If you’ve ever wondered about those vacant lots, south of 125th Street, on both sides of Park Avenue that Uptown Grand Central works so hard to beautify, Durst Organization owns them.
According to The Real Deal, Durst is suing the MTA for stonewalling and failing to clarify what is required (or not) to develop the site.
The lawsuit, filed Friday with the U.S. District Court Southern District of New York, stems from three East Harlem properties that Durst acquired in 2016 and 2017 for future development.
The vacant lots at 1800, 1801 and 1815 Park Avenue are located within the city’s Special Transit Land Use District, which requires developers to first get certified by the MTA and the city’s Planning Commission as to whether transit easements are needed to build.
The district was created in 1973 following the construction of a small section of the Second Avenue subway. In 2017, in preparation for extending the Q line from 96th Street to 125th Street, the zone was expanded into the area including the Durst properties. That meant Durst needed an easement certificate to get construction permits.
The article:
https://therealdeal.com/2021/11/12/durst-accuses-mta-of-stalling-east-harlem-development/
indicates that development has been postponed by the MTA withholding permissions that are needed to build on the Special Transit Land Use District.
The timing of this lawsuit is interesting given that President Biden’s infrastructure legislation is about to kickstart the 2nd Avenue subway. Perhaps Durst wants to develop in tandem with the subway construction, or perhaps before it, or not at all. The lots have remained eyesores for a long time now.
HNBA Meeting Tonight at 7:00
Happy Holidays!
Are you ready for holiday cooking with a twist of funny?
Join stand-up comedian and host of the cooking/comedy show Dinner’s Ready Live (IGTV/YoutubeTV) for a night of fun cooking and big laughs. Dan will be teaching us how to make Spaghetti Carbonara from the refrigerator to the plate using simple ingredients. We encourage you to cook and laugh along! Here are the ingredients:
SPAGHETTI CARBONARA
- 1 BOX SPAGHETTI
- 2 LARGE EGGS
- 1/2 CUP PARMESAN CHEESE
- 4 SLICES BACON (can use turkey bacon too)
- 4 CLOVES GARLIC
- 1/2 CUP PEAS
- SALT/PEPPER TO TASTE
UTENSILS
- 2 LARGE PANS/SKILLETS (FOR BACON/FOR SAUCE)
- LARGE POT (FOR PASTA)
- KNIFE (FOR GARLIC)
- TONGS (FOR TOSSING PASTA AND SAUCE)
We’ll also be joined by comedian Ryan Brown who will join us for Carbonara trivia!
If you’re vegetarian, leave off the Bacon. But don’t leave off your sense of humor and good cheer! See you from the kitchen!