Eric Adams

NYC floating pool coming to the Lower East Side (eventually)

+ POOL, designed by Family New York & PLAYLAB, INC. Rendering by Luxigon.

August 7, 2024

NYC floating pool coming to the Lower East Side (eventually)

By Aaron Ginsburg

Plans to bring a self-filtering floating pool to the East River are taking a small step forward this month. Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams named Pier 35 on the Lower East Side as the official location for the +POOL, a first-of-its-kind swimming pool that uses a unique filtration system to provide safe swimming. Thanks to joint funding from the city and state, a three-month water filtration demonstration project will begin this month. A prototype of the +POOL structure could be ready by the summer of 2025.
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Policy

Adams announces more funding to help NYC homeowners build accessory dwelling units

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

August 6, 2024

Adams announces more funding to help NYC homeowners build accessory dwelling units

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City will expand a pilot program that helps homeowners build accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on their properties. Mayor Eric Adams this week announced an additional $4 million in state funding for the pilot program "Plus One ADU," launched last November. With the additional funds, the program will provide $395,000 to up to 35 homeowners to build or convert an ADU on their property.
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NYC Council loses lawsuit over housing voucher expansion

Photo courtesy of Boran Pang on Unsplash

August 2, 2024

NYC Council loses lawsuit over housing voucher expansion

By Aaron Ginsburg

A state judge on Thursday rejected a lawsuit from the New York City Council that sought to force Mayor Eric Adams to expand a housing voucher program. Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Lyle E. Frank on Thursday ruled the City Council lacks the legal authority to expand the program, a 2023 law originally vetoed by Adams, The City reported. The judge sided with Adams, stating the Council's bill was invalid, "preempted by the state's social services law," and the council had no authority to expand the program.
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NYC financed the most new affordable homes on record this fiscal year

Photo courtesy of Joshua Armstrong on Unsplash

July 30, 2024

NYC financed the most new affordable homes on record this fiscal year

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City has produced a record-breaking number of affordable housing units for back-to-back years, Mayor Eric Adams announced Monday. In the fiscal year 2024, the city financed 28,944 affordable and public housing units through new construction and preservation efforts, the highest for any fiscal year. The mayor also touted his administration's effort to move a record number of homeless New Yorkers into permanent housing, streamline the housing lottery system, and build the most supportive homes and homes for homeless New Yorkers in the city's history.
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Affordable Housing

NYC announces 18 free outdoor concerts in expanded ‘Rise Up’ summer series

Rise Up concert in 2022. Photo Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 15, 2024

NYC announces 18 free outdoor concerts in expanded ‘Rise Up’ summer series

By Devin Gannon

Summer in the city means lots of free outdoor music, from picnic performances in Bryant Park to shows in Prospect Park. Mayor Eric Adams is joining in on the fun by expanding "Rise Up NYC," an annual summer concert series hosted in all five boroughs. There will be 18 performances through the end of August, up from eight shows last year.
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Events & Things To Do

NYC rolls out official trash bin, expands containerization to most residential buildings

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 9, 2024

NYC rolls out official trash bin, expands containerization to most residential buildings

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's next step in its "trash revolution" is here: Wheelie bins. Mayor Eric Adams on Monday rolled out the city's first-ever official trash bin, which has wheels and a rat-proof lid, and announced a new containerization mandate for certain buildings. Starting November 12, the city's Department of Sanitation (DSNY) will require buildings with one to nine residential units to put trash in a bin. When the new trash rule goes into effect, the city will have containerized 70 percent of the city's 14 billion pounds of annual trash since 2022, reducing the mounds of trash bags piled on the sidewalks and streets.
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Policy

NYC opens 50 outdoor pools for summer

Astoria Pool in Queens. Photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

June 27, 2024

NYC opens 50 outdoor pools for summer

By Devin Gannon

School is out, pools are open, and summer is here. New York City opened 50 free outdoor public pools on Thursday, officially kicking off the swimming season. For Queens residents, summer is a little cooler this year as the city reopened Astoria Pool following a $19 million renovation that closed the pool, the five borough's largest, last year.
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Events & Things To Do

NYC creates map of public restrooms, announces plan to build more bathrooms

Image courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

June 4, 2024

NYC creates map of public restrooms, announces plan to build more bathrooms

By Aaron Ginsburg

New Yorkers know the struggle of finding a public bathroom, with just around 1,100 public toilets for over 8.6 million residents. To address this ongoing issue, Mayor Eric Adams on Monday launched "Ur in Luck," a new effort to expand public restroom accessibility across the five boroughs by building 46 new public restrooms and renovating 36 existing ones over the next five years. The city is also making it easier to find public restrooms by adding a new layer to Google Maps that New Yorkers can use to locate publicly accessible restrooms.
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Policy

