Upper East Side Named to City’s Affordable Housing Fast Track
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 evaluated for housing production—and determine where major projects may move forward with significantly reduced public review.
Yorkville’s Affordable Housing Is Disappearing—and the City’s Fair Housing Strategy Isn’t Saving It
FRIENDS has been sounding the alarm for years: Yorkville is losing its affordable housing as older, lower-rise buildings—many of them rent-regulated and relatively affordable—are demolished and replaced with luxury towers.
HPD Fair Housing Strategy: The Upper East Side Deserves a More Thoughtful Approach
Since 1966, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act has required federal agencies to consider the effects of federally funded or federally permitted projects on historic and cultural resources before carrying them out. That simple requirement has protected countless historic places while ensuring that communities, preservation organizations, State Historic Preservation Offices, Tribal Nations, and local governments have a meaningful voice in federal decision-making. Now, those protections are threatened.
Protect Section 106: Defend the Public’s Voice in Historic Preservation
Since 1966, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act has required federal agencies to consider the effects of federally funded or federally permitted projects on historic and cultural resources before carrying them out. That simple requirement has protected countless historic places while ensuring that communities, preservation organizations, State Historic Preservation Offices, Tribal Nations, and local governments have a meaningful voice in federal decision-making. Now, those protections are threatened.
Preserving Landmarks, Protecting Neighborhoods? Rethinking Transfer of Development Rights After City of Yes
Two years after the City of Yes zoning changes were adopted, their impact is no longer theoretical—it is beginning to reshape the Upper East Side in ways that FRIENDS and many residents feared. FRIENDS opposed the Adams administration's sweeping rezoning proposal and warned that it would fundamentally alter neighborhoods like ours without sufficient safeguards for their character, infrastructure, and quality of life. As these changes take hold, the concerns we raised are becoming increasingly relevant.
The East River Esplanade Needs Maintenance, Access, and Action
FRIENDS calls on NYC Parks Commissioner, the Mayor’s Office, and all relevant city agencies to prioritize a simple but essential goal: ensure continuous public access to the East River Esplanade and commit to the routine maintenance necessary to keep this public asset open, safe, and usable.
FRIENDS Congratulates Lisa Kersavage on LPC Chair Nomination!
Congratulations to Lisa Kersavage!
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 evaluated for housing production—and determine where major projects may move forward with significantly reduced public review.
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 across decades of change. Despite a concerted effort by FRIENDS and a coalition of neighbors to secure landmark protection, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) declined
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 slated to give way to a 37-story, 510-foot tower with 120 apartments, parking, and commercial space—an outcome that disregards the building’s profound significance to Yorkville