NYC Council Subcommittee on Landmarks and Public Sitings - July 14, 2026
NYC Council Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Sitings, Resiliency and Dispositions - July 14, 2026
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).
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public testified on any item. No written or remote testimony was offered.
Discussion Items
- New High School at 25 Wall Street, Staten Island (T2026-2241): The New York City School Construction Authority (SCA) presented a proposed 801-seat high school annex to Curtis High School. The site is currently a paved parking lot. The school would address severe overcrowding (Curtis High School at 127% utilization) and expand the school's nursing program by up to 100 seats (from 345 to 445 seats). The annex is expected to open in 2031. Councilmember Hanks expressed strong support, citing the need to relieve overcrowding and expand the nursing program as a workforce pipeline. SCA representatives affirmed that the principal supports the expansion. The project includes classrooms, District 75 special education spaces, a gymatorium, and an at-grade play yard.
- East Harlem/El Barrio Article XI Amendment (T2026-2240): The NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) requested an amendment to a 2019 resolution for the East Harlem/El Barrio Community Land Trust. The amendment would convert two previously designated commercial spaces (at 53 East 110th Street and 201 East 120th Street) to community facility spaces. The project otherwise remains unchanged: approximately 38 rental units and three community facility spaces across four buildings. Councilmember Encarnación expressed support, noting the change keeps the space viable for the CLT.
Key Outcomes
- Landmark Designations (LU 0091-2026, LU 0092-2026, LU 0093-2026): The subcommittee approved designations for Public School 15 Annex (Brooklyn, Council District 33), Church of Saint Mary (Manhattan, Council District 1), and Lithuanian Alliance Building (Manhattan, Council District 3). Vote: 6-0.
- 511 West 171 Street ANCP Cluster (T2026-2210 & T2026-2211): Approved the urban development action area project and a 40-year Article XI tax exemption to facilitate rehabilitation of three buildings with 50 units in Washington Heights (Council District 10). Councilmember de la Rosa, via statement, supported the project for preserving affordability and enabling homeownership. Vote: 6-0.
- East Harlem/El Barrio Article XI Amendment (T2026-2240): Approved the amendment to convert commercial spaces to community facility spaces. Vote: 6-0.
- Curtis High School Annex (T2026-2241): Approved the site selection for the 801-seat high school at 25 Wall Street, Staten Island. Vote: 6-0.
- All items were referred to the full Land Use Committee.
Meeting Transcript
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.
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