Nearly a million NYC households could lose affordable high-speed internet

Image courtesy of Billie Grace Ward on Flickr

May 28, 2024

Nearly a million NYC households could lose affordable high-speed internet

By Aaron Ginsburg

Nearly one million New York City households could lose access to affordable high-speed internet unless funding for a vital federal program is restored. As reported by Gothamist, a new report from the Center for an Urban Future details the impact the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) will have on the New Yorkers enrolled in the initiative. The program, which launched in 2021 and ran out of funding last month, paid a monthly credit to internet providers on behalf of customers who earn at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level or enrolled in public assistance programs. According to CUF, NYC neighborhoods with the lowest income levels saw the highest enrollment in the program.
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Policy

NYCHA to reopen Section 8 voucher waitlist for first time in 15 years

Image courtesy of Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

May 21, 2024

NYCHA to reopen Section 8 voucher waitlist for first time in 15 years

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) will accept applications for its Section 8 housing voucher program for the first time in 15 years. The Housing Choice Voucher (HVC) program allows families to pay no more than 40 percent of their monthly income for rent, with NYCHA covering the remaining amount. Mayor Eric Adams on Monday announced the reopening of the waitlist, which has been closed since 2009, allowing low-income households to apply for rental subsidies on the private market. Eligible households may apply to the program starting Monday, June 3 at 12 a.m. through Sunday, June 9 at 11:59 p.m.
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Popular Articles

NYC to redevelop 122-acre stretch of Brooklyn coastline

Image courtesy of the New York City Economic Development Corporation

May 14, 2024

NYC to redevelop 122-acre stretch of Brooklyn coastline

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is transforming a 122-acre stretch of Brooklyn's coastline into a dynamic, mixed-use community and modern maritime port. Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday announced an agreement that gives the city full control of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal, enabling its redevelopment into a vibrant community hub with housing, retail, green space, and a modern port. The development zone, primarily controlled by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, spans over a mile from the southern edge of Brooklyn Bridge Park down to Red Hook, as Bloomberg reported. The deal is the city's largest real estate transaction in terms of size in 20 years.
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NYC releases details for ‘City of Yes’ housing reform, with new affordability mandates

Image courtesy of amanderson2 on Flickr

April 12, 2024

NYC releases details for ‘City of Yes’ housing reform, with new affordability mandates

By Aaron Ginsburg

The city this week released updated text for its major housing reform proposal, with new mandates for deeper affordability levels. The Department of City Planning (DCP) on Thursday released the annotated draft zoning text of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, Mayor Eric Adams' plan to add housing in every neighborhood through various zoning changes. The text includes revising the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) program to allow for the deep affordability choice to be a standalone option. Plus, under the proposal, developers who utilize the Universal Affordable Preference to make their buildings bigger must make all additional homes permanently affordable.
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NYC unveils secure sidewalk locker program to prevent package theft

Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

April 11, 2024

NYC unveils secure sidewalk locker program to prevent package theft

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is installing secure package lockers across the five boroughs to prevent theft and reduce delivery truck traffic. Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday announced "LockerNYC," a pilot program to install seven package lockers with 25 safe compartments and security cameras to combat theft. The lockers will be installed on sidewalks at select locations and available for free through a variety of delivery carriers. New Yorkers can sign up and manage orders here.
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NYC to redevelop Grand Concourse library with 100% affordable housing

Photo courtesy of NYC Housing Preservation and Development

April 10, 2024

NYC to redevelop Grand Concourse library with 100% affordable housing

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the New York Public Library announced plans to transform the Grand Concourse branch into a state-of-the-art library with affordable housing on top. This week the city kicked off the community engagement process for the project, which falls under Mayor Eric Adams' "24 in 24" plan to advance 24 affordable housing projects in 2024.
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City revives ‘She Built NYC,’ launches open call for artists to design four statues of women

Rendering courtesy of Amanda Williams and Olalekan B. Jeyifous/ NYC Public Design Commission

March 29, 2024

City revives ‘She Built NYC,’ launches open call for artists to design four statues of women

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is reviving a campaign to honor influential women integral to the city's history with monuments. Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday announced the city will resume the She Built NYC initiative, which includes building new statues of Dr. Helen Rodriguez Trías in the Bronx, Elizabeth Jennings Graham in Manhattan, Billie Holiday in Queens, and Katherine Walker on Staten Island. The four projects were announced in 2019 but were delayed due to the pandemic and never reached the first phase of planning.
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Policy

NYC to test gun detectors in the subway system

Photo courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

March 28, 2024

NYC to test gun detectors in the subway system

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City will test weapon-detecting scanners in the subway system to make commuters feel safer after a string of violent incidents. Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday unveiled a portable scanner designed to detect guns carried by riders. The pilot program can begin following a 90-day waiting period during which the public can share their thoughts on the technology. The mayor also said the city will hire more clinicians to connect people with severe mental illness in the transit system to treatment and care.
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NYC proposes new high-density zoning districts if state lifts floor-to-area ratio cap

The San Remo on the Upper West Side could not be built today under the existing 12 FAR cap. Photo by Bert Sagi on Unsplash

March 28, 2024

NYC proposes new high-density zoning districts if state lifts floor-to-area ratio cap

