The bus line is at the surface…there’s no need to excavate more than a small pedestrian passageway to reach the median

Base zoning limits density to FAR 10 (12?). Devs can’t politically seek higher densities because that would require MIH, and also would upset Landmarks. And Landmarks doesn’t allow the lower-density stuff (early 20th century mansions) to get redeveloped because it tends to be in styles they like.

This is kind of the opposite of my complaint…

Ugly dynamic on Fifth Ave. where Landmarks’ distaste for 1970s architecture and love of earlier styles means that developers can only demolish some of the densest buildings, which they’ll replace at 1:1 floor space but lower unit counts newyorkyimby.com/2025/11/upda...

I think it’s a photo from when it first opened. Look at the trees.

…a huge windfall, and the fact that our zoning framework is so allergic to that that it will cut off its nose to spite its face is really unfortunate. This is the story of most new condo projects in Manhattan.

The developer hasn’t said how many units they want to build, but I can guarantee it’ll have far fewer units than the 208 apartments there right now. I’d be surprised if it will have even 100. Redevelopment isn’t going to be viable under MIH – the only way to get more units is to give the developer…

More on this: www.semafor.com/article/11/1...

Or are you saying the building is locked and you can’t get in to look? Sorry, I’m still confused…

Haha, thanks. May I ask how you know? Did you just check it? Or did you harken to be in the building recently? Or are you familiar with it from something related to the fire?

Sorry…3:30 am this morning? I don’t understand

The text of the report strongly implies (maybe even states? it's not that clear though) that there was no separation between the two stairways, but I've never heard of that in a residential building, and also the plan shows that they are separated. So...I'm confused! www.house.mn.gov/comm/docs/vZ...

I don’t know

Yes! And the thing they respond to is the feeling that they’ll be overridden and that the standards process’s legitimacy will be threatened, so I’d mention that – that delays will make people question the integrity of the process.

Not here pedestrianobservations.com/2023/06/18/a... or here pedestrianobservations.com/2019/05/29/a...

Sorry, here’s the link (it also includes a Sutphin Blvd. tram line to JFK, but that’s only going to be used by airport workers or when the AirTrain is down) pedestrianobservations.com/2023/06/18/a...

@alonlevy.bsky.social’s crayon has the other A branch going to Jamaica, which would help a bit (but is very low-priority after the other many billions of spending), but other than that, I don’t know what line you’d want to go to JFK? It’s not on the way to (or even past) any underserved destination

A bit of an exaggeration for JFK. If you’re headed from Midtown, you should be able to make it in under an hour. For sure the AirTrain frequencies and fare need to be improved, same with the LIRR connection, but the actual infrastructure is appropriate

What city is this? Wondering if ridership is high enough for proof-of-payment/all-door boarding to make a difference with those station dwells.