What is little E? Is it near Little Italy?

Q: What is the little 'E' Designation on the Zoning Map? What is required?

A: In addition to Little Italy, NYC also has places called 'little E'. But it's not a hip new neighborhood. It is a site where industrial contaminants may exist.

"The E Designation is applied to certain properties that have been re-zoned, where the projected use may lead to increased environmental risk, as when a site zoned for manufacturing is re-zoned to residential use. Developers, owners and tenants on such sites may have to do environmental investigation before they can get their construction plans approved. In some cases, remediation (cleanup) may also be required and/or special measures built into the project to protect occupants or construction workers against environmental hazards. At the very least, this means delay. It can also result in added cost" - Joseph Horowitz, PE