Zohran Mamdani

NYC invests $30M in NYU quantum lab in exchange for stake in industry

Photo credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

October 14, 2026

NYC invests $30M in NYU quantum lab in exchange for stake in industry

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Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday announced the city will invest nearly $30 million in a new quantum technology lab at New York University in exchange for a stake in new technologies developed with city-funded tools. Expected to open in 2030, Quantum Fabrication Facility (QFab) will take up 23,000 square feet at 770 Broadway, where NYU entered a lease for 1 million square feet last year.
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Horse-drawn carriages to be banned in Central Park after deal between Council and Mamdani

Credit: Bee on Unsplash

October 14, 2026

Horse-drawn carriages to be banned in Central Park after deal between Council and Mamdani

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City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Mayor Zohran Mamdani have reached an agreement on legislation that would end the use of the horse-drawn carriages in Central Park by June 2028, the New York Times reported. The issue has been a contentious one for over 150 years and the subject of fierce debate between animal rights activists and labor unions that represent the industry's drivers and business owners. The topic once again came to the forefront when a visiting teen died after being thrown from a carriage in June; according to Menin, the bill is likely to pass with a veto-proof majority in a council vote scheduled for October 22.
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New ‘Debt Demolisher’ program will help New Yorkers reduce debt from city fines

Photo courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

October 13, 2026

New ‘Debt Demolisher’ program will help New Yorkers reduce debt from city fines

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Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the city's Department of Finance (DOF) Commissioner Richard Lee announced on Tuesday a new 90-day Debt Demolisher program that will allow New York businesses and homeowners to resolve outstanding city fines at a reduced cost and avoid future penalties. Under the program, participants with outstanding debt may be eligible to have accrued interest waived and resolve related debt at a discount.
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After Marble Hill ICE shooting, DHS head takes aim at Mamdani and New York’s sanctuary policies

Mayor Mamdani held a press conference on ICE shooting in Marble Hill on Thursday, October 8, 2026. Photo courtesy of Kara McCurdy | Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

October 9, 2026

After Marble Hill ICE shooting, DHS head takes aim at Mamdani and New York’s sanctuary policies

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Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday called for ICE to end its enforcement efforts in New York City after a federal ICE agent shot a man in a car with his five-year-old son in Manhattan. Department of Homeland Security head Markwayne Mullin, in a press conference Friday, attacked New York's sanctuary city policies, as the New York Times reports: "When you have sanctuary cities and sanctuary politicians, you endanger the safety of the public.”
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$17.8M renovation will turn historic Cobble Hill firehouse into music school

Renderings courtesy of MBB Architects

October 8, 2026

$17.8M renovation will turn historic Cobble Hill firehouse into music school

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A long-vacant Cobble Hill firehouse will get new life as a permanent home for a music school. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday announced the start of a $17.8 million transformation of the former Engine Company 204 firehouse at 299 Degraw Street, which has sat empty since 2003 due to budget cuts. The project will convert the building into a new home for the Noel Pointer Foundation (NPF), a music school dedicated to expanding music education for youth in historically underserved neighborhoods.
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NYC extends late-night pick-up soccer at five fields

Photo courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

October 6, 2026

NYC extends late-night pick-up soccer at five fields

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The lights will stay on at soccer fields across New York City, extending a pilot program launched during the FIFA World Cup this summer. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday announced he will extend the NYC Open Play pilot, which let one pitch in every borough stay open overnight for 24/7 pick-up games. Instead of running all night, the program, which will take place through November this year and then return from April through September 2027, will allow games to be scheduled between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.
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Mamdani announces $607M renovation of NYCHA’s Nostrand Houses via public trust

Nostrand Houses. Photo by GK tramrunner RU on Flickr

October 5, 2026

Mamdani announces $607M renovation of NYCHA’s Nostrand Houses via public trust

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More than 1,100 public housing apartments in Sheepshead Bay will undergo much-needed repairs as part of a $607 million comprehensive rehabilitation project. Mayor Zohran Mamdani last week announced the closing of financing for the renovation of Nostrand Houses, which will fund decades of capital needs for 1,148 apartments across its 16 buildings. The plans mark the first-ever financial closing through the city's Public Housing Preservation Trust, which was created in 2022 to help fund upgrades and repairs at NYCHA properties. Residents of Nostrand Houses, home to roughly 2,000 people, were the first to vote to join the Trust in 2023.
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New Brownsville community center has green roofs and large-scale public artwork

Images courtesy of NYC Mayor’s Office

October 2, 2026

New Brownsville community center has green roofs and large-scale public artwork

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A new $128 million community center in Brownsville has been completed two years ahead of schedule and $10 million under budget. Unveiled Monday at 444 Thomas S. Boyland Street, the new Brownsville Multi-Service Center is a four-story, all-electric facility with 10 office spaces, flexible conference rooms, a community garden, green roofs, and other spaces designed to serve community-based organizations and Brooklyn Community Board 16. Adorning the building is “I Am Protected,” a four-part, large-scale public art installation by East New York-native artist Jazmine Hayes.
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These 12 NYC neighborhoods will see affordable housing projects fast-tracked

Photo by Ricky Singh on Unsplash

October 1, 2026

These 12 NYC neighborhoods will see affordable housing projects fast-tracked

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New York City neighborhoods that have produced the least amount of affordable housing will see new projects streamlined under a new process that takes effect next year. The Department of City Planning on Thursday published a list of 12 community districts that will be eligible for the Affordable Housing Fast Track, a measure approved by voters last November that speeds up the approval process for affordable housing by cutting out input from the City Council, reducing the review time from seven months to three months. The city identified the neighborhoods, which range from the South Shore on Staten Island to the Upper West Side, by looking at affordable housing production relative to each district's existing housing stock over the last five years.
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NYC must redo pied-à-terre tax rollout, judge rules

Credit: Jermaine Ee on Unsplash

September 30, 2026

NYC must redo pied-à-terre tax rollout, judge rules

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New York City must redo its rollout of the controversial pied-à-terre tax after a Staten Island judge ruled Tuesday that the Mamdani administration mishandled the program’s launch. Issued by Judge Wayne M. Ozzi, the ruling sides with homeowners who sued the city over what they described as “mass confusion” surrounding the surcharge. Many New Yorkers who were ineligible for the tax received notices saying they may be subject to it, while the city also released a roll listing more than 900,000 properties that some mistakenly believed were all subject to the tax. The administration has already appealed the ruling, temporarily blocking an order that would force the city to restart its notification process.
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NYC is giving away 70,000 Met Opera tickets to New Yorkers

Credit: Robert Brands on Flickr

September 24, 2026

NYC is giving away 70,000 Met Opera tickets to New Yorkers

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New York City is giving away 70,000 tickets to the Metropolitan Opera, making performances more accessible to those who might not otherwise be able to afford them. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday announced "Opera for All," a partnership with the Met that will release 10,000 free tickets each month during the 2026-27 season. New Yorkers who have never purchased a Met Opera ticket can enter the monthly ticket lotteries through the Met’s app or the city's website.
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Mamdani and Trump take Sunnyside Yard talks to ‘new level’ but announce no new details

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

September 22, 2026

Mamdani and Trump take Sunnyside Yard talks to ‘new level’ but announce no new details

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During a meeting at Gracie Mansion on Monday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and President Donald Trump said they spoke about plans to build 12,000 homes atop a city-owned rail yard in Queens but announced no new details on the proposed project. In a joint press conference following the meeting, their third since November, Mamdani said he and the president "agreed to set up a new level of that conversation" between City Hall and the White House on Sunnyside Yard, a proposal to build a deck over the 180-acre rail yard in Queens to create a new community with affordable apartments, schools, and public space. The proposal is years in the making. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio shelved an earlier version because of the pandemic, but Mamdani revived the project and pitched it to Trump during a White House visit in February.
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See the final vision for Park Avenue’s green redesign

Bosque median at 50th Street. All renderings courtesy of Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners

