Governor Hochul Announces More Than $21 Million to Make the Dream of Homeownership a Reality for More Than 70 Families

First Tranche of Governor’s Groundbreaking MOVE-IN NY Program Will Create Over 70 Factory-Built Starter Homes in Onondaga and Erie Counties

Prefabricated Starter Homes Constructed in a Fraction of the Time at Nearly Half the Cost

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the first round of awards for her innovative MOVE-IN NY program. More than $21 million was awarded to create 72 new homes in the City of Syracuse and the Town of Tonawanda. The Greater Syracuse Land Bank was awarded $15,730,000 for 52 homes and the Town of Tonawanda was awarded $6,050,000 for 20 homes.

The MOVE-IN NY program harnesses the benefits of prefabricated homes to quickly build more affordable starter homes in communities throughout New York. The program is supported by $50 million that the Governor secured in the FY 2025-26 Enacted State Budget. The factory-built homes used in the MOVE-IN NY program can be built quickly and economically, at a large scale. Referred to as “CrossMods,” these homes resemble traditionally constructed single-family homes and can be integrated in all types of housing markets including urban, suburban and rural communities.

“To make homeownership a reality for more New Yorkers, my administration is harnessing a variety of resources to create new homeownership opportunities across the state,” Governor Hochul said. “Innovative new programs like MOVE-IN complement our traditional homeownership initiatives and we look forward to seeing this investment make the dream of owning a home a reality for more families and individuals.”

The funds, which were awarded through a competitive process, will be used to purchase and site over 70 prefabricated CrossMod homes through the MOVE-IN NY program, which is administered by New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR). The homes are expected to be sited this summer and will be sold for less than the cost of construction to low and moderate income homebuyers.

CrossMods are built to the Federal HUD Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards Code and meet design guidelines approved by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which enables homebuyers to access conventional mortgages.

Throughout New York, smaller, more affordable homes — often referred to as “starter homes” — have become increasingly scarce, preventing young individuals and families from becoming first-time homeowners and older New Yorkers from downsizing. In recent years, construction costs, materials and interest rates have skyrocketed, making the typical cost to construct a small, single-family home in New York upwards of $450,000 or more.

As part of her 2025 State of the State, Governor Hochul proposed using innovative approaches to homebuilding to catalyze the construction of starter homes and help create more opportunities for affordable homeownership. In 2025 New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) successfully piloted the MOVE-IN NY program with the creation of three new starter homes in the cities of Schenectady and Syracuse, as well as the Town of Newcomb. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom, 1,500-square-foot homes, which include a porch and a garage, were manufactured in a factory and then sited on vacant land owned by local land banks. The homes were constructed and sited within six months — which is up to three times faster — and for half the cost of comparably sized homes built using traditional construction methods.

The program was subsequently expanded statewide through an open competitive Request for Applications issued in the Fall of 2025 that encouraged interested local governments, land banks, non-profit housing developers and home manufacturers to apply to participate.

In December 2025 Governor Hochul signed the Land-Home Property Act into law, creating a formal statutory procedure for classifying a manufactured home as real property. The new law takes effect at the end of this year and will allow manufactured homeowners to convert their title from personal property (known as chattel) to real property, which helps eliminate barriers to financing and improves access to traditional mortgages.

As part of her 2026 State of the State, Governor Hochul proposed additional funding to support further expansion of the MOVE-IN NY program as well as the continued exploration of innovative emerging factory-built and modular construction technologies. This investment will help New York build new affordable homes more quickly and economically throughout the state and remain a leader in using innovative approaches to homebuilding

Governor Hochul’s Housing Agenda

Governor Hochul is dedicated to addressing New York’s housing crisis and making the State more affordable and livable for all New Yorkers. Since FY23, the Governor has worked to increase housing supply to make housing more affordable by launching a $25 billion five-year comprehensive Housing Plan, enacted the most significant housing deal in decades and implemented new protections for renters and homeowners. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, HCR has created new programs that jumpstart development of affordable and mixed-income homes — for both renters and homebuyers. These include the Pro-Housing Community Program, which allows certified localities exclusive access to up to $750 million in discretionary State funding. More than 410 communities throughout the state have been certified Pro-Housing.

As part of Governor Hochul’s 2026 State of the State, the Governor proposed her “Let Them Build” agenda, a series of landmark reforms to speed up housing and infrastructure development and lower costs. This initiative will spur a series of common-sense reforms to New York’s State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) and executive actions to expedite critical categories of projects that have been consistently found to not have significant environmental impacts, but for too long have been caught up in red tape and subject to lengthy delays.

