New York RealEstateRama

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced details of a final agreement on a number of major priorities for the end of the 2015-16 legislative session. Governor Cuomo said: “Today, we have reached an agreement on robust, comprehensive reforms that put the people of New York first. We are strengthening rent laws and extending them for four years in the New York City area to protect more than two million tenants.

Empire State Development (ESD) today announced that construction has started on the first phase of the Meadows at Yaphank – a 322-acre walkable, pedestrian-friendly, neighborhood-style development that will include retail shops, restaurants, office space, parks and open space, as well as 850 housing units. The $400 million project, which is located across from Brookhaven National Laboratory in the town of Brookhaven, is expected to create more than 2,600 permanent, full-time jobs at businesses in the development.

Governor Cuomo announced major progress in signature revitalization projects at Verona Beach State Park and Green Lakes State Park. Made possible by a $13 million investment from the NY Parks 2020 initiative, the improvements include the completion of a new bathhouse and pavilions in time for the summer swim season at Verona Beach and ongoing campground upgrades and a renovation of the golf clubhouse at Green Lakes

Plum Island—Home to a Federal Laboratory—Will Soon Be Put Up for Sale & Be Sold to the Highest Bidder, Regardless of the Private Entity’s Plans for the Site; The 840-Acre Property is a Wildlife Sanctuary & Therefore, Development of the Land Could Threaten the Lives of Endangered Species & Environmental Resources on Long Island

The Erie County Department of Real Property Tax Service has announced it will be holding its annual seminar on how to purchase tax foreclosed properties. The seminar, titled “How to Purchase Tax Foreclosed Properties," will be hosted by the Director of Real Property Tax Services, Joseph L. Maciejewski and will offer insight into the foreclosure process as well as the procedure for purchasing these properties at the next tax foreclosure sale.

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman issued the following statement in response to today’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. The Inclusive Communities Project, Inc

The New York State Senate today passed an end-of-session measure that will bring $3.1 billion in new tax relief to property owners, extend the existing property tax cap to deliver additional savings and create new jobs, improve affordable housing statewide, and continue the Senate’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that every child has access to a quality education.

Empire State Development (ESD) today announced that Access to Capital, a free conference and resource expo to help people in the food-and-beverage, fishing, and agriculture industries access capital and grow their businesses, was a resounding success, with numerous Long Island business owners learning about how to expand their companies

Perkins Eastman and affiliate BFJ Planning are proud to announce that Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Office of Storm Recovery (GOSR) has awarded the NY Rising to the Top Award for “Best Inclusion of Vulnerable Populations” to the NY Rising Community Reconstruction (NYRCR) Plan for Gravesend and Bensonhurst, which was completed by the Perkins Eastman/BFJ team last January. The award secures $1 million in additional funding to implement community-specific recovery efforts in the two South Brooklyn communities.

An audit released today by New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer found that New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) keeps apartments off the rent rolls for an average of 7 years while doing major repairs. A total of 80 apartments have been left vacant for over a decade, and another 161 apartments have been empty for between three and ten years. In addition, while the Authority claims to have 2,342 vacant apartments, the audit made clear that NYCHA’s figures were estimates at best, with some of the units actually occupied by squatters and other City agencies.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and the Chair of the Committee on Aging Steven Cymbrowitz announced the passage of several measures to strengthen the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) and Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) programs that preserve affordable housing for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

U.S. Department Of Housing And Urban Development’s Office Of Healthy Homes And Lead Hazard Control Program Provides Vital Funding To Rid Homes Of Lead Hazards, But House Republicans Have Proposed Slashing $35 Million In Fed Funding For Key Program

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $500,000 in federal funding for the Town of Machias in Cattaraugus County. The funding was allocated through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development Water and Waste Disposal Grant Program and allows the Village of Arcade and Town of Machias to make critical improvements to their wastewater and sewage systems. Specifically, these funds will allow Machias to construct a wastewater collection system around Lime Lake, as well as a transmission line to connect to an existing sewer main near Village of Arcade Wastewater

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $500,000 in federal funding for the Town of Machias in Cattaraugus County. The funding was allocated through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development Water and Waste Disposal Grant Program and allows the Village of Arcade and Town of Machias to make critical improvements to their wastewater and sewage systems. Specifically, these funds will allow Machias to construct a wastewater collection system around Lime Lake, as well as a transmission line to connect to an existing sewer main near Village of Arcade Wastewater Treatment Plant

New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) today announced the release of a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) for a mixed-income, live/work development on a City-owned site on Spofford Avenue in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx. The RFEI represents an exciting opportunity to develop the City’s next creative live/work community in an area that is well served by public transportation and is in walking distance to residential neighborhoods, recreational amenities and cultural institutions.

Senator Jeff Klein (D-Bronx/Westchester), together with Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj (D-Bronx), Director of Housing and Community Development at the Neighborhood Initiatives Development Corporation Hazel Miura, community activists and nearly 100 Bronx tenants, today called on New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, the Tenant Harassment Prevention Task Force and the New York State Department of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) to investigate Bronx slumlords Martin Scharf and Phillip Goldfarb for the flagrant harassment and unlawful eviction of residents at 3555 Bruckner Boulevard and the Goldfarb Properties in The Bronx.

Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer today announced her office’s Fiscal Year 2016 capital grant awardees. The grants will be included in the final Fiscal Year 2016 city budget, whose adoption by the City Council is expected later this month.

Mayor Richard C. David today joined developers Syed Ali and Adam Ibrahim and representatives from Tioga State Bank to announce a $2.5 million housing project at 73 Court St. in Downtown Binghamton.

The New York State Department of Transportation (DOT), in cooperation with the City of Hornell and the State Departments of Health (DOH) and Environmental Conservation (DEC), will host a public information meeting on Wednesday, July 1, regarding a water treatment facility it is installing to service two city water supply wells in Hornellsville, Steuben County.

Congressman Charles B. Rangel, who represents Upper Manhattan and the Bronx, released the following statement after LG Electronics USA announced, after almost a year of negotiations, that it has reached agreement on a new design that will create a world-class, sustainably designed building to the benefit of LG, the town of Englewood Cliffs and the state of New Jersey, while protecting the iconic vistas and integrity of the Palisades Park, a National Natural and Historic Landmark

Stilt-walkers, balloons and drama will be on full display in Downtown Manhattan on Wednesday as the WeWork cleaners tell the story of their fight for good jobs, fair pay and respect.

The 10-year loan, provided by a regional balance sheet lender, features a competitive fixed-rate of 3.68% and five-years of interest-only payments followed by a 30-year amortization schedule. This transaction was negotiated by Meridian Capital Group Vice President, Judah Hammer, who is based in the Company’s New York City headquarters

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer recently announced new legislation to combat the recent rise in carbon monoxide-related deaths. Schumer said he is co-sponsoring S. 1250, the Nicholas and Zachary Burt Memorial Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act. The legislation would allow the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to provide support for public safety education and encourage installation of safe and reliable carbon monoxide detectors

Congresswoman Nita Lowey (Westchester/Rockland), the Ranking Member on the House Appropriations Committee, today announced $29,498,111 in FY2015 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title I program funding for schools in New York’s 17^th Congressional District (NY-17), which includes parts of Westchester County and all of Rockland County. This year’s funding is an increase over the previous year’s allocation.

Congresswoman Nita Lowey (Westchester/Rockland), the Ranking Member on the House Appropriations Committee, today announced $549,000 in federal grants from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to Westchester County Airport for road rehabilitation and drainage improvements