Ross Sandler, Director of the Center for New York City Law.
Christopher Columbus is in trouble. Political pressure to remove Columbus monuments most recently dates from 1992 during the preparations for the 500th anniversary of Columbus’s first voyage. The movement to remove the monuments accelerated in the summer of 2020 following the murder of George Floyd. (more…)
Sarah Carroll (left) has been reappointed as Chair of the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Anthony Crowell (top right) and Gail Benjamin (bottom right) have been nominated for Commissioner positions with the City Planning Commission. Image Credits: LPC/New York Law School/NYC Charter Revision Commission.
Sarah Carroll will serve an additional seven years at Landmarks, while Gail Benjamin and NYLS Dean Anthony Crowell will join City Planning for five years. On August 5, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams nominated Sarah Carroll to continue as Chair of Landmarks Preservation Commission and nominated Gail Benjamin and Anthony Crowell to the City Planning Commission. Landmarks commissioners serve seven-year terms, while City Planning commissioners serve for five years. (more…)
Mayor de Blasio announces a $50 million capital investment in the Brooklyn Museum. Image Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.
The art museum has served as a community gathering and support space. On November 22, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a $50 million capital investment in the Brooklyn Museum. The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum located on Eastern Parkway near Prospect Heights. (more…)
Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver Image Credit: John McCarten
Other agencies still missing from Council’s hearing on Park’s capital process. On November 12, 2019, the City Council’s Committee on Parks, Committee on Contracts, and Subcommittee on Capital Budget held a joint oversight hearing titled “Improving the Efficiency of Parks Department Capital Projects.” The hearing was chaired respectively by Council Members Peter Koo, Ben Kallos and Vanessa L. Gibson. This hearing was held in order to create a dialogue about the state of the capital process. In Fiscal 2020, the Parks Department has 619 active capital projects and anticipates spending almost $2.7 billion. These numbers have steadily increased since Fiscal 2016.
From left to right: John Schoettler, Vice President for Global Real Estate at Amazon, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, and Mayor Bill de Blasio during the November 13, 2018 announcement of LIC’s selection for Amazon HQ2. Image Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office
The Committee will advise on issues related to construction and infrastructure priorities, and develop workforce strategies to ensure New Yorkers have access to the 25,000-plus jobs the project is expected to create. On December 11, 2018, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the formation of a 45-member Community Advisory Committee to the guide the Amazon Headquarters project. Local elected officials recommended community and citywide stakeholders to be Committee members. A Steering Committee will lead the full Committee and members will work through three subcommittees: Project Plan, Neighborhood Infrastructure, and Workforce. On November 13, 2018, Mayor de Blasio and Governor Cuomo announced Long Island City, Queens as one of two sites selected for Amazon’s second headquarter.
