New York RealEstateRama

New York, NY - July 9, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert K. Steel and Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Mathew M. Wambua today launched the adAPT NYC Competition, a pilot program to develop a new housing model for the City’s growing small-household population. adAPT NYC seeks to create additional choices within New York City’s housing market to accommodate the city’s changing demographics. Currently New York City has 1.8 million one- and two-person households, but only one million studios and one-bedrooms. The design competition involves a Request for Proposals for a rental building composed primarily, or completely, of micro-units – apartments smaller than what is allowed under current regulations. New York City’s housing codes have not kept up with its changing population, and currently do not allow an entire building of micro-units. Under this pilot program, Mayor Bloomberg will waive certain zoning regulations at a City-owned site at 335 East 27th Street in the Kips Bay neighborhood of Manhattan to test the market for this new housing model. The Mayor made the announcement at the American Institute of Architects’ Center for Architecture and also was joined by Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Linda I. Gibbs, City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden and Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri, whose agencies collaborated with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development on the creation of this design competition.

New York, NY - July 4, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano was joined today by Nassau County Legislator Joe Belesi, North Hempstead Councilman Angelo Ferrara and representatives from the New York Veterans Advocacy Group (NYVAG) to announce that Nassau County has awarded a $1.5 million grant from Federal HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program funds to NYVAG to assist in converting an empty commercial property in Westbury into transitional housing for returning United States military veterans.

NEW YORK, NY - June 27, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- City Comptroller John C. Liu and State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced that a joint audit found New York City’s Department of Finance failed to collect an estimated $24 million in property taxes because it did not use available resources to identify property owners who did not report income from cell antennas.

New York, NY - June 25, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- RKF recently secured two ground-floor retail spaces for General Nutrition Center (GNC) in Manhattan. The global retailer of specialty nutritional products signed long-term leases for a 1,000-square-foot space at 275 Seventh Ave., located between 25th and 26th Streets in Chelsea, and a 1,350-square-foot space at 1034 Third Ave., located between 61st and 62nd Streets on the Upper East Side. Opening in 2012, the new stores will be GNC’s 41st and 42nd Manhattan locations

ALBANY, NY - June 22, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman released the following statement today on the overwhelming passage of The Foreclosure Fraud Prevention Act of 2012 in the state Assembly:

New York, NY - June 22, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Judiciary Committee Chair Helene Weinstein today announced the passage of the Foreclosure Fraud Prevention Act of 2012. This historic measure would protect New York's working families from fraudulent business practices perpetrated during the foreclosure process, by instituting misdemeanor and felony-level penalties for those who intentionally engage in or tolerate such conduct

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 20, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Paul Tonko announced today that the federal government has awarded a grant of $118,800 to the Albany Housing Coalition through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program. The grant will provide job training for homeless veterans to help them succeed in civilian careers.

New York, NY - June 19, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The New York State Senate today passed legislation (S6524A), sponsored by Senator Mark Grisanti (R-North Buffalo), that will provide an asbestos removal tax credit to encourage the cleanup of old, unsafe properties, and spur investment throughout the State.

New York, NY - June 18, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Mathew M. Wambua, Housing Development Corporation President Marc Jahr, New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner/CEO Darryl C. Towns, were joined by to cut the ribbon to mark the official opening of the Via Verde affordable housing development located at 700 Brook Avenue and East 156th Street in the South Bronx. Via Verde, a largely City-financed project that blends 151 rental units and 71 co-op units with innovative and sustainable green design elements, was the winning proposal to New York City's first juried design competition for affordable and sustainable housing.

June 15, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Bradley Gillis, CCIM from Sperry Van Ness - Miller Commercial Real Estate in Salisbury, MD recently attended the Healthcare & Real Estate Conference in New York, NY. The conference featured important discussion on the state of healthcare in the United States, the implementation of healthcare reform and the various investment and development opportunities in the myriad of medical office buildings, research facilities and seniors’ housing. It was attended by 225 leading healthcare, real estate and capital markets executives from around the nation. The agenda included two keynote speakers; Edward Rollins who presented “The Impact of Today’s Political Cycle on Healthcare & Real Estate”, and Scott Mason, D.P.A.,

STAMFORD, CT - June 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Connecticut Building Congress (CBC) has honored Malkin Construction and fellow project team members with an Award of Merit in the K-12 Schools category for their work on the recently completed Stratfield Elementary School project. The award was conferred at CBC’s annual Project Team Awards Banquet on June 12

ALBANY, NY - June 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the introduction of his bill in the state Legislature that would protect New Yorkers from fraudulent business practices like "robosigning" in the foreclosure process. The Attorney General’s legislation, the Foreclosure Fraud Prevention Act of 2012, will define “residential mortgage foreclosure fraud,” and impose tough new criminal penalties that include jail time for those who intentionally engage in such conduct, including managers of residential mortgage businesses who knowingly tolerate fraudulent foreclosure practices committed by their employees and agents.

