MAYOR ADAMS, FUTURE OF FIFTH PARTNERSHIP UNVEIL TRANSFORMATION OF FIFTH AVENUE INTO WORLD-CLASS, PEDESTRIAN-CENTERED BOULEVARD

 

Plan Includes Widened, Greened Sidewalks, Prioritizing Pedestrians, and Public Realm

 

Investment Will Strengthen Historic Corridor’s Economic Engine and Job Creation

 

Since 2022 Project Launch, Corridor Has Seen Nearly $4 Billion in Real Estate Sales, Showing Significant Enthusiasm in Future of Fifth

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the Future of Fifth Partnership today unveiled their plans to transform Fifth Avenue between Bryant Park and Central Park into a world-class, pedestrian-centered boulevard, bolstering the iconic corridor’s status as an economic engine and job creator for New York City. The proposed design, revealed today, expands sidewalks by 46 percent, shortens crosswalks making for safer crossings, reduces the number of traffic lanes from five to three, and adds plantings and lighting for aesthetics and safety. Once complete, this project — the first major redesign in the avenue’s 200-year history — is projected to pay for itself in less than five years through increased property and sales tax revenue.

 

“New Yorkers deserve an iconic boulevard that will rival the rest of the world — and together with the Future of Fifth Partnership, we’re going to deliver just that,” said Mayor Adams. “Right now, 70 percent of the people on Fifth Avenue are pedestrians, but they can only utilize less than half the space. On the holidays, that’s 23,000 people every hour — 4,000 more than a packed MSG — cramming like sardines into constrained sidewalks. That makes no sense — so we’re going to flip the script. We’re nearly doubling walkable sidewalk space, adding hundreds of new trees and planters, installing new seating and activation space, and so much more. And best of all, once completed, the project will pay for itself in less than five years through increased tax revenues. This is a huge win for New York City, and I’m grateful to the Fifth Avenue Association, Grand Central Partnership, Central Park Conservancy, and Bryant Park Corporation, as well as our local elected officials, for their partnership throughout this generational project.”

 

“The administration and Future of Fifth Partnership’s plans for a redesigned Fifth Avenue will profoundly improve quality of life while increasing economic activity,” said First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer. “Thank you to all of our partners for advancing these innovative plans, which will help fulfill the ‘New’ New York Action Plan’s recommendations for revitalized public spaces and boost our city’s continued recovery.”

 

“People across the globe identify Fifth Avenue as a premier destination for strolling and shopping. But its larger-than-life reputation means that its sidewalks have reached their capacity, hosting more people per hour in peak seasons than Madison Square Garden,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “By expanding sidewalks, we can turn this avenue into an iconic boulevard, a place for all, for all hours and especially for pedestrians — who can now safely stay on sidewalks rather than navigate cars to get by and through. But this isn’t only for today — it’s for tomorrow, a verdant, sustainable boulevard to grow with our city.”

 

“New Yorkers and visitors deserve public spaces that are accessible and inviting. It’s proven time and time again that local businesses thrive when pedestrians are prioritized,” said New York City Chief Public Realm Officer Ya-Ting Liu. “This exciting new design will transform Fifth Avenue into a tree and plant filled green boulevard where pedestrians have the space they need and feel welcomed. I look forward to advancing this design and revitalizing this iconic New York boulevard.”

 

“As we celebrate the 200^th anniversary of one of the most famous streets in the world, New Yorkers can look forward to a brand-new Fifth Avenue that will return the street to its former glory as a pedestrian boulevard,” said Madelyn Wils, interim president, Fifth Avenue Association, and co-chair, Future of Fifth Steering Committee. “Reversing the century-old trend of putting cars first, this visionary design will transform our overcrowded avenue into a spacious and green corridor for shoppers and workers, visitors and New Yorkers, and everyone on Fifth. We are grateful to this administration, our partners in government, and the businesses that help power the city’s economy as we work to turn this vision into a reality.”

 

“By dramatically widening the sidewalks of Fifth Avenue, we’ll be creating a much more welcoming and comfortable pedestrian experience along this iconic corridor,” said New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “This design proposal will better serve the vast majority of people on Fifth Avenue, those who are traveling by foot, create a greener and calmer corridor, and we look forward to future development with the community.”