By Aaron Ginsburg

Mayor Eric Adams is calling on the state to lift a policy restricting the density of residential towers to allow for bigger apartment buildings and more affordable housing in New York City. Enacted in 1961, the existing floor-to-area ratio, or FAR, cap allows buildings up to 12 times the size of their lot. On Thursday, the Adams administration called on state lawmakers to eliminate the cap and proposed two new zoning districts in NYC that would permit buildings to be constructed up to 15 and 18 times their lot size, while also including affordable housing.
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NYC launches first-ever tenant protection cabinet

Photo by Anthony Fomin on Unsplash

March 19, 2024

NYC launches first-ever tenant protection cabinet

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City now has a government agency dedicated to protecting tenants. Mayor Eric Adams last week launched the city’s first-ever Tenant Protection Cabinet (TPC), a new multi-agency team that will create policies and long-term strategies to ensure safer, more equitable housing conditions for all New Yorkers. Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer and NYC Executive Director of Housing Leila Bozorg will co-chair the cabinet.
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Policy

Midtown South rezoning plan could create 4,000 new homes

Photo © 6sqft

March 8, 2024

Midtown South rezoning plan could create 4,000 new homes

By Aaron Ginsburg

The city released new details for its plan to create thousands of new homes in a predominantly commercial area of Midtown. The Department of City Planning on Friday released the Midtown South draft zoning plan, which details a 42-block rezoning to allow for high-density, mixed-use districts with 4,000 new homes, up to 1,110 of which would be income-restricted. The zoning changes would permit new housing in areas previously designated solely for commercial and manufacturing uses.
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NYC opens applications for new outdoor dining program, unveils modular sheds

Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

March 7, 2024

NYC opens applications for new outdoor dining program, unveils modular sheds

By Aaron Ginsburg

Say hello to the future of outdoor dining in New York City. Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday launched the application process for restaurants to take part in Dining Out NYC, the city’s permanent outdoor dining program, and unveiled prototypes of the allowable roadway dining sheds. Designed by WXY architecture + urban design and fabricated by SITU, the customizable prototypes are made of materials from a standard kit, which makes it easier for restaurants to abide by the program’s new guidelines.
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Hochul deploys National Guard and state police to check bags, patrol NYC subway

Image courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

March 6, 2024

Hochul deploys National Guard and state police to check bags, patrol NYC subway

By Aaron Ginsburg

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday said she would deploy roughly 1,000 National Guard and New York State Police members to patrol the New York City subway system and help officers check bags for weapons. The additional personnel, which includes 750 National Guard members and 250 members of the state police and MTA police department, are meant to make riders feel safe following several recent high-profile assaults in the transit system.
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First public e-bike charging station opens in the East Village

All photos courtesy of NYC DOT

March 4, 2024

First public e-bike charging station opens in the East Village

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's first public, outdoor e-bike battery charging station opened last week as part of a six-month pilot program to test safer technologies for delivery workers and provide an alternative to charging bikes inside. The first of five to open in the coming weeks, the new station is located at Cooper Square in the East Village. The infrastructure includes a battery-swapping cabinet to swap out dead batteries for fully charged ones and a secure charging rack where workers can lock up their bikes and charge them while parked. The city said 100 delivery workers will initially participate in the pilot program and provide feedback on the charging hubs.
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Hochul wants to make it easier to shut down New York’s illegal smoke shops

Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

February 29, 2024

Hochul wants to make it easier to shut down New York’s illegal smoke shops

By Aaron Ginsburg

In response to the thousands of illegal smoke shops operating in the state, with an estimated 8,000 in New York City alone, Gov. Kathy Hochul wants to make it easier to close illicit cannabis stores. On Wednesday, the governor proposed streamlining the state's Office of Cannabis Management's (OCM) ability to obtain court orders to padlock stores and permit the orders to be executed by local authorities. According to Hochul, the unregulated stores not only undermine the legal marijuana market but also pose health risks to customers.
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Transit

Mayor Adams sued over failure to enact housing voucher laws

Photo by Bex Walton on Flickr

February 21, 2024

Mayor Adams sued over failure to enact housing voucher laws

By Aaron Ginsburg

The New York City Council on Wednesday filed a motion to join a class-action lawsuit against Mayor Eric Adams for failing to comply with new laws regarding housing vouchers that should have taken effect on January 9. The Legal Aid Society filed the suit last week on behalf of four plaintiffs who are unable to access housing vouchers they are entitled to under laws passed by the City Council last year, according to Gothamist.
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NYC reveals automated, side-loading garbage truck

Courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

February 5, 2024

NYC reveals automated, side-loading garbage truck

By Aaron Ginsburg

A revolutionary garbage truck is hitting New York City streets, four years ahead of schedule. Mayor Eric Adams last week revealed a new automated side-loading garbage truck that will allow Department of Sanitation workers to easily collect trash from large containerized bins at high-density residential buildings. With the use of the new trucks and a data-driven containerization model, Manhattan Community Board 9 will be the first district to have 100 percent of its garbage containerized next year.
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Policy

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