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City Nixes Challenge to Extell Project’s Height
The city has rejected a zoning challenge to Extell Development’s residential project at 50 W. 66th St. Filed this past September, the community challenge argued that the developer allocated a disproportionately large area for mechanical spaces in order to get a taller building.
The de Blasio administration has said it would clamp down on developers’ use of so-called structural voids, which artificially increase a project’s height—and make upper-floor units more valuable—without actually adding square footage. However, the Department of Buildings determined that Extell’s use of such voids at its forthcoming 50 W. 66th development conformed to codes.
“We carefully reviewed the community challenge, but determined that the arguments therein were not valid,” DOB said in a statement.
City Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal, who supported the challenge, said she hoped Mayor Bill de Blasio “will still make good on his promise, via zoning changes, before [DOB] approves this 770-foot building.”
For comments, questions or concerns, please contact Paul Bubny
- ◦Development