 

“This type of bold thinking and unique public-private partnership is truly transforming one of New York City’s iconic corridors into a vibrant destination, building off the principles laid out in the ‘New’ New York action plan,” said New York City Economic Development President and CEO Andrew Kimball. “We have seen the economic benefits — from creating jobs to increased real estate sales — when we prioritize pedestrians in our commercial corridors and reimagine our neighborhoods into 24/7 live, work, and play communities.”

 

“By upgrading Fifth Avenue, we are creating a world-class public space that reflects the iconic and vibrant heart of New York City,” said New York City Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “This transformation will help Fifth Avenue between Bryant Park and Central Park reach its full potential, prioritizing pedestrian safety, enhancing green spaces throughout the corridor, and adding other essential upgrades to the public realm. Together, we’re taking a bold step towards a greener, more accessible, and more inviting city for everyone.”

 

“The continuing transformation of our public spaces by the Adams administration is creating safer, quieter, and more welcoming streets for people to enjoy as opposed to vehicles,” said New York City Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Thomas Foley. “We have consistently seen better neighborhoods and happier residents near our plaza projects and in areas like Grand Concourse in the Bronx and Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn where we’re doing traffic calming and other safety enhancements. Fifth Avenue is a worldwide center of tourism and commerce and a perfect candidate for these pedestrian improvements.”

 

“The redesign of Fifth Avenue gives this iconic boulevard the transformation it deserves, dramatically enhancing the experience of pedestrians and creating a safer, greener, more inviting commercial corridor,” said “New” New York Executive Director B.J. Jones. “This new milestone reflects more progress in the implementation of the ‘New’ New York Panel’s recommendations to invest in a world-class public realm to make our business districts global destinations.”

Renderings of the Future of Fifth Avenue. Credit: City Hall

Fifth Avenue is currently 100 feet wide, comprised of five lanes of vehicular traffic and two 23-foot sidewalks. Even though pedestrians make up 70 percent of all traffic on the corridor, sidewalks account for only 46 percent of the space. Each block serves approximately 5,500 pedestrians an hour on an average day and up to 23,000 people an hour during the holidays — the equivalent of a full Madison Square Garden (MSG) plus 4,000 additional people. The current configuration can no longer accommodate this volume of foot traffic, especially given that only 15 feet on either side is unobstructed for walking; the rest is occupied by street infrastructure like signage, bus stops, lighting, and trash cans.

 

The new design nearly doubles the width of the sidewalks to 33.5 feet each, expanding unobstructed walking space to 25 feet on each side and adding another 8.5-foot-wide section for trees. These changes will reduce crossing lengths by more than a third, increasing pedestrian safety. Beyond rebalancing Fifth Avenue’s space to reflect its usage, the new design also greens the corridor with more than 230 new trees and 20,000 square feet of planters, new seating and activation space, better lighting, and more. Greening Fifth Avenue will create additional shade cover to protect against heat and innovative stormwater infrastructure to prevent flooding. The design draws inspiration from Fifth Avenue’s historic landmarks and art deco influences, heightening the iconic architectural features integral to the avenue’s visual identity. It is also inspired by other iconic shopping street redesigns, including the Champs Elysees in Paris; Calle Serrano in Madrid; Bond, Oxford and Regent Streets in London; and Ginza in Tokyo. The effort builds on the core tenets of the “New” New York panel’s action plan, which identified public space as a key force for the city’s economic recovery.

 

Fifth Avenue has long been an economic powerhouse for New York City. The avenue is responsible for 313,000 direct and indirect jobs, which in turn generate $44.1 billion in total wages and $111.5 billion in total economic output each year. Moreover, since Mayor Adams announced this project in December 2022, Fifth Avenue has experienced an unprecedented wave of investment in commercial renovations, record-breaking sales, and leasing activity. Since 2023, there have been more than 10 commercial real estate sales on Fifth Avenue, totaling $3.9 billion.

 

This investment has been fueled by the project and its anticipated economic impact. The Adams administration’s 2022 Holiday Open Streets initiative on Fifth Avenue, which made 11 blocks of Fifth Avenue vehicle-free for the first time in a half-century and brought back popular pedestrian-focused areas around Rockefeller Center, drove an estimated $3 million in additional spending at businesses along pedestrianized streets — with merchants on Open Streets seeing a 6.6 percent increase in spending over similar blocks that were not opened to pedestrians.

