500 Marlborough Road, Brooklyn. Image Credit: Google Maps

Brooklyn resident sought City funds to repair damages allegedly caused by Super Storm Sandy. Christopher McCollum applied to the Build it Back program through the Mayor’s Office of Housing Recovery Operations for financial help to repair his house at 500 Marlborough Rd in Brooklyn. McCollum claimed that Super Storm Sandy, which hit New York City on October 22, 2012, damaged his home. McCollum claimed funds were needed to repair broken and cracked windows and damage to the rear yard, chimney, facade, and roof tiles. (more…)

Image Credit: NYCHA.

The program helps target apartments with lead paint that young children frequent. On July 14, 2021, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) launched the Team for Enhanced Management Planning and Outreach (TEMPO). The TEMPO program is dedicated to outreach, inspection and remediation of lead-based paint in NYCHA apartments where a child under the age of 6 lives or routinely spends ten or more hours a week. (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.  (more…)

The new Roosevelt Island branch features seating for an adjacent bus stop. Image Credit: NYC DDC

The new site is ADA-compliant and meets LEED Silver Certification standards. On January 25, 2021, NYC Department of Design and Construction (“DDC”) Commissioner Lorraine Grillo announced the opening of a new library on Roosevelt Island. The new library, located at 504 Main Street, is located near its former site. The new 5,200-square-foot library is more than double the size of the former NYPL branch. (more…)

Image Credit: Small Business Services

Three new mentorship programs are available for minority owned and women-owned small business in NYC. On January 7, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Jonnel Dorris announced three new mentorship programs, ‘Small Business Mentors NYC,’ ‘Black Entrepreneurs NYC Mentors (BE NYC Mentors),’ and ‘Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE Mentors).’ (more…)