A climate change ‘laboratory’ may come to Governors Island

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A climate change “laboratory” may land on Governors Island

Governors Island has worn many hats over its lifetime: An outpost for the Dutch West India Company, a Civil War prison for Confederate soldiers, and more recently has become a recreational hub for public art, “glamping,” and festivals.

Now, New York City wants to transform up to 4.2 million square feet on the southern half of the island, which sits off the coast of lower Manhattan, into “a major center for climate adaptation research, commercialization, conversation and policymaking,” according to a request for proposals obtained by The New York Times. The “living laboratory” would serve as the “anchor” for development on the island, which the city aims to rezone a swath of for commercial and education uses.

It might seem antithetical to put a climate change center on an island surrounded by New York Harbor, but the Trust for Governors Island officials tell the Times that’s the point, and aim for the island to embody the very issues the center would confront.

Morningside Heights rezoning pushes on without the de Blasio admin

A proposal to rezone Manhattan’s Morningside Heights seemed dead in the water last month after the city said it wouldn’t result in much new affordable housing. But the Morningside Heights Community Coalition disagrees and is moving forward with plans to rezone the neighborhood—with the help of the City Council, The Real Deal reports.

City Council Speaker Corey Johnson has directed the Council’s land-use staff to assemble a rezoning proposal, and the neighborhood’s Council member, Mark Levine, has suggested circumventing The Department of City Planning to push forward with the effort, the real estate magazine reports.

And in other news…

• The New York Post pit the new Uber Copter against the subway for the speediest trip to JFK Airport, and in a triumph of public transit, the subway beat the $200 flight.
• Mayor Bill de Blasio’s NYC Ferry system is the second-most heavily subsidized urban ferry system in the U.S.
• New York City Housing Authority managers have doled out thousands of no-bid repair contracts totaling over $250 million to a select few vendors—ignoring corruption warnings.
• A tanker truck spilled thousands of gallons of oil onto Gowanus streets after smashing into a cement barrier Saturday.
• A group of Manhattan architects are calling on de Blasio to scrap his borough-based jail plan in favor of building a more humane jail complex on Rikers Island.
• In a similar vein, hundreds gathered in Chinatown Sunday to protest the city’s plans to shutter Rikers and replace it with four new jails across the boroughs.
• The MTA released a mere 9-page report to tackle homelessness on the subway after months of delays.
• And finally, fall is well and truly here: