Policy

Brooklyn Mirage owner files for bankruptcy, venue won’t reopen this year

Credit: Chris Lavado

August 5, 2025

Brooklyn Mirage owner files for bankruptcy, venue won’t reopen this year

After "several months of financial distress," Avant Gardner, the operator of East Williamsburg music venue Brooklyn Mirage, filed for bankruptcy on Monday. In a statement posted on Instagram, the company said it filed for Chapter 11. While the Great Hall and Kings Hall venues are set to remain open throughout the process, the Brooklyn Mirage—whose grand May reopening was abruptly canceled just hours before its first show and remains closed—will not reopen this year.
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Policy

Clark Street station reopens after hotel awning collapse

The Hotel St. George Awning before collapse. Image via WikiCommons

August 5, 2025

Clark Street station reopens after hotel awning collapse

By Aaron Ginsburg

Subway service has been restored at the Clark Street station in Brooklyn Heights following the collapse of a concrete awning on Sunday. A video posted to social media by Council Member Lincoln Restler captured the moment the 15-by-20-foot awning on Henry Street came crashing down over the station entrance. Service was suspended at the station after the Department of Buildings (DOB) had found a similar structure above another entrance unsafe. As of Tuesday morning, the vacate order was lifted, and subway service was restored.
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NYC could lose 300,000 parking spots under new street safety bill

Credit: Nick Kelly on Unsplash

August 4, 2025

NYC could lose 300,000 parking spots under new street safety bill

By Aaron Ginsburg

Parking could become more difficult under a new City Council bill that would eliminate up to 300,000 spaces citywide in an effort to improve street safety. Intro. 1138 would ban vehicles from parking within 20 feet of crosswalks and improve visibility by adding "daylighting" structures, such as planters and bike racks, to protect sightlines for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. The bill would bring New York City in line with existing state law, which already prohibits parking within 20 feet of intersections, according to City & State.
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11 more NYC libraries will offer seven-day service starting September

Credit: Clay Banks on Unsplash

August 4, 2025

11 more NYC libraries will offer seven-day service starting September

By Aaron Ginsburg

Eleven more New York City public libraries will be open seven days a week, thanks to funding included in the city’s fiscal year 2026 budget. Made possible by a $2 million investment to expand weekend service, the new Sunday hours begin September 7, bringing the total number of branches open on Sundays to more than 30. The $2 million is part of a broader $15 million increase for the New York Public Library (NYPL), Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), and Queens Public Library (QPL) systems secured in the FY 2026 budget.
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Policy

City Council to override Adams’ veto of street vending bill

Credit: Elvert Barnes on Flickr

August 1, 2025

City Council to override Adams’ veto of street vending bill

By Aaron Ginsburg

The City Council intends to override Mayor Eric Adams' veto of a bill that would decriminalize most street vending violations in New York City. Intro. 47-B, passed by the Council in June with a veto-proof majority of 40-8 and three abstentions, was vetoed by Adams last Wednesday. He argued the bill “sends the wrong message” amid the city’s increased enforcement against illegal vending. The override vote is expected at the Council’s full meeting on August 14, according to Spectrum News.
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Policy

MTA awards $166M design contract for Interborough Express

Credit: MTA / Trent Reeves on Flickr

July 31, 2025

MTA awards $166M design contract for Interborough Express

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Interborough Express is one step closer to bridging numerous transit-deprived neighborhoods across Brooklyn and Queens, as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Wednesday approved the project’s full design. At its monthly board meeting, the MTA awarded a nearly $166 million design contract to the joint engineering venture Jacobs/HDR, according to amNY. The two-year agreement will begin preliminary design development and includes a "comprehensive scope of work"—such as surveys, geotechnical and environmental investigations, and structural inspections—to move the project forward.
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Adams vetoes City Council’s rejection of Bally’s Bronx casino bid

Credit: Bally’s Bronx

July 31, 2025

Adams vetoes City Council’s rejection of Bally’s Bronx casino bid

By Aaron Ginsburg

Mayor Eric Adams has vetoed the City Council's rejection of Bally's Bronx casino proposal, potentially reviving the bid. On Wednesday, Adams announced his veto of the Council’s recent vote, which denied a crucial rezoning needed for the proposed gaming facility at the former Trump-owned Ferry Point Park. The Council now has 10 days to secure the 34 votes required to override the veto.
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Policy

NYC subway and bus fare will likely rise to $3 in 2026

Credit: Patrick J. Cashin / Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Flickr

July 31, 2025

NYC subway and bus fare will likely rise to $3 in 2026

By Aaron Ginsburg

The price to ride New York City subways and buses will likely increase to $3 in January, MTA officials said during the agency's monthly board meeting on Wednesday. Originally planned for August, the proposed fare hike was delayed to allow for a required public comment period. The increase will coincide with the end of MetroCard sales as the MTA transitions fully to its OMNY tap-and-go system. While the increase is widely expected to pass, it still requires final approval from the MTA board following public hearings this fall.
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NYC announces $3M design study to make 14th Street a ‘people-first’ corridor

The West 14th Street Promenade debuted in the Meatpacking District in June. The space repurposed the curb lane between 9th and 10th Avenues as new gathering spaces. Courtesy Meatpacking BID, Credit: BreakThrough Media

July 30, 2025

NYC announces $3M design study to make 14th Street a ‘people-first’ corridor

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is looking to improve another iconic Manhattan corridor. Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday announced $3 million in public and private funding for a design study that will evaluate ways to enhance 14th Street for pedestrians, commuters, and businesses. Taking about two years to complete and involving collaboration among several groups, the study will consider upgrades to landscaping, pedestrian space, greenery, safety, and the existing 14th Street busway.
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Policy

New York flags at half-staff in memory of Midtown Manhattan office shooting victims

City Hall in 20178. Photo credit: Benjamin Kanter/Mayoral Photo Office on Flickr

July 29, 2025

New York flags at half-staff in memory of Midtown Manhattan office shooting victims

By Aaron Ginsburg

Flags across New York are flying at half-staff to honor the victims of Monday’s deadly Midtown office shooting. On Tuesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams ordered the tribute to continue until all four victims—including an NYPD officer—are laid to rest. A fifth person remains in critical condition. The shooting occurred at 345 Park Avenue, an office building with tenants like Rudin Management, Blackstone, and the National Football League.
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Policy

G train signal upgrades delayed until 2029

By Aaron Ginsburg

G train riders may have to wait an additional two years for long-promised signal upgrades that would speed up service. The $624 million project aims to replace the line’s 1930s-era signal system with communications-based train control (CBTC). Work is scheduled to be completed north of Hoyt-Schermerhorn by the end of 2027, and between Hoyt-Schermerhorn and Church Avenue by 2028. However, the upgraded system won’t be activated until 2029, due to delays in installing 5G radio technology in subway cars—a requirement for CBTC to function across both trains and tracks, agency officials said during an MTA committee meeting Monday.
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NYC construction activity picks up, but mostly projects with under 100 units

In Long Island City, 30-25 Queens Boulevard will have 451 rentals and 110 condos. Photo by Newell Reinvention on Flickr

July 28, 2025

NYC construction activity picks up, but mostly projects with under 100 units

By Devin Gannon

New construction in New York City may finally be picking up. A report released last week by the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) found there were 424 new building filings in the second quarter of 2025, a 43 percent increase from the same period last year. Plus, more multifamily housing units are being built compared to the overall average units since 2008, with 6,943 units across 158 proposed buildings between April 1 and June 30. While the new 485-x tax break is spurring development, most new residential projects have fewer than 100 units, likely so developers avoid the state's $40 hourly wage requirement for larger buildings.
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Policy

Trump signs executive order making it easier for cities to forcibly remove homeless residents

Photo by Robert V. Ruggiero on Unsplash

July 25, 2025

Trump signs executive order making it easier for cities to forcibly remove homeless residents

