Eric Adams

Last year’s holiday open streets in Midtown drove $3M in spending at local businesses

Image courtesy of Violet Mendelsund/Mayoral Photo Office on Flickr

October 12, 2023

Last year’s holiday open streets in Midtown drove $3M in spending at local businesses

By Aaron Ginsburg

Banning cars on blocks around holiday hotspots in Midtown last year led to an additional $3 million in spending at businesses on the pedestrianized streets, according to a new report. Mayor Eric Adams this week announced the 2022 holiday-specific Open Street program, which opened 11 blocks to pedestrians during the busiest time of the year, created more foot traffic and led to an increase of 13.9 percent in transactions at local businesses along open streets. The study conducted by Mastercard found merchants on pedestrianized streets saw an average of $90,000 in additional spending per day. The success of the car-free holiday streets program laid the groundwork for a permanent redesign of Fifth Avenue, said Adams, who has selected a team for the design process.
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Policy

Nearly all New York City residential buildings will have to containerize trash

Image courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

October 11, 2023

Nearly all New York City residential buildings will have to containerize trash

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's ambitious plan to prevent garbage from piling up on streets and sidewalks has a new target: residential properties. Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch on Wednesday announced all buildings with nine or fewer apartments will be required to place their garbage in a secure container starting in 2024. This covers 765,000 buildings in the city, or 95 percent of all residential properties across the five boroughs.
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Policy

NYC ends credit checks for families with housing vouchers

Photo courtesy of Maxim Pierre on Flickr

October 6, 2023

NYC ends credit checks for families with housing vouchers

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is making it easier for New Yorkers to get into affordable homes. Mayor Eric Adams and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development on Thursday announced households with CityFHEPS housing vouchers will no longer have to undergo credit checks when selected for affordable housing, speeding up the process of finding housing for more than 4,000 families a year. According to the city, vouchers guarantee a family can afford the rent, making credit checks unnecessary in the process.
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Major flooding disrupts NYC subway service as Hochul and Adams declare state of emergency

A 2018 storm. Photo: Benjamin Kanter/Mayoral Photo Office.

September 29, 2023

Major flooding disrupts NYC subway service as Hochul and Adams declare state of emergency

By Devin Gannon

Nearly every subway line is experiencing service disruptions on Friday morning as extreme rainfall and flooding slam New York City. In a post on X, formerly called Twitter, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said "there is only extremely limited subway service," with several lines suspended or partially suspended due to water on the tracks. In response to the heavy rainfall and extreme flooding, Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday declared a state of emergency for New York City, the Hudson Valley, and Long Island.
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Policy

NYPD ‘robocop’ now patrols Times Square subway station

Photo courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

September 25, 2023

NYPD ‘robocop’ now patrols Times Square subway station

By Aaron Ginsburg

Late-night commuters fear not! A 420-pound, 5-foot-2-inch-tall robot is now patrolling the Times Square subway station overnight. During a press conference held at the 42nd Street subway station last Friday, Mayor Eric Adams announced a two-month pilot program to test the robocop, officially known as the Knightscope K5 Autonomous Security Robot. The robot will patrol the 42nd Street station from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m., recording video to be viewed in case of an emergency or crime, according to the mayor.
READ MORe on the ROBOCOP

Mayor Adams unveils sweeping plan to create 100K new housing units across NYC

All renderings courtesy of New York City Department of City Planning

September 21, 2023

Mayor Adams unveils sweeping plan to create 100K new housing units across NYC

By Devin Gannon

Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday unveiled major reforms to New York City's zoning code to make it easier to build more housing across every neighborhood. The "City of Yes for Housing Opportunity" plan could create 100,000 new apartments over the next 15 years by updating restrictive zoning rules. This could mean allowing new homes above commercial businesses and on campuses, accessory dwelling units, office-to-residential conversions, and other proposals to create "a little more housing in every neighborhood."
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All NYC businesses required to containerize trash

