Lower Manhattan jobs at pre-9/11 level
BY GABE HERMAN
Employment in Lower Manhattan
has reached pre-9/11 numbers
for the fi rst time since the
attacks, according to the Alliance for
Downtown New York.
The organization’s Q1 2019 Lower
Manhattan Real Estate Market Report
shows that private-sector employment
in 2018 grew to 251,334 workers, the
highest number since the third quarter
of 2001.
The employment gains were due especially
to strong leasing activity for
offi ce space across industries, according
to the report. Over all, there were
2 million square feet of deals in Lower
Manhattan, which contributed to the
area outperforming all other Manhattan
submarkets, as well as having one
of its busiest quarters in seven years.
The report was released May 10 as
part of a press conference at 7 World
Trade Center. The event was attended
by Senator Charles Schumer, along
with Jessica Lappin, president of the
Alliance for Downtown New York, and
local business representatives.
“Anyone who doubts this city, ends
up losing,” Schumer said. “Anyone who
bets on this city, ends up winning. For
Downtown and all of New York…the
Jessica Lappin, president of the Downtown Alliance business improvement district, and Senator Chuck
Schumer speaking at the announcement of Lower Manhattan’s job figures.
best is yet to come.”
“This milestone is important for
both practical and symbolic reasons,”
said the Downtown Alliance’s Lappin.
“Practically, it proves that the rebuilding
effort has diversifi ed our city’s
economy in a meaningful way while
generating thousands of jobs in growth
industries. Symbolically, it shows that
our determination and spirit can never
be broken.”
“After 9/11, we all agreed that our
primary responsibility was to commemorate
those we lost,” said Larry
Silverstein, chairperson of Silverstein
Properties, at the press conference. “At
the same time, we had to restore the
commerce that has defi ned the lower
COURTESY DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE
tip of Manhattan throughout the city’s
history. At the end of the day, our vision
was to create a better version of
New York. That vision is now a reality.
The bottom line is that Downtown
New York — a place many had written
off — is now the city’s hottest neighborhood.”
City fl oats post-Sandy zoning changes
BY GABE HERMAN
The Department of City Planning
director has released zoning
recommendations to help fl oodproof
buildings in vulnerable neighborhoods,
including all of Lower Manhattan’s
coastline.
Planning Director Marisa Lago announced
the scheme, called Zoning for
Coastal Flood Resiliency, last month.
“Through the devastating damage of
Hurricane Sandy and the ensuing recovery
process, we learned that our zoning
laws inadvertently keep New Yorkers
from building more resiliently,” Lago
said. “Zoning for Coastal Flood Resiliency
will help us withstand the next
major storm or fl ooding event, creating
a better, stronger, more sustainable
shoreline for decades to come.”
During the recovery from Hurricane
Sandy, many home and business owners
ran into building-envelope constraints
when they tried to elevate or
retrofi t buildings. Many had to choose
between losing a full fl oor of space or
staying vulnerable to fl oods, according
to City Planning.
In 2013, City Planning applied temporary
emergency zoning measures to
address these issues while complying
with Federal Emergency Management
Agency construction requirements for
One of the proposals in the city’s new flood-protection zoning.
areas covered by FEMA’s Flood Insurance
Rate Maps. City Planning said
its new zoning proposals would make
those rules permanent while also improving
upon them.
The new zoning plan would expand
the area where fl ood-resilient zoning
provisions apply, and more than double
the number of buildings that could use
COURTESY DEPARTMENT OF CITY PLANNING
the provisions.
“Flooding is a serious and growing
concern for New York City’s coastal
neighborhoods,” said Jainey Bavishi,
director of the Mayor’s Offi ce of Resiliency.
“We must give coastal residents
and businesses the fl exibility they need
to prepare for the next storm —which
is exactly what these changes will do.”
The zoning proposals would include
allowing building owners “to proactively
locate all living spaces and important
equipment to higher elevations
of protection,” according to an outline
by City Planning.
The plan would create fl oor-area
exemptions to encourage more fl oodproofi
ng of ground fl oors, and give
more fl exibility to elevate mechanical,
electrical and plumbing equipment —
along with backup systems, such as
generators — to heights above fl oodrisk
areas, including on roofs or in
separate structures.
Mixed-use buildings would be able
to recover commercial cellar space
lost to fl oodproofi ng, by relocating this
commercial space to the second fl oor,
which is currently not allowed in some
areas.
The resiliency improvements would
not only let coastal communities withstand
storms and recover faster, according
to City Planning, but could
also let building owners save on fl oodinsurance
charges.
City Planning said its public engagement
process with vulnerable neighborhoods,
to develop the zoning proposals,
has been ongoing since August 2016.
An environmental review and a formal
public review process are expected to
begin before the end of this year.
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