The New York City Council Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Sitings, Resiliency and Dispositions, chaired by Councilmember Christopher Marte (with Councilmember Kamillah Hanks serving as acting chair), held a hybrid meeting on July 14, 2026. The subcommittee considered a site selection for a new high school in Staten Island, an amendment to a prior tax exemption for an East Harlem community land trust, and voted on three landmark designations and two housing development items. All votes were unanimous (6-0 in favor).
Good morning and welcome to today's New York City Council hearing from the subcommittee on landmarks, public sightings, resiliency, and dispositions. At this point, I'd like to remind everyone to please censor electronic devices and at no point is anyone to approach the dais. Chair, we're ready to begin. Good morning, everyone. Welcome to the meeting of subcommittee on landmarks, public sightings, resiliency, and dispositions. I am Councilmember Camila Hanks, Majority Whip, and I am the acting chair, taking uh Chair Marte's place, and I'll chair this subcommittee. I am joined today by my colleagues, Councilmember Avilez, Councilmember Nurse, Councilmember Thomas Henry, Councilmember Ose, and Councilmember Inconcion. Before we begin today's agenda, which consists of both hearings and votes, I will remind everyone that this meeting is being held in hybrid format for members of the public who wish to testify remotely. We ask that you first register online.gov forward slash land use to sign up and then sign into the zoom and remain signed on until you have testified. For any anyone here today in person wishing to testify, if you have not already done so, please see one of our sergeants to fill out a speaker's card and we will call your name at the appropriate time. For anyone wishing to submit written testimony on the items being heard today, we ask that you please send it via email to land use testimony at council.nyc.gov. Include the land use number and or project name in the subject subject line of your email. Video and audio testimony will not be accepted. I will remind members of the public that this is a government proceeding and the decorum will be observed at all times. And as such, members of the public shall remain silent unless and until called to testify. The witness tables is reserved for people who wish to testify. No video recording or photography is allowed from the witness table. Further, members of the public may not present audio or visual recordings as testimony, but may submit these transcripts as and of such recordings to the sergeant for including in the hearing record. So on today's agenda, we have two hearings followed by several votes, and we will begin the public hearings. I will now open the public hearing for preconsidered land use item for the application brought by the New York City School Construction Authority for an 108 high school high school seat facility and uh located at 25 Wall Street Staten Island. In Councilmember Hanks' district, community uh school district 31. The site is approximately for 46,000 zero ninety-six uh square feet and is currently currently being occupied by a paved parking lot. Appearing today on this proposal is Jane Martinez Dowling, Roderick Paulton, Andrea Bender. Again, those wishing to testify remotely must register online by visiting the council's website, council.nyc forward slash land use. Panelists, and please ensure your microphone is on. Council, would you please administer the affirmation? Panelists, would you please raise your right hand and state your name for the record? Make sure the mic. Roderick Palton. Jane Martinez Dowling. Andrea Bender. And do you affirm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth and your testimony before this subcommittee and in answer to all council member questions? Yes. You may be again. My name is Andrea Bender, and I am the Vice President of External Affairs at the New York City School Construction Authority. As we know, I am joined by Dr. Paulton, community district 31 superintendent, and Jane Martinez Dowling, Chief of the Office of Student Pathways at New York City Public Schools. Next slide, please. I am pleased to present a proposed new approximately 801 seat high school with a D 75 program as an annex to Curtis High School at 25 Wall Street between Academy Place and Stuyvesant Place in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island. The site, as council member Hanks noted, is currently occupied by a paved parking lot. Next slide, please. This is the tax map showing the borough block and lot. Next slide, please. And a closer aerial of the current site showing that parking lot. Next slide, please. Thank you. Pursuant to section 1731 of the New York State Public Authorities Law, the New York City School Construction Authority has undertaken the site selection process for a new approximately 801 seat high school facility located at 25 Wall Street, Block 10, Lot 1 in the borough of Staten Island. The site is approximately 46,096 square feet, a little over an acre. The site is located within Staten Island Community Board 1 and under the jurisdiction of the Citywide Council on High Schools.