Long Time Roosevelt Island Resident Carl Weisbrod Named Chair Of NYC Planning Commission Today By Mayor DeBlasio - Can Mr. Weisbrod Help Get Our Wine Shop Opened Sooner?

Reported previously on long time Roosevelt Island resident Carl Weisbrod being named Mayor DeBlasio's Transition Team Co-Chair as well as Mr. Weisbrod's asking Hudson Related Main Street Retail Master Leaseholder David Kramer when Roosevelt Island's Wine store would finally open.

More news on Mr. Weisbrod. Today, Mayor Deblasio named Roosevelt Island resident Carl Weisbrod as Chair of the NYC Planning Commission.

Image Mayor DeBlasio (left) and Carl Weisbrod (right) From NYC Mayor's Office

According to this Press Release from Mayor DeBlasio's office:

Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced Carl Weisbrod will serve as Chair of the City Planning Commission, pledging a new approach to development that aggressively confronts the city’s inequality crisis. From expanding affordable housing to growing local industry that provides good-paying jobs, Mayor de Blasio charged Weisbrod with using all the tools at the city’s disposal to lift up working New Yorkers, keep neighborhoods affordable, and create stronger, more resilient communities.

Weisbrod brings more than 35 years of public service to the City Planning Commission. From his time in the Lindsay administration as a young anti-poverty lawyer, to his service as president of New York State’s 42nd Street Development Project, to his tenure as the founding president of the nation’s largest Business Improvement District in Lower Manhattan, Weisbrod has a track-record of revitalizing neighborhoods across the city and creating opportunity for New Yorkers in the process.

In announcing Weisbrod, Mayor de Blasio emphasized the administration would increase the city’s capacity for bold, long-term and comprehensive planning. And to achieve that goal, the Mayor pledged to dedicate additional resources to the Department of City Planning that will expedite the evaluation and certification of land-use applications.

“Carl is a quintessential New Yorker. He brings a real passion for our neighborhoods and our diversity across the five boroughs. And he also understands exactly how the city can shape development to stoke the most growth, the strongest affordability, and the best jobs for New Yorkers. He is ready to take these challenges head-on,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

“I love this city. I’ve spent my entire career revitalizing its neighborhoods and making sure New Yorkers were the ones who benefited from good growth in their communities. We have such an enormous opportunity to put people to work in good-paying jobs, build affordable homes, and create stronger, more resilient communities—but that demands an approach that doesn’t let a single tool sit idle. We are committed to striking tough bargains and making farsighted decisions that protect New Yorkers and help us build a stronger city,” said Chair of the City Planning Commission Carl Weisbrod.

About Carl Weisbrod

Carl Weisbrod has more than 35 years of experience serving the people of New York. He has left his mark on some of the city’s most dynamic and fastest-growing neighborhoods.

Weisbrod’s service in government extends back to the Lindsay administration, which he joined as a young anti-poverty lawyer at the Department of Relocation. He was appointed by Mayor Koch to spearhead the city’s efforts to transform Times Square, and he also served as the Executive Director of the New York City Department of City Planning, Executive Director of the National Service Program, and Chairman of the New York City Loft Board. As president of New York State’s 42nd Street Development Project, Weisbrod led the effort to revitalize Times Square, transforming it into a global hub for tourism and entertainment.

Under Mayor Dinkins, Weisbrod was the Founding President of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, where he negotiated the United States Tennis Association’s 99-year lease in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park—regarded as one of the most beneficial municipal sports deals in the nation—as well as the transaction that brought Harlem its first major supermarket, the Pathmark on 125th Street.

Mayor Bloomberg appointed him as a Director of the Trust for Governors Island and the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, where he helped lead the post-9/11 recovery of downtown neighborhoods. That tenure overlapped with his 10 years as the founding president of the Alliance for Downtown New York, the largest business improvement district in the nation, setting in motion the evolution of the financial district from an area dominated by daytime office workers into a thriving 24-7 neighborhood.

Weisbrod also served as the head of the real estate division of Trinity Church. He is a former Trustee of the Ford Foundation and the Urban Land Institute. He has been a partner at the firm HR&A since 2011, where he managed the successful rezoning of the Hudson Square area in Manhattan into a dynamic hub for creative industries and new housing, including up to 700 affordable units.

Weisbrod grew up in Parkchester and Fresh Meadows, and he is a graduate of Cornell University and New York University’s School of Law. He currently lives on Roosevelt Island with his wife, Jody Adams, a retired family court judge.

Congratulations to Mr. Weisbrod on being named to this very important position for the future of NYC.