The FY27 Executive Budget completes the Governor’s current five-year Housing Plan to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide, including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations plus the electrification of an additional 50,000 homes. More than 80,000 affordable homes have been created or preserved to date. The Executive Budget also invests $250 million in capital funding to accelerate the construction of thousands of new affordable homes. 

161st Street BID - Celebrate Earth Day With Us This Friday 🌱🎶

Hello everyone, 



We’re excited to invite you to join us this Friday for a special Earth Day celebration right here on 161! 



We’ll be hosting a live performance by the Underground Horns, bringing great energy, music, and community to kick off the weekend. 



Join us from 4-6PM at Lou Gehrig Plaza for the festivities. 



As part of the celebration, we’ll also be hosting a plant giveaway from our partners at Future of Mosholu Parkland. So stop by, grab a plant, and take a little piece of Earth Day home with you 



We hope to see you there!



Best, 

161st Street BID

DEC ANNOUNCES $6 MILLION IN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY IMPACT GRANTS AWARDED TO 32 COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS

 

Additional $7 Million in Funding Now Available to Address Environmental Concerns in Environmental Justice Areas

In celebration of Earth Week, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton today announced approximately $6 million in Environmental Justice Community Impact Grants to 32 community-based organizations to help improve the well-being of those most vulnerable to climate and pollution impacts. The grants support projects addressing environmental issues, harms, and health hazards, build community consensus, set priorities, and improve public outreach and education. In addition to the awards announced today, $7 million in new funding is now available for qualifying applicants to build upon the progress being made to create a more healthy, equitable future. 

“For two decades, DEC’s Environmental Justice grant programs have delivered real outcomes in support of a healthier, more sustainable future for people all across New York,” Commissioner Lefton said. “The awards we are announcing today, through Governor Hochul leadership, support organizations that are working tirelessly to lift up their communities and advance an environmental justice. We look forward to many more years of providing necessary resources to grantees and their partners to improve environmental outcomes across the state.”

Celebrating 20 years of grantmaking, DEC’s Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) awarded a total of more than $25 million in funding for 289 projects since 2006. Approximately $17 million to date supported the successful Community Impact Grant program and the hundreds of projects that are prioritizing the disproportionate health, safety, and economic burdens of the state’s most disadvantaged communities. This week DEC made a record $7 million available to support the next round of applicants. For full details about the grant opportunity, including project eligibility requirements, scoring criteria, and informative webinar details, please visit DEC’s website. 

The most recent round of Community Impact Grants included $6 million for 32 projects. The most recent awardees are listed below. 

Long Island

Friends of Science East Inc. $200,000: Empowering Environmental Innovation through Education. The project will build a transformative education center at Wardenclyffe to inspire exploration, sustainability, and STEM learning, preserving Nikola Tesla's legacy while empowering disadvantaged communities with innovative environmental and green energy programs. 

Unkechaug Nation Community Care $200,000: Roots of Resilience. This project will restore 52 acres of Unkechaug land through native plant revival, water protection, and Indigenous wellness to strengthen ecological health and community healing. 

New York City

Fort Greene Park Conservancy Inc. $200,000: Green Team. The Green Team is a year-round program that offers teens paid, hands-on training, youth-led research, and mentorship, culminating in green infrastructure projects that implement solutions to environmental challenges in Fort Greene Park. 

Gowanus Canal Conservancy Inc. $200,000: Strengthening Stewards: Expanding K-12 Student and Teacher Environmental Education in Gowanus. Gowanus Canal Conservancy will expand its K-12 Environmental Education Programs, enhancing access for underserved students in Brooklyn, through hands-on learning, teacher training, and a new all-season classroom, fostering future environmental stewards. 

Human Impacts Institute $200,000: Creative Climate Communications Lab x Voices for Change. The Creative Climate Communications Lab x Voices for Change inspires climate action in Brooklyn by using creative communication, cultural storytelling, social norms, and trusted local voices to overcome information biases and make climate solutions more relatable and accessible. 

Isabahlia Ladies of Elegance Foundation $165,000: Protecting Lives and Nurturing Tomorrow for New York City Residents (PLANT Impact): Powell Garden Pavilion Impact in Brownsville. Isabahlia Ladies of Elegance Foundation will build a 2,000-sqft solar-paneled pavilion in Brownsville, Brooklyn, to provide year-round urban farming, food education, and resilient indoor space for youth and elders in a high-poverty, food-insecure area. 

Loisaida Inc. $200,000: Mobilization for a Healthy Indoors. Mobilization for a Healthy Indoors aims to improve air quality and avoid associated health risks in New York City’s Lower East Side by training and empowering residents to understand, monitor, and identify hazards, both inside and outside their homes. 