 

Last year, the Adams administration launched the Future of Fifth public-private partnership, which brings city agencies together with the Fifth Avenue Association, Grand Central Partnership, Central Park Conservancy, and Bryant Park Corporation to further this project. The group selected firms Arcadis, Sam Schwartz Engineering, and Field Operations to lead the design and study, and schematic design is slated for completion by summer 2025.

Statement from Comptroller Lander on DOI Investigation on Lack of Shelter Contract Oversight

 

In response to Department of Investigation’s (DOI) latest report, Examination of Compliance Risks at City-Funded Homeless Shelter Providers and the City’s Oversight of Shelter Providers, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander issued the following statement:

“For years, my office has echoed DOI’s urgent drumbeat to fight against lax procurement oversight and safeguards against corruption that City Hall neglects to address. DOI’s latest 100-page investigation underlines the Adams Administration’s failure to implement any of the anti-corruption recommendations from DOI’s 2021 report. If the Mayor continues to fail to implement these common-sense recommendations, further eroding public trust in our local government, then the City Council must take action.”

DOI EXAMINATION FINDS COMPLIANCE AND GOVERNANCE RISKS AT 51 CITY-FUNDED NONPROFITS THAT OPERATE NYC HOMELESS SHELTERS AND FLAWED CITY OVERSIGHT OF DHS-FUNDED PROVIDERS

 

DOI issued 32 reforms to address system-wide vulnerabilities

Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), issued a Report today memorializing the key findings from DOI’s extensive examination of compliance risks at 51 nonprofit human service providers that operate many of the homeless shelters in New York City and of the City’s oversight of the shelter system. The Report includes DOI’s 32 recommendations for reform, intended to protect the billions of dollars that the City spends annually on shelter services from corruption, waste, fraud, and abuse. A copy of the Report follows this release and can be found here: https://www.nyc.gov/site/doi/newsroom/public-reports.page.

DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said, “When it comes to protecting the vast taxpayer resources that City-funded nonprofits receive, prevention is key. City-funded nonprofit service providers pose unique compliance and governance risks, and comprehensive City oversight is the best way to stop corruption, fraud, and waste before it starts. This deep dive into the City-funded homeless service provider system builds on DOI’s extensive experience investigating nonprofit fraud, and our 2021 Report concerning City-funded nonprofits. Today’s Report provides ample evidence of the risks specific to nonprofits and shortcomings in City oversight and makes 32 recommendations to strengthen controls around this essential network. I thank the DOI team that has worked tirelessly on this investigation and the many City entities that provided assistance, including the staff from the City Department of Social Services who worked closely with DOI to support this examination.”

The City, through the City Department of Social Services (“DSS”) and the City Department of Homeless Services (“DHS”), operates the largest homeless shelter system of any municipality in the United States. DHS-funded shelters currently support an average of over 86,000 people per night at a cost of approximately $4 billion annually in FY 2024, up from $2.7 billion annually in FY 2022, due in large part to the influx of asylum seekers over the past two years. (DOI did not review City-funded contracts involving services to the asylum seekers that were procured under emergency procedures for this Report. DOI has oversight of these expenditures through an integrity monitor that is supervised by and reports to DOI.) 

This Report identifies a variety of compliance and governance risks at these providers, as well as in the City’s overall management of the shelter system. These risks vary in their severity and include: 

• Conflicts of interest affecting City money. DOI identified cases where insiders at the shelter provider had personal business interests involving the shelter through which they received payments outside their regular compensation. In some cases, shelter executives simultaneously held employment at a private entity, such as a security company, that was hired to provide services at City-funded shelters. 

• Poor Citywide controls over how City money is used for executive compensation. DOI identified multiple shelter executives who received more than $500,000 per year, and in some cases, more than $700,000 per year, from providers and related organizations. Executive compensation in these cases is funded either largely or in part through City funds. The City lacks sufficient rules concerning how much City money can be allocated to nonprofit executives’ salaries. 

• Nepotism, in violation of City contracts. DOI found shelter providers that have employed immediate family members of senior executives and board members, in apparent violation of their City contracts. For instance, one provider that is largely funded by the City employed its CEO’s children since at least 2007. This provider subsequently entered into a DOI-managed monitorship agreement.

