LEFRAK PAYS OUT $42 MILLION FOR HEAT PROBLEMS
Tenants at Gateway Plaza have won a class-action suit against their landlord — the LeFrak corporation — awarding $42 million to tenants after they claimed LeFrank neglected heating repairs across the six 34-story buildings.

From The Real Deal: The landlord’s inaction let outside air flow freely into the Gateway Plaza apartments, exposing residents to extremely cold temperatures during the winter — with ice forming on windows — and extremely hot temperatures during the summer, according to the lawsuit. Residents were forced to use “various self-help measures” to stop the outside air from coming in, including “duct tape, plastic sheeting, towels and pillows,” the tenants’ law firm Newman Ferrara wrote in 2014, when the class action suit was filed. LeFrak ignored complaints about these conditions for years, according to the law firm. The suit originally sought $100 million. The settlement with LeFrak is split between $10 million in cash and rent abatements for tenants and $13 million in contractual rent increase limitations and $18 million to $20 million for repairs and improvements largely completed by August 2017, according to court documents. There will be a hearing about the settlement on March 2 to determine whether it should be officially approved.”

THREE OF OURS MAKE THE TIMES’ 10 BEST
Bar Wayo‘s clam chowder, Crown Shy‘s gruyere fritters and the whole sea bass in pastry crust at The Fulton all make the list of The Times’ Pete Wells‘ 10 best dishes in the city.

QUESTIONS FOR LESLIE KOCH
The Trib covered CB1’s Waterfront Committee meeting where members quizzed the new head of the Perelman Performing Arts at the World Trade Center — Leslie Koch — on the lighting of the cube, community programs and affordable tickets. (Above, The Trib’s audio-slideshow from the architect’s presentation in 2016.)