Neighbors Helping Neighbors Inc. $194,736: Healthy Homes, Healthy Families. The project will help identify and address indoor air quality issues and improve related health outcomes for tenants in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. 

Outstanding Renewal Enterprises Inc. $100,000: Continuing Horticulture Training for Youth Program. The program will employ local youth to care for neighborhood green spaces and conduct yard waste research, gathering data to guide the design and operation of a future compost site at East River Park. 

The Bronx is Blooming $200,000: Grow, Revitalize, Engage, Educate, Nurture (GREEN): Building Capacity for Consistent Environmental Stewardship in Bronx Parks and Green Spaces. The Bronx is Blooming will expand GREEN, its community engagement, environmental education, and stewardship program to deliver more consistent care for green spaces, build community capacity, train youth leaders, and improve environmental health. 

Van Cortlandt Park Alliance $200,000: Lots of Volunteer Effort in VCP (LOVE VCP). VCPA's LOVE VCP project has four parts: stewardship events, weekly volunteer crews, training "Vital Volunteers" who adopt park areas, and citizen science using iNaturalist to track plant species and support restoration of natural areas across the park. 

We Stay/Nos Quedamos Inc. $200,000: Rooted in Self Determination - Cumulative Impacts of Environmental Public Health Education and Community Programming. This project is a multi-year capacity-building and research initiative assessing how youth-led environmental justice programming advances community self-determination in Melrose Commons.

Hudson Valley

Energy Justice Law and Policy Center $200,000: New Rochelle Youth Green Infrastructure Training Program and Nature Based Solutions Pilot. The center will train 60 New Rochelle youth (16-25) with paid opportunities to design, install, and steward street trees and modular rain garden sites in disadvantaged communities, reducing flooding and heat, creating youth stewards, building green jobs skills, and creating a replicable nature-based solutions model. 

Fareground Community Kitchen $100,000: From Waste to Nourishment: Listening, Learning, and Sharing Food in Beacon. Fareground will conduct a community survey, food waste education, and public events at its Beacon engagement sites, while expanding food rescue and composting to reduce waste, improve food access, and support community and environmental health. 

Groundwork Hudson Valley $198,838: The Orchard Street Open Space Improvement and Climate Risk Mitigation Initiative. A small garden on a vacant lot owned by Groundwork Hudson Valley in a highly underserved area of Southwest Yonkers will be the base for community research, outreach programs, and demonstration projects to increase access to open space and reduce climate risks. 

Newburgh Urban Farm and Food Inc. $173,705: Seeds of Resilience: Climate Solutions at Downing Park Urban Farm. The project will expand food access and climate resilience in Newburgh by building a year-round greenhouse, remediating urban soils, and training the next generation of urban farmers through a paid internship program. 

Outdoor Promise Inc. $200,000: Breathe Newburgh: Building Community Power Through Air Quality Research and Bilingual Storytelling. Outdoor Promise will expand air quality monitoring in Newburgh's Environmental Justice neighborhoods and build lasting bilingual media capacity to share timely, culturally relevant environmental health information that empowers community action. 

Poughkeepsie Farm Project $200,000: Poughkeepsie Earth Cycle Project. The project will turn food waste into compost to nourish City of Poughkeepsie gardens, support youth jobs, and promote environmental justice through education, community engagement, and increased access to fresh, local food.  

Capital District

Friends of Hudson Youth Inc. $200,000: Oakdale Lake Water Quality Improvement Project. Phase III of the Oakdale Lake Project will advance long-term water quality improvements and community science to reduce phosphorus and support safe, equitable access to this vital public resource. 

Media Alliance Inc. $200,000: Rooting and Growing Urban Climate Resilience at the Sanctuary. The project supports Media Alliance staff to increase outreach and education around new infrastructure projects across our campus, integrating community, biology, health, art, and land-tending initiatives. 

Radix Ecological Sustainability Center $200,000: Albany Biocultural Diversity and Equity Project. Radix will develop a guide to biodiversity/biocultural diversity restoration in environmental justice communities, focusing on strategies and protocols for community involvement in the management and restoration of vacant spaces. 

Mohawk Valley

The Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties $200,000: THRIVE: (To Heal and Revitalize an Innovative Vibrant Economy) Greenprint Roots. This project will be a community-first environmental education program, built on engagement, seeking to improve the health and well-being of the Cornhill community’s residents by addressing the environmental and social toxin issues through education, community engagement activities, and intergenerational teamwork.