• Shelter providers failing to follow competitive bidding rules when procuring goods and services with public money. DOI found numerous cases where shelter providers did not comply with the City’s competitive bidding requirements or where it was unclear whether shelter providers conducted true competitive bidding processes. For example, this review identified multiple instances where shelter providers awarded multimillion-dollar building maintenance service contracts to companies affiliated with the buildings’ landlords.

DOI issued 32 recommendations to address the system-wide vulnerabilities noted in this Report. Included among the key recommendations are: 

➢ DSS should appoint a Chief Vendor Compliance Officer to provide overall leadership for DSS and DHS’s compliance strategy with respect to nonprofit human service contracts, including contracts with shelter providers. 

➢ Shelter providers should be required to regularly disclose additional information relevant to identifying compliance risks, including potential conflicts of interest for key persons. 

➢ DSS and DHS should take steps to improve their oversight of shelter operators’ expenditures, including by immediately stopping payments for costs that are not accompanied by a proper description and ensuring that relevant agency staff receive regular financial compliance training. 

➢ The City should update its electronic procurement and invoicing systems to better enable thirdparty oversight and centralize key documentation. 

This Report also reiterates many of the 23 recommendations that DOI issued in its November 2021 Report on Corruption Vulnerabilities in the City’s Oversight and Administration of Not-for-Profit Human Services. While the City has implemented some reforms since the 2021 Report and is also undertaking some work that closely tracks DOI’s recommendations, many of the recommendations from 2021 have not been implemented at any substantial level. The 2021 Report recommended, among other things, that the City:

 Reform its conflict-of-interest disclosure system for the City’s human service providers. 

 Develop more specific guidance to agencies on executive compensation and consider setting a cap or other parameters on City-funded executive compensation. 

 Conduct more robust reviews of expenses that human service providers invoice to the City, including by reviewing larger samples of supporting documentation.  

Governor Hochul Announces Gun Violence in New York Has Declined to Lowest on Record

 

Shootings Down 26% in 2024 to Date, Lowest Number of Shooting Incidents With Injury Since 2006

Significant Decreases Reported Across Long Island, Syracuse, Rochester, Niagara Falls and Utica

Since Taking Office, Governor Has Increased Funding for Local Police Departments and District Attorneys’ Offices by 1,200%; Increased Funding by 30% for State Police

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced new data that shows reported gun violence in New York State is at its lowest point since the state started tracking this data in 2006. Shooting incidents with injury declined 26 percent through September 2024 compared to the same nine-month period last year, as reported by the 28 police departments outside of New York City that participate in New York State’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination initiative. A total of 170 fewer individuals were injured by gun violence in Gun Involved Violence Elimination initiative communities, with significant decreases in shooting incidents with injury reported in Niagara Falls, Rochester, Syracuse, Troy, Utica and on Long Island. Since taking office, Governor Hochul has secured record-level funding for local law enforcement and district attorneys’ offices, from $30 million during State Fiscal Year 2022 to $392 million in the current fiscal year. At the same time, the New York State Police budget has increased by 30 percent, allowing the agency to hire and train additional troopers, and significantly expand its support to local law enforcement agencies to address major crimes, gun violence and retail theft. Additionally, Governor Hochul directed state landmarks to be lit purple in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

“Public safety is my number one priority, and New York is leading the nation with proven initiatives that are making communities safer,” Governor Hochul said. “Our record investments in law enforcement and in critical programs like the GIVE initiative are making a real difference in every corner of our state, and my administration will continue fighting to keep New Yorkers safe.”

The 26 percent decline reflects 476 shooting incidents with injury from January 1 through September 30, 2024, compared to 646 incidents from January 1, through September 30, 2023, and represents the fewest reported since the state began tracking this data in 2006. At that time, only 17 police departments reported this data and received state funding to reduce gun and violent crime. The Gun Involved Violence Elimination initiative (GIVE) provides nearly $36 million to 28 police departments, as well as district attorneys’ offices, probation departments and sheriffs’ offices, in 21 counties outside of New York City. The following police departments reported particularly significant declines:

• Utica: 52 percent
• Troy: 48 percent
• Niagara Falls: 40 percent
• Rochester: 38 percent
• Nassau County, Hempstead, Suffolk County (Long Island): 36 percent
• Syracuse: 29 percent

Shooting incidents with injury, shooting victims and shooting homicide data for each of the 28 police departments participating in GIVE are available on the State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) website. In addition, the 476 shooting incidents with injury reported by these 28 police departments are the fewest reported since 2006.

In addition to the collective decrease in gun violence in GIVE communities, the New York City Police Department reported a nearly 9 percent (723 v. 791) decrease in shooting incidents through Oct. 13, 2024.

Overall crime outside of New York City also has declined. The 57 counties outside of the five boroughs collectively reported a 9 percent decrease in index crime during the first five months of 2024, the most recent data available, when compared to the same time in 2023. There are seven index crime categories that are used to gauge overall crime trends: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft. The most significant declines were reported in motor vehicle theft (-27 percent), followed by rape (-14 percent), and murder (-12 percent) when comparing January 1, through May 31, 2024, to that five-month period last year. The NYPD also reported a 2 percent decrease in crime complaints through Oct. 13, 2024.

Earlier this month, Gove rnor Hochul also announced another record-level state investment to further improve public safety: $35 million to strengthen the law enforcement response to intimate partner abuse and domestic violence and better address the needs of survivors. DCJS will administer $5 million to the five New York City District Attorneys’ Offices, and $23 million to law enforcement agencies and service providers in 20 counties outside of the five boroughs to implement the Statewide Targeted Reduction in Intimate Partner Violence (STRIVE) initiative. Up to $7 million will allow the State to provide training and technical assistance, risk assessment tools, and investigative support to participating agencies and improve the domestic violence reduction efforts of state agencies.

STRIVE is modeled after GIVE and plans developed by participating counties must use evidence-based strategies and ensure that community members and programs that serve victims and survivors are actively involved in strategy selection and implementation. One or more of the following strategies must be used: domestic violence high-risk team model, lethality assessment program or intimate partner violence intervention.

Since Governor Hochul took office, funding for the State Police has increased by $264 million (30 percent) to support additional staffing and an increase in police services. The agency’s budget for FY 2025 is $1.14 billion. This funding supports the hiring and training of nearly 1,000 new Troopers and allows the State Police to address major crime and support local police agencies. This includes $25 million to target and retail theft, and expansion of Community Stabilization Units, which use a multi-pronged approach to interdicting illegal firearms and provide local police agencies with resources to proactively address surges in crime. Other programs that are part of the Governor’s comprehensive plan to improve public safety include:

• $21 million for the SNUG Street Outreach program, which uses a public health approach to address gun violence by identifying the source, interrupting transmission, and treating individuals, families and communities affected by violence. Community-based organizations and hospitals operate the program in 14 communities and employ nearly 200 outreach workers, social workers and case managers. Outreach workers are credible messengers who have lost loved ones to violence or have prior justice system involvement. They respond to shootings to prevent retaliation, detect conflicts and resolve them peacefully before they lead to additional violence. Social workers and case managers work with individuals affected by community violence, including friends and family. DCJS also supports New York City’s violence interruption efforts, providing $5 million for its Crisis Management System (CMS) so it can bring those programs to scale.
• $18 million for the state’s unique network of Crime Analysis Centers, which analyze, compile and distribute information, intelligence and data to local law enforcement agencies statewide. No other state has anything similar and the centers — operated in partnership with local law enforcement agencies in 10 counties and New York City — are hubs of state and local efforts to deter, investigate and solve crimes. Last year alone, staff handled more than 90,000 requests for assistance, helping agencies solve everything from retail theft to murders.
• Up to $20 million for Project RISE, a unique funding model that convenes community stakeholders to respond to gun violence, invest in solutions, sustain positive programs and empower communities. In its first year, the initiative supported 99 organizations, including 74 small, grassroots programs, many of which had never received state support for their work. Programs and services funded by RISE include academic support, employment services, mentoring and delinquency/violence prevention.
• $10.4 million for the Supervision Against Violent Engagement (SAVE) program, overseen by the State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. The program uses enhanced supervision, including active GPS monitoring; intelligence and data gathering; and cross-jurisdictional cooperation to prevent gun violence, violent crime and domestic violence among the most high-risk individuals returning to Albany, Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse.

