Mayor Appoints Two Co-Executive Directors for Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City

Last year the Mayor’s Fund helped immigrant families access relief funds and provided healthcare workers with food and essential care products. On January 19, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed Daniele Baierlein and JL Paniagua Valle as Co-Executive Directors of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City. The Mayor’s Fund is a non-profit organization that works with City agencies and hundreds of institutional funders to advance initiatives that improve equity across New York City.


DDC and DEP Complete Water Connection to Randall’s and Wards Islands

The newly completed water connection will bring reliable water to the public buildings located on Randall’s and Wards Islands. On January 5, 2021, the Department of Designs and Construction (DDC) and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced the completion of a water connection upgrade to Randall’s and Wards Islands. The DEP funded the project while the DDC managed construction.


DDC and DEP Complete $106 Million Project to Restore Pugsley Creek

The project is designed to improve the health of New York Harbor. On October 27, 2020, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Design and Construction announced that a $106 million project to clean up Pugsley Creek in the South Bronx had been completed. This project reduced sewer overflows into the Creek by 98 percent and was completed 14 months ahead of schedule.


$75 Million Enhancement of Staten Island Bluebelt Underway

Bluebelts improve the health of local waterways and increase nearby property values by managing stormwater and reducing flooding while protecting natural spaces. On October 1, 2020, New York City Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Vincent Sapienza, Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, and Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Lorraine Grillo announced that construction began on a $75 million enhancement of the Bluebelt program in the Mid-Island area of Staten Island.


DEP Announces Construction of Stormwater Collection System in Westchester County

City prioritizes safe drinking water with infrastructure investment. On July 23, 2020, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection announced that during the first week of August, construction of a stormwater collection system near the Cross River Reservoir would commence. The stormwater collection system is intended to enhance reservoir protections by capturing runoff, sediment and nutrients from a 9.3-acre drainage area in the town of Bedford. The venture is projected to cost nearly $1.1 … <Read More>


Landmarks Calendars Five Sites For Designation Near Gowanus Canal

The buildings all hold a connection to the Gowanus Canal’s industrial history. On June 25, 2019, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to calendar five buildings in Gowanus section of Brooklyn for potential designation as individual landmarks. The five buildings – the Gowanus Flushing Tunnel Pumping Station and Gate House, the Somers Brothers Tinware Factory (later American Can Company), Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) Central Power Station Engine House, Montauk Paint Manufacturing Company Building and … <Read More>