CPC Hearing: Affordable Housing Fast Track Rules
On April 1, 2026 at 10:00 a.m., the New York City Planning Commission (CPC) will hold a public hearing on proposed rules to implement the new Affordable Housing Fast Track program, one of the ballot proposals approved by voters in last November’s election. These rules will shape how neighborhoods are
Another Piece of Yorkville’s History Shattered: St. Elizabeth of Hungary to Be Replaced by Luxury Condos
For more than 130 years, St. Elizabeth of Hungary at 213 East 83rd Street served as a spiritual home and cultural cornerstone for generations of German and Slovak immigrants in Yorkville. Built in 1893, the church stood at the heart of the neighborhood’s working-class community, sustaining faith, language, and tradition
The Doelger Building Deserves Protection, Not a Wrecking Ball
FRIENDS is deeply dismayed by reports that the Doelger Building will be demolished and replaced with a luxury condominium tower. Another irreplaceable piece of Yorkville’s architectural and cultural heritage now stands on the brink of erasure. The four-story Art Deco Doelger Building at Third Avenue and East 84th Street is
The Vertical Shift: Supertalls Push Into the Upper East Side
A new generation of supertall towers — some soaring well beyond 1,000 feet — is pushing north from Midtown and reshaping the neighborhood’s identity. Even just beyond the UES line, projects like the proposed 1,240-foot tower at 625 Madison Avenue illustrate how supertalls are edging ever closer, pressing against the
1299 Third Avenue Update: FRIENDS Appeals DOB’s Endorsement of Segmented Approvals
In the last week there have been not one, but two, significant developments related to the long-stalled project at 1297-1299 Third Avenue between 74th and 75th Streets which has sat vacant for nearly three years.
Scrapping the ‘Tower on Stilts’
We are thrilled to announce that 249 East 62nd Street, the poster-child example of egregious loopholes in supertalls, has been purchased by a new owner, with a new architect, and a new as-of-right design. The proposal that was dubbed the Jetsons' Building is "outta here"!
TODAY: NY Blood Center Environmental Scoping Session
Today, December 15, NYC Department of City Planning will hold its first scoping meeting for the New York Blood Center development. The scoping hearing reviews the Draft Scope of Work for the environmental impact statement which the Blood Center must complete before the project enters the formal public review process, or ULURP.
NY Blood Center: Learn More Today and Speak Out Next Week
The New York Blood Center released plans in October 2020 to demolish its modest 1930 building on a large through-block site on East 67th Street between First and Second Avenues. Replacing the three-story building would be a 334 foot midblock commercial tower, anchored by the Blood Center on the first five floors,
Proposals Chipping Away at the Midblock
One of FRIENDS’ earliest initiatives, led by our founder Halina Rosenthal, was the successful effort to bring contextual zoning to the midblocks of the Upper East Side. The R8B zoning district was mapped across vast swaths of our midblocks in 1985, hailed by the New York Times as “the most
Community Advocacy: Recent Victories and Ongoing Battles
On the heels of of the news regarding 200 Amsterdam, we thought this to be a good time to talk to you about zoning and development.
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