September 18, 2026

See the final vision for Park Avenue’s green redesign

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Plans to reimagine Park Avenue as a green oasis in the heart of Manhattan are moving forward. The city's Department of Transportation this week released the final design concept for the 11-block stretch of the corridor, which intends to bring the "park back to Park Avenue" by widening the traffic medians and adding greenery and seating. After gathering feedback from the public this spring, the city, along with Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners, the team leading the design, updated the concept to move the originally proposed two-way bike lane along the median into dedicated space, leaving enough room for both cyclists and pedestrians.
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17 free public restrooms installed in NYC

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

September 17, 2026

17 free public restrooms installed in NYC

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Seventeen free, accessible public restrooms are coming to New York City, helping New Yorkers relieve themselves while also relieving the city’s shortage of the facilities. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday announced that installation has begun on the public restrooms in public plazas and high-traffic areas where New Yorkers currently lack reliable access to a bathroom, as part of a $4 million pilot program the mayor unveiled in January. To access the toilet, users must either text or scan a QR code on their cell phone or tap a key card provided by local businesses or nonprofit groups.
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Mamdani unveils revamped Vision Zero plan with 100+ policy goals

Credit: NYC DOT on Flickr

September 15, 2026

Mamdani unveils revamped Vision Zero plan with 100+ policy goals

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Vision Zero is getting an overhaul. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday released "Vision Zero Reimagined," a plan that builds on the original initiative's goal to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries and introduces 100 policy goals for the next decade. The safety commitments are organized around eight “big-picture goals,” including pedestrian-only zones, safety redesigns for nearly 200 untreated Vision Zero priority corridors citywide, and stronger enforcement against reckless drivers.
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NYC sues Trump over new rule that may deny green cards to immigrants using public assistance

Photo credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

September 14, 2026

NYC sues Trump over new rule that may deny green cards to immigrants using public assistance

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Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Monday that New York City will join several cities in a lawsuit against the Trump administration over a new rule that lets officials deny green cards to immigrants who use government‑funded assistance programs. The new public charge rule, which will take effect on Friday, September 18, would affect immigrants using Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), public housing assistance, and other public assistance programs. As reported by Pix 11, the Department of Homeland Security states that the rule is intended to ensure that immigrants remain self‑sufficient rather than being dependent on taxpayer‑funded benefits. City officials called the new rule “an assault on immigrant families.”
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LinkNYC kiosks share stories of New Yorkers who helped 9/11 rescue and recovery efforts

Photo © 6sqft

September 11, 2026

LinkNYC kiosks share stories of New Yorkers who helped 9/11 rescue and recovery efforts

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LinkNYC kiosks across New York City will share the inspiring stories of New Yorkers who aided in rescue and recovery efforts on September 11, right from the locations where they sprang into action. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday announced "Memory Markers: 9/11," a citywide initiative that turns streets into "walking tributes" with geolocated stories about people who helped on 9/11. The interactive map highlights sites including the Fresh Kills landfill, where 1.5 million tons of debris were sifted by hand, and an Upper West Side police precinct and fire station, where an MTA bus driver suddenly became a transporter for police officers, firefighters, and medical supplies headed to Ground Zero.
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Mamdani releases 170,000 pages of long-shielded records on Ground Zero air quality after 9/11

Photo courtesy of the Prints and Photographs Division. Library of Congress.”For information see “Unattributed 9/11 Photographs,” http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/res.297.unat

September 8, 2026

Mamdani releases 170,000 pages of long-shielded records on Ground Zero air quality after 9/11

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For nearly 25 years, 68 boxes of records related to New York City's response to the 9/11 terror attacks remained out of public view in a city office. Now, New Yorkers will have the opportunity to see documents that shed new light on what government officials knew about the dangers posed by toxic air around Ground Zero and what information was withheld from the public. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday released more than 170,000 pages of records through a public portal, including documents related to air quality, health concerns, and the city's response to the attacks. The release settles two Freedom of Information Law requests (FOIL) over access to the records and includes the "Harding Memo," a 2001 internal city document that warned the city could face as many as 35,000 potential liability claims related to the aftermath of 9/11.
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Three Crown Heights buildings transferred from negligent landlord

Streetview of 1392 Sterling Place © Google 2024

September 4, 2026

Three Crown Heights buildings transferred from negligent landlord

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Three rent-stabilized apartment buildings in Crown Heights have been transferred away from their negligent owners, paving the way for improvements for tenants across 88 apartments. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday announced the transfer of 1018 Eastern Parkway, 1074 Eastern Parkway, and 1392 Sterling Place, which under landlord Rubin Dukler had a combined total of nearly 1,000 open code violations. The city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) will work with the buildings' new owner, Mark Schwartz, to implement critical repairs and resolve hazardous conditions that tenants have had to deal with for years.
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NYC announces one-year ban on generative AI for public school students through 8th grade

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

September 2, 2026

NYC announces one-year ban on generative AI for public school students through 8th grade

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Roughly 600,000 New York City public school students will not be allowed to use generative artificial intelligence in the classroom for at least one year, under new guidelines announced by Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday. The mayor and NYC Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels announced a ban on student-facing generative AI use for students in preschool through eighth grade, the largest school system in the country to do so, as well as new screen-time limits for students in second grade and younger. As first reported by the New York Daily News, high school students will have restricted access to AI but will receive twice-yearly AI “critical thinking” modules focused on the risks of relying on the technology.
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Mamdani signs bill restoring year-round outdoor dining in NYC

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

September 1, 2026

Mamdani signs bill restoring year-round outdoor dining in NYC

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It's official: outdoor dining is once again a year-round fixture in New York City. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday signed legislation establishing a permanent, year-round outdoor dining program that allows restaurants to keep roadway dining setups open through the winter, making permanent a pandemic-era program that served as a lifeline for businesses. The legislation amends a law under former Mayor Eric Adams that required restaurants to remove roadway dining setups from November 30 through March 31.
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NYC expands free rooftop tours at historic Manhattan Municipal Building

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

August 28, 2026

NYC expands free rooftop tours at historic Manhattan Municipal Building

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Larger groups are now permitted to attend the city's free tours of the historic David N. Dinkins Manhattan Municipal Building following growing demand. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Yume Kitasei on Friday announced expanded access to “Centre 360,” a panoramic experience inside the Beaux-Arts government building's 36th-floor cupola, increasing the maximum group size from five to eight. The move comes just months after the tours launched in June following a $6 million renovation, with reservations for the experience selling out in less than two minutes.
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Three Queens medians to become green ‘sponges’ to help curb flooding

Credit: NYC Mayor’s Office

August 28, 2026

Three Queens medians to become green ‘sponges’ to help curb flooding

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Several concrete roadway medians throughout Queens are being transformed into green infrastructure “sponges” designed to reduce flooding. Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday announced an $8.4 million investment that will turn medians in Whitestone, Forest Hills, and Queens Village into landscaped green spaces. Together, the green medians will capture an estimated five million gallons of stormwater each year, reducing strain on sewer systems and improving water quality in the East River, Flushing Bay, and Jamaica Bay.
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NYC extends pied-à-terre tax deadline again amid lawsuit

Credit: Rebecca Hankins on Unsplash

August 27, 2026

NYC extends pied-à-terre tax deadline again amid lawsuit

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New York City has once again extended the deadline for homeowners notified they may be subject to the new pied-à-terre surcharge, giving them nearly three additional weeks to apply for an exemption. A Tuesday court filing shows that the Department of Finance (DOF) has moved the deadline from September 18 to October 6, after previously pushing it back four weeks from its original August 21 deadline earlier this month. The extension comes as legal proceedings continue over a lawsuit filed by a coalition of property owners challenging the rollout of the surcharge. After a Staten Island Supreme Court judge granted a temporary restraining order to pause the surcharge, the city appealed the decision, which stayed the order while a higher court reviews the matter.
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NYC to speed up housing court cases for tenants facing worst conditions

Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

August 26, 2026

NYC to speed up housing court cases for tenants facing worst conditions

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Some of the most serious cases of landlord neglect will be “fast-tracked” under a new city directive instituted this week. Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday announced the policy, which will allow housing court judges to expedite cases involving vacate orders, critically hazardous building conditions, elevator outages, and proceedings in which the city or tenants seek the appointment of a third-party building manager amid landlord neglect. These cases will be assigned to a judge on the same day they are filed, and once landlords are notified, they will be required to appear in court within five days.
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