NYS Private Sector Employment Down 2,900 in September 2024

 

Change Amounted to Less Than One-Tenth of a Percent

According to preliminary seasonally adjusted figures released today by the New York State Department of Labor, the number of private sector jobs in New York State decreased over the month by 2,900, or less than 0.1%, to 8,392,500 in September 2024. The number of private sector jobs in the U.S. increased by 0.2% in September 2024.

New York State's private sector jobs (not seasonally adjusted) increased by 115,800, or 1.4%, over the year in September 2024, which matched the 1.4% increase in the number of private sector jobs in the U.S.

New York State's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held constant at 4.4% in September 2024. At the same time, New York State's labor force (seasonally adjusted) decreased by 3,400. As a result, the statewide labor force participation rate decreased from 61.3% to 61.2% in September 2024.

The number of private sector jobs in New York State is based on a payroll survey of New York businesses conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Monthly payroll employment estimates are preliminary and subject to revision as more complete data become available the following month. The BLS calculates New York State’s unemployment rate based partly upon the results of the monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) of approximately 3,100 households in the State.

Note: Seasonally adjusted data provide the most valid month-to-month comparison. Non-seasonally adjusted data are valuable in year-to-year comparisons of the same month – for example, September 2023 versus September 2024.

MAYOR ADAMS COMPLETES FIRST SECTION OF EAST SIDE COASTAL RESILIENCY PROJECT, TAKING STEPS TO PROTECT LIVES, PROPERTY

 

First Section of Project — Between East 15^th Street and Asser Levy Playground — Completed Ahead of Schedule, $10 Million Under Budget

 

City Reopens Murphy Brothers Playground on Avenue C with Flood Protection, New Dog Run, Ballfields, Other Amenities

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced that the city has completed the first section of East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) ahead of schedule and under budget, a major milestone in the effort to protect more than 110,000 Lower East Side residents, including 28,000 in public housing, from future storms and high tides and protect billions of dollars worth of infrastructure and property in the area. ESCR employs raised parkland, floodwalls, berms, and 18 swinging or sliding flood gates to create a continuous line of protection against sea level rise and the growing threat of stronger, more severe coastal storms worsened by climate change. The $1.45 billion project is being built in two sections, with the northern section having begun work in November 2020. Work in that area was completed earlier this week at a cost of $163 million, which is $10 million under its original projected budget, and two months ahead of schedule. Construction on the second section, which is underway and anticipated to be completed by the end of 2026, includes a complete reconstruction of East River Park.

 

“As one of the world’s great coastal cities, we know that stronger storms and rising seas are a threat, because no one knows when the next Superstorm Sandy will arrive at our doorstep; but New York City plans to be ready,” said Mayor Adams. “Today, we are marking the completion of Phase One of East Side Coastal Resiliency — two months ahead of schedule and $10 million under budget. Once the entire project is completed, the protective gates can be deployed when a hurricane or storm surge is headed our way — protecting lives and New Yorkers’ wallets as we safeguard property. Protecting New Yorkers from climate change is a massive undertaking, with millions of lives and billions of dollars on the line — and we’re more than up to the task.”

 

“Gone are the days when a park was just a park; now everything must do double duty to protect New York from the vagaries of climate change. There is no clearer example of this mission than the East Side Coastal Resiliency project, where protection and playgrounds are being brought to you ahead of schedule and under budget,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “As part of our broader toolkit to keep New Yorkers safe from bigger and more frequent storms, our coastal resiliency projects are helping us meet the scale of the climate crisis head-on. I look forward to celebrating ESCR’s completion in 2026, thanks to the partnership of our hardworking public servants at DDC and the Parks Department.”

 

“With this milestone, achieved ahead of time and under budget, New York City takes a huge step toward protecting one of its most vulnerable communities from coastal storms and future high tides,” said New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner Thomas Foley. “We are pioneering shoreline protection and climate change management for major North American cities, and doing it in a way that enhance recreation and enhances neighborhoods instead of just walling them in.”

