The Manhattan City Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved an agreement with Hartford LLC at 700 Poyntz Ave., which is the former Commerce Bank building. The plan calls for crews to make streetscape, landscaping and sidewalk improvements along Poyntz Avenue, Eighth Street and Houston Street, around a future 80,000-square-foot building that will boast retail and residential space.
“Part of it is making that streetscape mirror what is further down to the east so there would be one lane that is going eastbound and then some diagonal parking that would be in front of the new Hartford building,” Stephanie Peterson, the city’s director of community development, said.
Peterson said the agreement will see the city reimbursing Hartford up to 50% of eligible public infrastructure improvements, capped at no more than $200,000.