By Aaron Ginsburg

President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order calling for tougher enforcement on homelessness, including expanded use of involuntary commitment of people living on the streets. The "Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets" directive urges cities and states to clear encampments and place people into mental health or addiction treatment programs. It also proposes shifting federal grants away from housing-first initiatives and toward programs that mandate sobriety or treatment, as well as to cities that enforce encampment bans.
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Policy

July 24, 2025

Bronx landlord fined $10M for hazardous conditions

By Aaron Ginsburg

A Bronx landlord has been fined $10.14 million over hazardous conditions in a Belmont apartment building, one of the largest housing court judgments in city history. The order, issued Wednesday by Judge Diane Lutwak, resolves a case brought by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) against Karan Singh, owner of the 15-story Fordham Towers at 2410 Washington Avenue. According to Gothamist, Singh failed to provide heat on 10 days and hot water on 17 days between 2023 and 2024. The building currently has 540 open violations, 145 of which are classified as “immediately hazardous.”
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Policy

NYC subway hits 4 million riders three days straight, first time since 2019

Credit: Matthew Stephenson on Unsplash

July 23, 2025

NYC subway hits 4 million riders three days straight, first time since 2019

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's subway system surpassed four million riders for three consecutive summer days for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday announced that from Tuesday, July 15 through Thursday, July 17, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority recorded 4,046,610, 4,029,692, and 4,121,751 riders, respectively—the last figure marking a new post-pandemic summer ridership high. The milestone came during the same week as near record-breaking rainfall on Monday, July 14, with transit crews working overnight to quickly restore service.
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Developer wants to build huge South Bronx project with more than 1,100 affordable apartments

Credit: Aufgang Architects

July 23, 2025

Developer wants to build huge South Bronx project with more than 1,100 affordable apartments

By Aaron Ginsburg

The developer behind the redevelopment of the historic Kingsbridge Armory and other major Bronx projects wants to rezone a large site in the borough to allow for a pair of mixed-use towers with over 1,000 affordable apartments. Last week, William Bollinger, a development consultant with Maddd Equities, filed a rezoning application with the Department of City Planning (DCP) for 1014 Brook Avenue in Morrisania. The 1.2 million-square-foot project includes 1,128 affordable units across 22- and 26-story towers. As first reported by Crain's, the rezoning would permit both residential and manufacturing uses, as the site currently allows manufacturing only.
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12 more NYC subway stations to get accessibility upgrades

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

July 23, 2025

12 more NYC subway stations to get accessibility upgrades

By Aaron Ginsburg

A dozen more New York City subway stations will receive accessibility upgrades under the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's 2025-2029 capital plan. Announced Tuesday, upgrades include new elevators and other ADA-accessible features. The MTA says the new plan aims to make at least 60 percent more stations accessible and ensure that 70 percent of all subway trips begin or end at an accessible station. The accessibility projects are a result of a lawsuit settled by the MTA that required 95 percent of all stations to be accessible by 2055.
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Landmarks approves design for Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment

Images courtesy of FXCollaborative/ NYCEDC

July 22, 2025

Landmarks approves design for Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment

By Aaron Ginsburg

Plans to transform the historic and long-vacant Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx into a community and cultural hub are moving forward. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to approve the design for the adaptive reuse of the massive armory, which will include a new event venue, recreation center, sports fields, public plaza, and 500 affordable apartments next door. Led by the city's Economic Development Corporation, the major project, dubbed El Centro Kingsbridge, calls for extensive restoration and expansion of the armory itself, featuring new and expanded masonry and facade work, as well as a new public plaza, landscaping, and signage.
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MTA has installed platform barriers at more than 50 NYC subway stations

Platform barriers at the Park Place 2/3 station. Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

July 21, 2025

MTA has installed platform barriers at more than 50 NYC subway stations

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has installed platform barriers at dozens of subway stations in New York City to prevent people from falling onto the tracks. Gov. Kathy Hochul and the MTA announced last week that 56 stations across the five boroughs now have the barriers, with a goal of over 100 stations by the end of the year.
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New Yorkers with SNAP benefits to get free Museum of Natural History membership

