Mayor Bill de Blasio. Image credit: CityLand

The conversion is another step in the City’s plan to address the homelessness crisis. On November 19, 2019, the Mayor’s Office announced its transition into the second phase of a plan to convert temporary homeless shelters into permanently affordable housing units. According to the Mayor’s Office, this plan will help not-for-profit housing developers acquire and rehabilitate an additional 14 residential “cluster site” buildings, currently being used to house homeless families, and convert them into over 200 permanent affordable housing units for the homeless. (read more…)

Rendering of a portion of the East Midtown Greenway. Image Credit: NYC EDC/Stantec

The 1.5 acre stretch of open space, to be completed by 2022, is part of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway initiative to create continuous loop around perimeter of Manhattan. On November 22, 2019, Mayor Bill de Blasio and top agency officials celebrated the commencement of construction of a new waterfront public open space, the East Midtown Greenway, which will stretch between East 53^rd Street to East 61^st Street. The East Midtown Greenway project is a piece of a larger project, Manhattan Waterfront Greenway. The Manhattan Greenway Project’s goal is to create accessible public waterfront space and safe bicycle pathways along the outer edge of Manhattan. (read more…)

Rockefeller Center will see massive crowds throughout the holiday season, prompting city officials to expand pedestrian protections around the area. Image Credit: CityLand

Elected officials have previously called attention to dangerous crowd sizes in the area during the holiday season. On November 22, 2019, the Mayor’s Office announced a temporary expansion of the pedestrian space around Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall for the holiday season. The area between 5^th and 6^th Avenues from 48^th to 52^nd Streets will be affected. (read more…)

Rendering of proposed flood resiliency infrastructure./Image Credit: DDC, Parks, DOT, DEP, and Mayor’s Office of Resiliency/CPC

The agreement was announced two days before the City Council’s approval of the project’s land use applications. On November 12, 2019, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Council Member Carlina Rivera, Council Member Margaret Chin, and Council Member Keith Powers reached an agreement on community investments and commitments relating to the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project, the City’s flood protection plan for Lower Manhattan. The agreement addresses the concerns raised by local elected officials and the community throughout the public review process for the project’s two land use applications. Following the announcement of the agreement, the City Council approved the project’s land use applications on November 14, 2019. For CityLand’s coverage on the land use applications, click here. (read more…)

One of the new advertisements that are a part of a campaign by the Mayor’s office to inform tenants of their rights. Image Credit: Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants

de Blasio Administration educates tenants on Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act. On October 21, 2019, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the launch of a campaign to educate tenants on their new rights under the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019.  The Mayor’s Office designed the advertisements to protect tenants and give New York City renters the information they need to hold their landlords accountable. (read more…)