If you ever feel useless in life, just remember youâre not Layla Law-Gisiko and youâll feel better!
Per NYguy:
This is BIG news. Manhattanâs Community Board 5 has long been at the center of many of the developments in Midtown that have had to gain approval. As such, we have become somewhat familiar with some of the board and some of the more outspoken members.
https://www.crainsnewyork.com/politiâŚoardroom-brawl
Manhattanâs Community Board 5 leadership steps aside after boardroom brawl
AARON ELSTEIN
March 15, 2024
Quote:
Community Board 5 has undergone a major shake-up in what appears to be a coordinated effort to loosen land-use rules within several community boards citywide.
Community Board 5 represents the interests of Midtown neighborhoods and has a seat at the table when city or state policymakers tackle big matters, such as the future of Penn Station or the rezoning of East Midtown.
Chair Vikki Barbero resigned last month after 15 years in the role and 30 years on the board. On Thursday night her successor, Nick Athanail, quit effective immediately. Also gone is Layla Law-Gisiko, chair of the powerful land use committee, who had served on the board since 2005.
Quote:
The new chairman is Samir Lavingia, a former Google and Twitter software engineer and CB5 member for two years. He was elected Thursday night with 22 votes in favor and 19 abstentions.
Lavingia is campaign coordinator at Open New York, a nonprofit funded by Open Philanthropy, which is backed by Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz. Open New York has an interest in housing development and a desire âto reduce the harms caused by excessively restrictive local land use regulations,â according to its website.
Quote:
Community boards donât write laws or draft regulations, but developers planning a new apartment building or office tower seek their approval because their recommendations sway elected officials. The boards also serve as farm systems for residents aiming to run for public office one day. Members are volunteers nominated by the City Council and approved by the borough president for two-year terms.
Manhattanâs Community Board 5 is especially influential because its district stretches between Madison Square Garden and Grand Central Terminal, from 14th to 59th streets.
Had no idea there was such a revolution on the boards. Maybe thatâs why the CB4 meeting from last week was so out of order. Weâll see what these new people are up to.
There is a thread for PENN 2, Iâve been noticing youâve been recently posting projects to the wrong places (posted 450 11th to 418th 11th and etc for other cases).
More residential in this neighborhood makes sense. The increase in people living here would go a long way to make the area feel less sketchy.
I also think that turning the site of Penn15 into a Bryant Park-style park is a great idea.
Absolutely! 
The footprint of the vornado residential tower at 486 8th Avenue may be increased after the purchase of the next door one story McDonalds at 490 8th Avenue for 12 million
Edit: I only noticed now there was a thread on this, my bad abot
NEW YORK | 484 Eighth Ave | Ft | Fl - #16 by TKDV
12M is a bargain at that location.
Trump wants to move MSG across the street.
Would be the biggest news for NYC since the World Trade Center went up in 1972.
only good thing about msg is its connection to transit, so if they can start from scratch maybe it will improve my experience
This would be welcome news, provided we donât get an abomination much like what that âGrand Pennâ organization proposes on the current MSG site.
If MSG were to be moved, what should go there should be worthy of the location.
Turns out, it is the Grand Penn group that is involved in this. It seems they have connections that give them relatively close access to the President.
The group represented the Grand Penn Community Alliance, a nonprofit financed by wealthy conservative donor Thomas Klingenstein. The attendees told the president their proposal would restore the station to its former glory, before it was torn down in the 1960s to make way for the Garden, the sources said.
If this is what we get if MSG is moved, then it can stay right where it is because a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to right a tragic wrongdoing is going to be squandered by an objectively crap proposal.
They talk about ârestoring the station to its gloryâ when their proposal doesnât even rebuild the complete half of the headhouse. 2 Penn isnât going anywhere so half the headhouse could be done if MSG is moved or we can get a new design that is tasteful but pays homage to the original.