Photo courtesy of m01229 on Flickr

September 19, 2023

All NYC businesses required to containerize trash

By Devin Gannon

Roughly 20 million pounds of trash will be tucked away in containers instead of in trash bags piled up on New York City sidewalks next year. As part of the latest effort to curb the city's rat problem, all businesses will be required to put garbage in lidded containers beginning next March, Mayor Eric Adams announced Tuesday. About 25 percent of the city's businesses, including restaurants and grocery stores as well as chain businesses, are currently mandated to containerize trash; when the newest proposed rule takes effect, the requirement will apply to 100 percent of businesses.
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Policy

Plan to revitalize Staten Island’s North Shore includes 2,400 homes and waterfront esplanade

Conceptual rendering of the future St. George Esplanade. Credit: FXCollaborative.

September 14, 2023

Plan to revitalize Staten Island’s North Shore includes 2,400 homes and waterfront esplanade

By Aaron Ginsburg

After several failed projects, Staten Island's North Shore could finally see a long-promised revitalization. Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday announced a $400 million investment and released a new roadmap to redevelop a stretch of the borough's waterfront with 20 acres of continuous open space, 2,400 units of housing, and new commercial space. Construction will resume this fall on a two-mile waterfront esplanade that will be "on par with Brooklyn Bridge Park and Hudson River Park," according to Adams.
More on the north shore plan, herE

Adams proposes giving building owners more time to comply with Local Law 97

Billionaires’ Row © 6sqft

September 13, 2023

Adams proposes giving building owners more time to comply with Local Law 97

By Aaron Ginsburg

With the enforcement of a law capping carbon emissions quickly approaching, Mayor Eric Adams is proposing giving property owners more time to comply. The mayor on Tuesday announced the "Getting 97 Done" plan to facilitate compliance with Local Law 97, which requires buildings 25,000 square feet or bigger to meet new greenhouse gas emissions limits by 2024. Adams' proposed rules allow owners to miss the deadline to retrofit their buildings if they make a "good faith effort" to comply with the law.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MAYOR'S PLAN

Policy

‘QueensLink’ proposal to extend M train picks up steam

Rendering courtesy of QueensLink

September 8, 2023

‘QueensLink’ proposal to extend M train picks up steam

By Aaron Ginsburg

A proposal to reactivate an abandoned railway and create the first north-to-south subway line in Queens is picking up steam. A coalition of New York City public officials and transit advocacy groups rallied in front of City Hall on Wednesday in favor of QueensLink, a plan to extend the M train from Rego Park to the Rockaways as a way to reduce travel time for borough residents who face some of the longest commutes in the country. While the plan has attracted more supporters in recent months, Mayor Eric Adams last year came out in favor of a competing plan to turn the defunct tracks into a public park.
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Feds approve asylum seeker shelter at Brooklyn’s Floyd Bennett Field

Photo via Wikimedia

August 22, 2023

Feds approve asylum seeker shelter at Brooklyn’s Floyd Bennett Field

By Aaron Ginsburg

Brooklyn's Floyd Bennett Field will be home to New York City's latest migrant shelter. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday announced a deal was reached for the federal government to provide New York State with a proposed lease of the former naval air station in Marine Park. The governor said the new Humanitarian Emergency Relief and Response Center (HERRC) will be able to house up to 2,000 single adult asylum seekers. While the governor initially requested that the federal government pick up the bill for constructing and staffing the shelter, the state agreed to cover the expenses, according to Gothamist.
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Policy

Pedestrian, public space upgrades slated for Broadway near Union Square

Broadway north of Madison Square, part of the Broadway Vision phase completed earlier this year. Image courtesy of the NYC Department of Transportation

August 22, 2023

Pedestrian, public space upgrades slated for Broadway near Union Square

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City wants to better connect the Flatiron District and Union Square. As part of an expansion of the city's "Broadway Vision" plan, Mayor Eric Adams on Monday announced plans to upgrade public space on Broadway from East 21st Street to East 17th Street, including bike lanes, pedestrian space, and expanded outdoor dining. The Department of Transportation will launch public outreach for the expansion this week, gathering feedback on the improvements, specifically, a new two-way bike boulevard.
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Policy