Image via WikiCommons

July 18, 2025

New Yorkers with SNAP benefits to get free Museum of Natural History membership

By Aaron Ginsburg

The American Museum of Natural History on Friday announced a free membership for New Yorkers enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The new "Discoverer" membership level includes free general admission plus entry to one ticketed exhibition during every visit. The initiative is a joint effort by the city's Department of Cultural Affairs, Human Resources Administration, and Department of Social Services.
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NYC releases proposed rules for basement and backyard apartments

Image courtesy of the NYC Department of City Planning

July 18, 2025

NYC releases proposed rules for basement and backyard apartments

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City this week released proposed guidelines for building small homes in basements, backyards, garages, and other parts of existing properties. The Department of Buildings and the Department of Housing and Preservation on Tuesday released its proposed rules for constructing accessory dwelling units (ADUs)—a key element of Mayor Eric Adams' “City of Yes” housing plan aimed at expanding the city’s housing supply. The proposed rules focus largely on safety standards for basement and cellar apartments, including requirements for two exits, a ban on ADUs in high-risk flood zones, and water sensors in every room to alert residents of flooding.
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Policy

NYC’s first wave of office-to-residential conversions could create over 17,000 new homes, report says

Pfizer World Headquarters is becoming 1,500 apartments. Photo via WikiCommons

July 17, 2025

NYC’s first wave of office-to-residential conversions could create over 17,000 new homes, report says

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City’s first wave of office-to-residential conversions could yield over 17,000 new apartments, highlighting the potential for such projects to help ease the city’s housing shortage, according to a new report. Published on Thursday by City Comptroller Brad Lander, the report finds that 44 office conversions initiated after the pandemic could transform 15.2 million square feet of office space into as many as 17,400 homes over the coming years. However, the report warns that the city’s new 467-m tax break may be overly generous, potentially costing $5.1 billion in lost property tax revenue over 37 years.
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City Council rejects zoning changes needed for Bally’s Bronx casino proposal

Credit: Bally’s Bronx

July 16, 2025

City Council rejects zoning changes needed for Bally’s Bronx casino proposal

By Aaron Ginsburg

Bally's plan to build a casino on a former Trump-owned golf course in the Bronx appears all but dead after the City Council rejected a key rezoning needed for the project. On Monday, the Council voted 29–9, with four abstentions, in favor of a motion by Council Member Kristy Marmorato to deny the land-use changes required to construct the gaming facility at Ferry Point Park, according to Crain's. The proposal is one of eight projects seeking a downstate gaming license.
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Policy

NYC Council approves 1,000-unit One45 Harlem development

Rendering courtesy of SHoP Architects

July 16, 2025

NYC Council approves 1,000-unit One45 Harlem development

By Devin Gannon

A residential development will finally rise on the corner of West 145th Street and Lenox Avenue in Harlem after years of delays and debates. The New York City Council on Monday approved the One45 for Harlem plan, which includes three new buildings and 1,000 units of housing, 338 of which will be affordable. The previous proposal at the site failed to materialize after the former council member refused to accept the development unless at least 57 percent of the units were affordable to families earning 30 percent of the area median income; the developer said that was not economically feasible, withdrew the plan, and turned the property into a truck depot.
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July 16, 2025

Judge halts Adams’ removal of Bedford Avenue protected bike lane

By Aaron Ginsburg

A disputed stretch of protected bike lane on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn was spared demolition for a second time, after a state judge blocked the Adams administration from removing it just hours before construction was set to begin. On Tuesday, state appellate court judge Lourdes M. Ventura issued a temporary restraining order, halting the city’s plan to shift the lane from the curb to the center of the avenue between Willoughby and Flushing Avenues. The decision came less than a week after another judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by street safety advocates, ruling that Mayor Eric Adams could move forward with the redesign because it “is not a major transportation project.”
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