Albany, NY - June 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the Department of Financial Services (DFS) has ordered insurers offering force-placed insurance in New York to submit proposals for new premium rates after it was found that they overcharged New York homeowners to the tune of millions of dollars. The proposals must be submitted by July 6, 2012.

NEW YORK, NY - June 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- RKF today announced a long-term lease with Mackenzie-Childs for 7,700 square feet of retail space lease at Solow Realty & Development Company’s 20 West 57th St. on the south block between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in the Plaza District. The American-made luxury home furnishings, tableware and gift company will relocate from its existing location at 14 West 57th St. and occupy a new retail space consisting of approximately 7,700 square feet of space. Mackenzie-Childs plans to reopen at its new location by the fourth quarter of 2012.

New York, NY - June 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Judiciary Committee Chair Helene Weinstein today announced the approval of legislation that would help homeowners facing foreclosure by ensuring that lenders bringing foreclosure cases have a legal right to do so. It will also resolve the growing "shadow docket" of cases which lenders refuse to advance while the cases accrue costs and fees.

NEW YORK CITY, NY - June 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- As part of an aggressive initiative to expand its brokerage team, Cresa New York has named Howard Cross senior vice president. Mr. Cross, an accomplished motivational speaker, is a 10-year veteran of commercial real estate, having previously served as senior managing director at Colliers International and as a broker at CBRE.

New York, NY - June 12, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The New York State Senate today passed legislation to simplify the process for senior citizens and other qualifying homeowners to apply for and receive their STAR property tax exemption.

NEW YORK CITY, NY - June 12, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- VeriFone Systems, Inc. (VeriFone) (NYSE: PAY), the electronic payments giant, has leased the entire 32nd floor at W&H Properties’ 1400 Broadway, announces Anthony Malkin, president of Malkin Holdings, which supervises the W&H portfolio.

NEW YORK CITY, NY - June 8, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Overcoming major challenges, John Gallin & Son, Inc. has completed a complex interior renovation of the 23,000-square-foot headquarters of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) at 529 Fifth Avenue, reports Robert Gallin, project manager. John Gallin & Son was the general contractor

New York, NY - June 8, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- As a strike by doormen and porters at a 130-unit tower in Midtown reaches its one-year anniversary this week, dozens of tenants, elected officials and supporters rallied today to support the workers.

Bridgehampton, NY - June 8, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- After 40 years as a prominent attorney, Alan Schnurman retired last year from his senior partner position at the personal injury and insurance law firm of Zalman & Schnurman to travel the world. While he spent time skiing in Aspen and even climbing Mount Everest, he felt a strong need to go back to work.

NEW YORK, NY - June 7, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- A New York judge today granted Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman's right to intervene in litigation over Bank of America's proposed $8.5 billion settlement with mortgage-bond investors over opposition by Bank of New York Mellon, the trustee for investors. Schneiderman sought to intervene in the case to protect the interests of investors not involved in structuring the agreement, because it is far less than the massive losses investors have faced and will continue to face.

New York, NY - June 7, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- As a strike by doormen and porters at a 130-unit tower in Midtown reaches its one-year anniversary this week, hundreds of tenants, elected officials and supporters will rally today to support the workers.

New York, NY - June 6, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The New York State Senate today passed legislation, sponsored by Senator Kenneth LaValle (R-C-I, Port Jefferson), that would restore the STAR property tax rebate program. The bill (S7447) would provide $202 million in property tax relief to senior citizens in the 2012-13 school year and $1.2 billion in property tax relief to middle class families starting in 2013-14.

NEW YORK CITY, NY - June 5, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Manhattan-based architectural firm Alan Gaynor + Co. has designed an 11,000-square-foot medical facility for Riverside Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine at 1790 Broadway, a landmarked pre-war property. The medical practice is scheduled to occupy its new facility in late June.