Adams announces Midtown South rezoning, plan to convert offices to housing

Midtown Manhattan. Photo by Phil Hauser on Unsplash

August 17, 2023

Adams announces Midtown South rezoning, plan to convert offices to housing

By Aaron Ginsburg

New housing will be allowed in parts of Midtown Manhattan for the first time in decades under a plan announced by Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday. The mayor wants to update zoning rules to allow for the construction of new apartments in a 42-block area stretching from 23rd Street to 40th Street and from Fifth Avenue to Eighth Avenue, which is currently designated for manufacturing use. The start of the rezoning effort joins another proposal from the Adams administration to facilitate and expedite office-to-housing conversions across every borough, as the city continues to face a housing shortage.
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Avoid rodent run-ins–or rat out your landlord–with NYC’s newest interactive rat map

Map courtesy of New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

August 16, 2023

Avoid rodent run-ins–or rat out your landlord–with NYC’s newest interactive rat map

By Michelle Cohen

The mayor's notorious war on rats is heating up. Along with the recent appointment of Kathleen Corradi as the city's $155K/year rat czar, New Yorkers have some new tools in our digital rat-fighting arsenal in the form of an updated interactive map and a revamped rat information portal. Adding firepower to the battle are a handful of super-military-sounding RMZs (Rat Mitigation Zones), complete with training academies to help neighborhood combatants put up their best fight. And Harlem recently hosted an Anti-Rat Day of Action.
New rat map, this way

Policy

Redevelopment of historic armory in the Bronx moves forward

Photo courtesy of Darren McGee/ Office of Governor Kathy Hochul on Flickr

August 8, 2023

Redevelopment of historic armory in the Bronx moves forward

By Aaron Ginsburg

Plans to redevelop the historic Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx have been revived after nearly three decades of discarded plans. Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday said a request for proposals will be issued next month to develop the landmark, which was built for military use in 1917 and has been largely vacant since the 1990s. In addition to a combined $200 million investment from the city and state, Adams and Hochul unveiled the "Together for Kingsbridge Vision Plan," which includes the goals of the project as envisioned by the community and local stakeholders. With proposals due by the end of the year, construction could begin in 2027.
Details here

Policy

Rec center in McCarren Park to house asylum seekers

Photo © 6sqft

August 4, 2023

Rec center in McCarren Park to house asylum seekers

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is preparing to house asylum seekers in a recreation center in Brooklyn's McCarren Park starting this weekend, Politico reports. Roughly 80 to 100 people will be housed within one wing of the Williamsburg rec center. Officials say public access to the pool and fitness center will not be impacted by the new shelter.
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Policy

Adams touts affordable housing production as city runs out of room for migrants

Photo Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

August 3, 2023

Adams touts affordable housing production as city runs out of room for migrants

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City created more supportive housing and homes for formerly homeless New Yorkers during fiscal year 2023 than any year on record, Mayor Eric Adams announced Thursday. Between June 2022 and June 2023, the mayor said the city produced 27,000 affordable homes, including new construction and preservation of existing homes, and connected the largest number of people to permanent housing using the CityFHEPS vouchers in the program's history. The announcement comes just days after Adams announced the city had run out of space to house the thousands of asylum seekers arriving weekly, leading to many migrants sleeping outside of the Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown this week.
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6 injured after crane collapses in Hudson Yards

Photo © Ondel Hylton

July 26, 2023

6 injured after crane collapses in Hudson Yards

By Aaron Ginsburg

Four civilians and two firefighters sustained minor injuries on Wednesday morning when a construction crane on the border of Hudson Yards and Hell's Kitchen caught fire and partially collapsed onto Tenth Avenue. The fire occurred 45 stories above the construction site at 550 Tenth Avenue at roughly 7:25 a.m. when the engine compartment of the crane caught fire. The fire gradually weakened the crane's cable and sent 16 tons of concrete and the crane's boom plummeting to the ground, causing damage to 555 Tenth Avenue on its descent, according to the fire department.
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Adams latest mayor to tackle NYC’s 400 miles of scaffolding with ‘get sheds down’ plan

