Any information or special reports about various countries may be published with photos/videos on the world blog with bold legit source. All languages are welcome. Mail to lucschrijvers@hotmail.com.
Together, we can turn words into action. If you believe in independent voices and meaningful impact
A new trend has overtaken New York City’s residential real estate market: 99-unit buildings. You may have noticed a 99-apartment project springing up in your neighborhood — dozens are in the works in parts of Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan.
How did 99 become the magic number for new apartment buildings in a flat-strapped town?
The answer lies in another number: 485-x, a state tax break meant to spur new market-rate and affordable housing.
Provisions of a tax break that were meant to encourage the construction of more affordable housing by workers earning higher wages have instead — through some clever real estate jiu-jitsu — been flipped on their ear, resulting in fewer apartments and lower-than-intended pay amid New York’s gale force housing crisis.
Read on to learn how plots that could hold a single building loaded with new apartments are now home to two, three and even four 99-unit towers.
“It feels very counter to the overall goal of what we're trying to achieve here, which is that we're trying to build more housing,” one developer told THE CITY.
Weather ⛅
Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 60 going down to 49 at night.
MTA 🚇
In The Bronx, no Manhattan-bound 4 trains at Mosholu Parkway from 9:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. Find all the MTA’s planned changes and the latest delays here.
New York City secured a record $31 million in penalties — the largest in city history — against the owners of two apartment complexes in The Bronx that have racked up thousands of violations.
Some tenants at Robert Fulton Terrace and Fordham Towers in Morrissania cheered Wednesday at the announcement, which will help make emergency and long-term fixes to the buildings.
“We will ensure the end of this impunity is measured not merely in accountability for those landlords who have violated our city’s housing laws, but also in better living conditions for those who were forced to live under their negligence,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.
The property owners, Fordham Fulton Realty Corp, ignored critical safety issues while threatening tenants if they complained, according to the court filings.
As of Wednesday, one building on East 169th Street had 2,342 complaints and 1,169 violations. The other, on Washington Avenue, had 1,792 complaints and 567 violations, according to city data.
— Katie Honan
Things To Do
Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.
Thursday, May 7: Brooklyn Public Library is hosting a panel on deed theft in New York City, featuring Brooklyn families who were targeted for their homes, an attorney who fights deed theft cases in court and THE CITY’s very own Samantha Maldonado who has reported on deed theft for years at Bedford Library. Free, from 6 to 7 p.m.
Thursday, May 7: Brooklyn Academy of Music’s second free music season turns the spotlight on Caribbean artists and sounds with Haitian singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Paul Beaubrun in Fort Greene. Free, at 7 p.m. Register here.
Thursday and Friday, May 7 – 8: Check out two days of live jazz, master classes and collaboration, featuring guest artists Chris Potter and Adam Cruz alongside student ensembles at the CUNY Jazz Festival 2026. Free, from 11:30 a.m to 8 p.m. Register here.
THE KICKER: Fishmongers once docked boats and slung fish at the Seaport District. Now, it will host the queer hockey romance that took over the world — Pier 17 is showing a screening of “Heated Rivalry” this month.
Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Thursday.
Love,
THE CITY
PS. LoveTHE CITY? Our nonprofit newsroom is powered by readers like you. Donate here.
Want to view Scoop in your web browser? Click here.
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten