and empower the public process!
Summary of Project
Opponents of a skyscraper rising on East 88th Street are calling on the city to reject the project because the developer is “drawing an imaginary line” to build higher under that thoroughfare’s zoning regulations, despite the fact that the property technically touches East 88th Street.
To local elected officials and area residents, the new lot was added to skirt zoning rules that prohibit that tall of a building on 88th Street. The project was previously hit with stop-work order by the Department of Buildings for including a smaller, “unbuildable lot for the sole purpose of evading zoning restrictions.
“If you own a piece of land where the zoning says you can’t build a skyscraper in this part of the district, you don’t get to draw an imaginary line in the sand,” said City Councilman Ben Kallos, who filed the appeal with other elected officials and the Carnegie Hill Neighbors group this month.
“Pretending this tiny, unbuildable lot was drawn for any other reason than to skirt the neighborhood’s zoning is just silly,” said Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, who supports the appeal. “We will keep the pressure on and keep insisting that the law be enforced.”
DDG did not respond to requests for comment.
By Shaye Weaver, Read Full Article
EARLY MARCH 2015
YIMBY has also learned that the project’s 521-foot height (it has seen a bump from 469 feet) will make it the tallest building north of 72nd Street.
LATE MARCH 2015
On March 23, the Department of Buildings issued an “intent to revoke,” warning DDG to refile updated zoning diagrams or else have its construction permits pulled, agency spokesman Alex Schnell said.
The intent to revoke gives a developer 15 days to respond, which they did, Schnell said. Now, the department is working with DDG to get the updated diagrams.
DECEMBER 2015
The updated documents should show the 10-by 22-foot lot bordering 88th Street, Schnell said, as the previous diagrams only show a 4-by-22-foot lot that the developer referred to as a “rear yard.”
The stop-work order on that plac was lifted on Dec. 21 and construction resumed, he added.
JANUARY 2016
CHN filed two challenges with the Department of Buildings asking that DDG’s plans be rejected, and they filed a third challenge this month asking officials to completely revoke all construction permits.
