Morning Bulletin: Morningside Rezoning Proposal, Real Estate Choices, Rent Lawsuit

Photo by David Klempner in Central Park.

November 18, 2019 Weather: Cloudy with rain showers at night and a high of 43 degrees.

Notices:
Concerts, readings, and other local events are on our calendar!

News:
A community group is trying to push a rezoning in Morningside Heights to spur the development of more affordable housing and limit luxury development. “The Morningside Heights Community Coalition is advancing plans to rezone the neighborhood despite the Department of City Planning’s reservations that changes won’t create much affordable housing. City Council Speaker Corey Johnson has pledged to direct the council’s land-use staff to put together a rezoning proposal. Council member Mark Levine, who represents Morningside Heights, suggested going around City Planning, according to Johnson’s office…Levine’s position has been that spurring some affordable housing construction would be better than doing nothing, and that new zoning could also activate moribund blocks that should have retail uses.”

The Times has a fun feature on a couple examining whether they can get more real estate for their money on the Upper East or Upper West Sides. It’s set up like a “choose your own adventure”, which does seem applicable to real estate.

A 52-year-old died after jumping from a building on Claremont Avenue last Monday. “The man was was not affiliated with the University.”

Landlords are suing over new state rent laws. “The complaint — filed by a group of landlords including Dino, Dimos and Vasiliki Panagoulias — refers to the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 as a ‘regulatory scheme’ and a ‘regime in which tenants, not property owners, control who occupies the property, how it is used, and who may be excluded from it.'”