Photo by Billie Grace Ward on Flickr

July 24, 2023

Adams latest mayor to tackle NYC’s 400 miles of scaffolding with ‘get sheds down’ plan

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City officials have a plan to remove sidewalks sheds and scaffolding from city streets. Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo on Monday revealed "Get Sheds Down," a comprehensive overhaul of the city's scaffolding policies that aim to hastily remove longstanding sidewalk sheds and redesign them to be less intrusive using alternatives like safety netting. Under the new policy, property owners will face bigger fines if their sidewalk sheds occupy space for too long.
Details here

Policy

NYC announces major public space and transit improvements for Downtown Brooklyn

Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 20, 2023

NYC announces major public space and transit improvements for Downtown Brooklyn

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is investing over $40 million in street safety improvements and new public spaces in Downtown Brooklyn. On Thursday Mayor Eric Adams said the investment will be put towards transformative improvements along Fulton Street and Flatbush Avenue, with plans for improved pedestrian space, bus service, new public art, and safety upgrades to the streetscape.
More here

NYC looks to open two new tent shelters for migrants in Queens

The Randall’s Island tent shelter last October. Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 17, 2023

NYC looks to open two new tent shelters for migrants in Queens

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is looking to open two new tent shelters for migrants in Queens. According to The City, facilities will be constructed at the state-owned Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens Village and at the Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park. Both sites, which have not officially been announced yet, are projected to house roughly 1,000 adults and could open within the next two to three weeks.
Details here

Policy

Rise Up NYC returns to the five boroughs with 8 free concerts

Image courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

July 14, 2023

Rise Up NYC returns to the five boroughs with 8 free concerts

By Aaron Ginsburg

"Rise up NYC," a series of free concert events, is returning to New York City after debuting last summer. Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday announced the second year of the event series, which will bring eight easily-accessible live performances to all of the five boroughs. This year's Rise Up NYC will kick off on Wednesday, July 19, and run through Sunday, August 20, featuring critically acclaimed artists like K. Michelle, Stokley, Farmer Nappy, and Hot 97 Disc Jockey Funk Flex, with more performers to be announced.
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New migrant shelter in Clinton Hill could serve at least 2,000 people

Streetview of 47 Hall Street. © 2023 Google

July 12, 2023

New migrant shelter in Clinton Hill could serve at least 2,000 people

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City is opening two more emergency shelters to accommodate the thousands of migrants that continue to arrive in the five boroughs, one of which is set to become the largest dormitory-style shelter in the city's history. Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday announced the opening of two more humanitarian relief shelters, one at an existing respite center at 47 Hall Street in Brooklyn, which adds additional space to serve roughly 1,400 more migrant adults, and another at the Crowne Plaza JFK Airport New York hotel in Queens, which will serve more than 330 families with children seeking asylum.
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Policy

NYC to install outdoor e-bike charging stations at dozens of NYCHA buildings

Image courtesy of Cory Doctorow on Flickr

June 26, 2023

NYC to install outdoor e-bike charging stations at dozens of NYCHA buildings

By Aaron Ginsburg

Hundreds of safe e-bike and scooter charging and storage stations will soon be installed across New York City's public housing buildings as a way to prevent battery fires. Mayor Eric Adams, Sen. Chuck Schumer, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on Sunday announced plans to install 173 outdoor stations at 53 NYCHA developments starting next year, with a total of 327 stations planned. The announcement comes just days after a fire at an e-bike repair shop in Chinatown killed four people and injured several others. The initiative is funded through a $25 million emergency grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
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Adams vetoes NYC Council bills expanding rental assistance

Image courtesy of robertotmn on Flickr

June 23, 2023

Adams vetoes NYC Council bills expanding rental assistance

By Aaron Ginsburg

Mayor Eric Adams has vetoed four City Council bills that would expand access to New York City's housing voucher program. Adams on Friday vetoed bills Intro. 229, Intro. 878, Intro. 893, and Intro. 894, claiming the legislation package, which was passed by the council last month, would cost the city an exorbitant amount of money and "make it harder" for homeless New Yorkers to find housing. The Council passed the legislation package late last month with a vote of 41 to 7, enough support to override the veto.
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