Source: https://www.constructiondive.com/, February 24, 2020
By: Kim Slowey

Dive Brief:

• A New York State Supreme Court judge has revoked the building permit for a 668-foot-tall residential tower in Manhattan, a decision that could force the developers to remove 20 floors from the top of the nearly complete structure, Bisnow reported. Attorneys for developers of the 200 Amsterdam property, SJP Properties and Mitsui Fudosan America, said they would appeal the verdict.
• The complaint, brought by the Committee for Environmentally Sound Development (CFESD) and the Municipal Art Society of New York, alleged that the New York City Department of Buildings was incorrect in its decision to issue a permit for the building because the property sits on a “gerrymandered zoning lot” and was “cobbled together” out of six existing lots in order to meet zoning requirements. The lawsuit said both the DOB and the New York City Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA), which upheld the DOB’s decision to issue the permit, were wrong in their interpretation of zoning laws and contradicted a previous New York State Supreme Court order.
• Scott Mollen, the attorney representing SJP and Mitsui, said there are at least 20 other buildings in Manhattan that were constructed under a building permit similar to that of 200 Amsterdam. If the developers lose the appeal, he said, it could have similar repercussions for other developers and even force tenants in other buildings to vacate their units.​ Read more.