 

“With the completion of this first portion of East Side Coastal Resiliency we are making concrete progress on our critical work to protect New Yorkers from rising sea levels and coastal storm surges like we experienced during Hurricane Sandy,” said New York City Chief Climate Officer and New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala. “These complex and massive projects take many years to design and build, but with more than a dozen similar projects now underway, from Staten Island to the Rockaways to Red Hook, DEP’s Bureau of Coastal Resiliency is eager to be able to operate and maintain these flood defense systems to protect the city from coastal storms.”

 

“These critical enhancements to the east side’s waterfront parks represent a landmark investment in lifesaving flood protection for over 110,000 residents on the Lower East Side,” said New York City Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “Thanks to this innovative project, Murphy Brothers Playground will reopen with improved recreational spaces, new measures to increase climate resiliency, and additional amenities that will keep our urban landscapes vibrant and green for all New Yorkers.”

 

“This is what New Yorkers want to see,” said Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice Executive Director Elijah Hutchinson. “This is a project delivered ahead of schedule and under budget that protects the community, brings recreational and green space, and plugs into one of the largest and most complex coastal infrastructure projects in the nation.”

 

East Side Coastal Resiliency

 

ESCR — a $1.45 billion project which is creating a flexible, 2.4-mile-long flood barrier on the Lower East Side from Montgomery Street up to Asser Levy Playground between East 23^rd Street and East 25^th Street — is designed to protect New Yorkers from the region’s anticipated 100-year storm in the year 2050 (a storm that starting in 2050 has a 1 percent annual chance of hitting New York City), based on climate change projections produced by the New York City Panel on Climate Change. The project uses an adaptive design that can accommodate the addition of two more feet of elevation should sea levels in the coming decades rise faster than projections anticipate.

 

The project has been designed to improve waterfront access through reconstructed bridges and entry points and will also upgrade existing sewer systems to capture and manage precipitation during storms. The first floodgate — which is 42 feet long, 10 feet high, and 32,000 pounds — was installed in February 2022. Flood protection will become effective at the end of the project, which is currently projected for the end of 2026. ESCR also has a companion project to its south called Brooklyn Bridge-Montgomery Coastal Resilience, which is also due to be completed at the end of 2026. Together, the two projects will protect 3.22 miles of coastline from the Brooklyn Bridge north to Asser Levy Playground at a construction cost of close to $2 billion.

 

ESCR is making improvements to five recreation areas in total. Stuyvesant Cove Park has been rebuilt with new amenities and a combination of floodwalls and floodgates along its western edge. Murphy Brothers Playground, which reopened this week, has new flood protection, a basketball court, a new dog run, two new ballfields, new lighting, a new playground area and swing set, new trees, and new grading and landscaping. The 2.44-acre Asser Levy Playground — which is now intersected by a new floodwall and sliding floodgate — was partially rebuilt with extensive landscaping and new playground and basketball areas using resilient materials. Corlears Hook Park, which is still in construction, will also see improvements such as new landscaping, plantings, lighting, and playground equipment. The first ballfields in the new East River Park opened in September 2024 along with the new larger and more accessible Delancey Street Bridge spanning the FDR Drive.

Demolition Permits Issued For 410-414 Bedford Park Boulevard In Bedford Park, The Bronx

Permits have been issued for the demolition of two buildings at 410 and 414 Bedford Park Boulevard in Bedford Park, The Bronx. Douglaston Development is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed demolition will clear 43,636 square feet of space across the two lots. The two-story buildings each stand 20 feet tall.

Viviana Henao of Expedite Dem Inc is listed as the applicant of record. An estimated completion date for the demolition has not been announced. The properties are located steps from the Botanical Garden MTA station, which services the Harlem Line Train.

Permits Filed for 1981 Crotona Avenue in East Tremont, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for a four-story residential building at 1981 Crotona Avenue in East Tremont, The Bronx. Located between East 179th Street and East Tremont Avenue, the lot is near the West Farms Square-East Tremont Avenue subway station, serviced by the 2 and 5 trains. Joel Silberstein is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 52-foot-tall development will yield 8,093 square feet designated for residential space. The building will have 18 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 449 square feet. The steel-based structure will also have a penthouse and a 30-foot-long rear yard.

Ariel Golshan of AG Engineering is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits will likely not be needed as the lot is vacant. An estimated completion date has not been announced.