City Agencies Announce Water Supply Improvements and Traffic Redesigns Along Ninth Avenue in Midtown

On March 21, 2023, elected officials and agency officials from the Department of Design and Construction, Transportation, and Environmental Protection announced the completion of a $231 million upgrade in the water distribution system and road reconstruction along Ninth Avenue, one of Midtown’s major corridors. The investment also included safety improvements and street redesign enhancements to reclaim more space for pedestrians and decrease congestion.


HPD Announces Funding Secured to Convert Illegal Hotel to Single-Room Occupancy Units for Supportive Housing

235 West 107th Street will be converted to permanent supportive housing. The building was previously used as an illegal hotel. Image Credit: Google Maps.On March 29, 2023, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development announced that $38 million in financing has been secured to change an Upper West Side illegal transient hotel into permanent supportive housing. The property, known as the Morningside Inn and located at 235 West 107th Street, was previously operated as an illegal hotel by the owner. The building will now help provide permanent housing through single occupancy units to adults facing chronic homelessness.


City Announces Temporary Interest Amnesty Program for Overdue Water Bills

On January 30, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams and NYC Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala announced a temporary amnesty program for overdue water bills. The program will forgive the interest if a customer pays a portion or a whole outstanding water bill. Nearly 200,000 customers owe a total $1.2 billion in water bill charges to the Department of Environmental Protection. The money from water bill payments goes toward the maintenance, repairs and upgrades <Read More>


City Breaks Ground on Orchard Beach Pavilion Project

On December 13, 2022, agency and elected officials gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking for the Orchard Beach Pavilion restoration project in the Bronx. The pavilion supports the 1.1 mile-long beach, which contains a hexagonal-block promenade, snack bars and food carts, souvenir stands, playgrounds, picnic areas, sports courts, changing areas and showers, and a parking lot. The promenade was designated as a city landmark in 2006.


Speed of Subway Trains Challenged

Subway trains at the Spring Street station twice struck passengers lying on the tracks on separate occasions. How fast should subway trains be moving when they enter a station? The faster the subway trains go, the more people the trains can carry and the quicker people will get to their destinations. Even a slowdown of a few seconds per train can slow the entire system. Speed is so important to the mission of the Transit … <Read More>


City “Leading the Charge” to Update Schools to More Efficient Heating and Lighting

Cutting-edge improvements to environmental consciousness and efficiency come only 20 years after New York schools stop burning coal. On October 28, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams announced a $4 billion investment in school upgrades, conversions, and retrofits to phase out the use of No. 4 heating oil in more than 200 schools across the five boroughs. The plan, dubbed “Leading the Charge,” will contribute significantly to the City’s goals of 50 percent carbon emission reduction by … <Read More>