A $1.1 billion lawsuit challenges the approval of plans for One Vanderbilt, adjacent to Grand Central Terminal, on the grounds that it circumvented the purchase of air rights from the adjacent Grand Central Terminal.
The air rights bonanza surrounding Grand Central Terminal took a litigious turn this week, when the owner of the terminal, Andrew S. Penson, "filed a $1.1 billion lawsuit in United States District Court in Manhattan that argued that the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio… the City Council and the developer, SL Green Realty Corporation, had deprived him of his property rights when the city gave SL Green permission to build a 1,501-foot tall office tower, without having to buy any air rights from him."
According to the argument of the lawsuit, "by granting SL Green the rights to build a tower 'for free' that is twice as big as had been permitted by zoning, the de Blasio administration and City Council had rendered Grand Central’s air rights 'worthless.'"
SL Green counters that the approval of the project required $220 million in improvements to Grand Central Terminal. The article includes more on the details of the Grand Central Terminal property, which is under a long-term lease with MTA. The so-called Vanderbilt Corridor, of which One Vanderbilt is one component, made news earlier this year when the New York City Department of City Planning proposed a doubling of the allowed floor-to-area ratio on the five-block area.
FULL STORY: Owner of Grand Central Sues Developer and City for $1.1 Billion Over Air Rights
High-Rise Approval Secures $220 Million for Grand Central Terminal Improvements
In exchange for the approval to build One Vanderbilt, a 63-story office tower adjacent to Grand Central Terminal, the developer will give the MTA $220 million for upgrades to entrances of the Metro-North Railroad and the terminal's subway entrances.
A New Generation of Community-Led Planning in New York
With a benchmark success in demanding rights for the community during an ongoing rezoning process in Inwood, a neighborhood in Manhattan, a new generation of community-led resistance to top-down planning is coalescing in New York City.
Lack of Racial Impact Analysis Opens Inwood Plan to Legal Challenge in New York City
New York City is appealing a judge's decision to toss the Inwood NYC Action Plan, approved by the city in 2018. Next City describes the racial justice implications of the court case and the plan.
Boston Transit Riders Report Safety Concerns
Almost three-quarters of current and former riders report feeling unsafe while using MBTA services.
The Unceremonious Death of a Freeway Expansion Project
The end of an Oregon freeway project didn't get much fanfare, but the victory is worth celebrating.
Houston Lot Size Reforms Yield Positive Results
New research shows that reducing lot size requirements helped create thousands of new homes.
How Homelessness Differs in Rural America
Although less visible than in major cities, the housing crisis is no less severe in many rural communities, where being unhoused poses unique challenges.
New York Officials Back Down on Bus Lane Plans
Proposed bus improvements in the Bronx are the latest casualty of opposition.
Opinion: How to Save D.C. Transit
Ridership data shows that many D.C. transit users depend on the service, despite a drop in ridership. The system needs changes—and funding—to have a future.
Knoxville-Knox County Planning
City of Stonecrest
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Washington University
Mpact: Mobility, Community, Possibility
National Capital Planning Commission
City of Culver City
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
