Anyone else amazed by the devleopment in NYC these days?

[billyblancoNYC]

I mean, there are so many MAJOR projects that I can't believe it. It's so friggin' exciting. Some of the most amazing is being pushed by good ol' Bloomie and City Planning.

When was the last time the city engaged in so much rezoning? Far West Side, DT Brooklyn, Atlantic Yards, Williamsburg/Greenpoint, Long Island City, DT Flushing, etc. Not to mention all the minor ones, like East Harlem, etc. and the downzonings in Queens, SI, and the Bronx. Truly amazing work being done that will really change NYC in major ways. Most, if not all, are amazing.

The emphasis on the waterfront alone is cause for excitement.

Any thoughts? Observations? Excited babble?

[Stern]

All I have to say is that it's a great time to be alive to see it!

[Stern]

However the rezoning doesnt overly excite me. We're at the end of a building boom, next upturn though, yeah baby :D :D

[tmg]

bbNYC--

I share your enthusiasm. This is a truly exciting time for the city -- not just because it is growing, but because there is a public will to channel this growth in visionary ways.

I generally loathe downzonings, but taken as a package with the strategic upzonings, these can be very good for the city. They will help prevent the outer boroughs from evolving into an undifferentiated sprawl. It is good for NYC to be able to offer a vast array of residential choices -- from single-family homes to the tallest and most breathtaking residential buildings in the world. Protecting the character of suburban-style neighborhoods that are not well served by transit, while helping create vital new subcenters throughout the city will preserve and extend the range of these choices. This helps make the city an attractive place to live for the widest possible range of people.

We are witnessing once-in-many-generations changes to the city that are extremely exciting:
- The transformation of the waterfront
- The beginnings of a new era of transit investment
- The re-emergence of quality architecture
- The economic revitalization of the outer boroughs

But there are still important things missing from all of this. For New York to achieve its full glory in this century, I hope we see the following:

1. Leadership on the question of economic development. The Governor wants to revitalize Lower Manhattan. The Mayor wants to channel growth to the Far West Side. Many civic groups want more of an emphasis on Downtown Brooklyn, Jamaica, LIC, and other subcenters. The net result appears to be paralysis.

2. A pro-active strategy to save manufacturing jobs. The city must identify zones where manufacturing will be protected from the relentless expansion of housing. I'm all for rezoning Williamsburg/Greenpoint and the Far West Side, but it is critical to preserve some place for growth in this high-value but beleagured sector. The most critical battleground may be Sunset Park: some want to build a new cross-harbor freight tunnel to this area, but residential growth pressures make it difficult to expand port operations there. Ideally, the city should make land available to manufacturing operations near the new frieght line.

3. A focus on transit improvements for the outer boroughs. This could include increases in bus service (including Bus Rapid Transit), an acceleration of efforts to improve the capacity of the subway system through better signals, expansion of new city-friendly pricing schemes on LIRR and Metro-North, etc.

4. Gotta say it: Institutional reform. The legislative process in Albany, and the governance structures of New York's public authorities, are truly corrosive to NYC's health. Let the sun shine in!

[tmg]

That said, feel free to classify the above under "excited babble."

[BrooklynRider]

TMG-

I totally agree with your assessments. You hit all the points.

This may well be the bigger legacy of Bloomberg. I think Bloomberg (more specifically Dan Doctoroff) has kept the city focused on the long-range future of the city. The lack of a manufacturing base is very disconcerting, not only for the city - but the country over all. We are headed in exciting directions. I don't it is out-of-control development, but rather very strategic development. The Downtown Brooklyn and Brooklyn Yards plans were no-brainers. The Brooklyn waterfront development is still a bit fuzzy - I am hoping for a park in the vein of Hudson River Park for that area.

It does seem the city is in one big growth spurt: Harlem to the north, Downtown Brooklyn to the south, Long Island City to the west. But oddly, with the exception of 2 Gold Street, 7WTC and Bloomberg Tower, there's not a crane over the city. And nothing <smirk> happening in Jersey City.