Mayor de Blasio, Deputy Mayor Vicki Been and others at ribbon cutting for a new affordable housing development in the Bronx, part of the City’s record year for creating affordable housing citywide. Image Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.

The City is on track to create and preserve 200,000 affordable homes by the end of Mayor de Blasio’s administration. On July 26, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Deputy Mayor Vicki Been announced that the City created and preserved 28,310 affordable homes in the 2021 fiscal year.  (read more…)

Mayor Bill de Blasio. Image credit: CityLand

The expansion adds on to 30,000 residents who already received low-cost broadband. On July 27, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced an agreement with New York City-based internet service provider Bloc Power to bring high-speed internet access to 10,000 NYCHA residents across five Bronx NYCHA developments. The five developments include Melrose, East 152 Street-Courtlandt Avenue, Forest, Morris I, and Morris II. (read more…)

Rendering of the new parking garage and community space as part of the Queens jail site in the Borough-Based jails project. Image Credit: DDC

The structure will provide over 600 parking spaces and 25,000 square feet of flexible community space. On June 25, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the start of construction at one of the City’s four borough-based jails sites in Kew Gardens, Queens. The borough-based jails are part of the City’s controversial solution to shut down Rikers Island and replace the complex with four smaller, locally based jails in Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn. The 866-bed Queens jail will replace the current Queens Detention Complex, which is located adjacent to Queens Borough Hall and the Queens Criminal Courthouse. Construction has started on the parking garage and community space that is part of the Queens jail project.  (read more…)

Rendering of the future protected bike lane on the Brooklyn Bridge, set to begin construction on Monday, June 21st. Image Credit: NYC DOT

The protected bike lane will provide safety from cars for cyclists and provide more room on the promenade for pedestrians. On June 21, 2021, the Department of Transportation will begin constructing protected bicycle lanes on the Brooklyn Bridge. The project will begin with removing the innermost Manhattan-bound vehicular lane and transforming it into a two-way protected bicycle lane. Currently, pedestrians and cyclists share access to the bridge on the bridge’s promenade. The two-lane promenade, only divided by a painted line, is often overcrowded and can be potentially dangerous for both cyclists and pedestrians. (read more…)

The Lost Battalion Hall Recreation Center in Rego Park, Queens, is one of 13 recreation centers set to reopen on June 14th. Image Credit: Google Maps

A total of fifteen centers will reopen by the end of June. On Monday, June 14, 2021, the NYC Parks Department will reopen thirteen recreation centers to existing members. Parks recreation centers have been closed since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  (read more…)