Central New York

Atlantic States Legal Foundation Inc. $130,987: Growing community-driven resilience: Urban forestry, restoration, and food forests in Fulton, NY. The project will greatly enhance and build urban forestry and greening efforts in Fulton through installing a public tree nursery, planting a food forest, restoring habitat and views in a park, and various forms of outreach and education including a student forest and garden intern program. These efforts will help mitigate past environmental harms in the Fulton area. 

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cortland $200,000: Blocks in Bloom. Blocks in Bloom will plant front yard flower, pollinator, and/or vegetable gardens on 20 Cortland downtown blocks to reduce heat, improve soil health, boost pollinators, and strengthen community bonds.

Southern Tier

Center for Community Transportation Inc. $196,908: Connecting Health and Mobility: Evaluating the Public Health Impacts of Micro-Mobility and Multi-Modal Transit in Tompkins County. The Center for Community Transportation (Ithaca Carshare, Bikeshare & BikeWalk Tompkins), in collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension, is researching how micro-mobility and multi-modal transit options benefit public health in Tompkins County. 

Volunteers Improving Neighborhood $200,000: Expanding Access to Urban Gardening in Food Deserts. This project will construct two new community gardens in Greater Binghamton, maintain and expand existing community gardens, address lead soil in home gardening for New Americans, and boost educational programming for healthier communities. 

Finger Lakes

Rochester Refugee Resettlement Services $180,271: Improving Air Quality in Multifamily, Refugee Dwelling Kitchens in Rochester's 14,613 Environmental Justice Neighborhoods. This project will perform seven days of continuous air quality monitoring of 100 kitchens in rental properties housing refugee and asylum-seeking families within zip code 14613. 

Western New York

Clean Air Coalition of Western New York $198,945: Buffalo Neighborhood Hubs Project (BNHP). This project will increase resiliency in Buffalo by developing neighborhood hubs to train residents with disaster preparedness and pollution prevention skills and connect residents with weatherization upgrades, workforce training, and outdoor air monitoring. 

Fillmore Forward Inc. $200,000: Roots to Rise: Cultivating Food, Finance & Futures in East Buffalo. Roots to Rise is a community-led effort to transform neglected space into an inclusive garden that fosters health, connection, and opportunity advancing public health, food access, and resilience in East Buffalo. 

Massachusetts Avenue Project Inc. $184,500: Buffalo Food Justice Project. The Buffalo Food Justice Project will expand healthy food access, create 120 youth jobs in sustainable agriculture, and promote safe soil, water, and urban growing practices while advocating for municipal policies supporting climate and food justice. 

North Tonawanda Botanical Garden $198,119: North Tonawanda Botanical Garden Organization Native Plant/Habitat Restoration and Grant Writing Capacity Building Project. North Tonawanda Botanical Garden Organization is restoring Botanical Garden lawn area to native plant communities, requiring intern support for site-specific propagation and planting. Growing NTBGO's capacity leverages funds for education, restoration, and propagation in the greenhouse. 

Providence Farm Collective Corp. $199,862: Empowering Community Organization Farms for Fresh Food Access. Providence Farm Collective will offer farmland access and training to farmers from Disadvantaged Communities in Buffalo. This project will support Community Organization Farms for 150 farmers to meet the demand for farmland and fresh food access in Western New York.

About DEC’s Office of Environmental Justice

DEC supports a wide variety of projects including environmental education for residents to bring the community together and learn. OEJ has also funded green jobs training that prepares youth to enter the green jobs economy. Projects that focus on habitat restoration have restored biodiversity and created green and blue spaces that communities can access free of pollution. DEC has also sponsored air monitoring and pollution mitigation projects that provide data that is used to make policy decisions for New York.

To see the full list of historical OEJ funded projects, please visit Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) Grant Awards: Beginning 2006 | State of New York

Funding for DEC’s Community Impact Grant program is provided by the State's Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), a critical resource for environmental programs such as environmental justice, land acquisition, farmland protection, invasive species prevention and eradication, recreation access, and water quality improvement projects. For the 2026–27 fiscal year, Governor Hochul's Executive Budget once again sustains the EPF at the historic funding level of $425 million. 

For more information about DEC’s Environmental Justice Grant Programs, please visit DEC’s website.

Mamdani Administration Announces New Bus Lanes, Infrastructure Upgrades Along Linden Boulevard to Deliver Faster Buses, Safer Streets in Brooklyn High-crash Corridor

 

Redesign of Linden Boulevard between Fountain Avenue and Conduit Avenue will speed up buses and improve reliability for 60,000 daily riders

 

Project will improve safety and reconnect neighborhoods with new bus boarding islands, expanded pedestrian medians and crossings    

Rendering of a redesigned Linden Boulevard, at Crescent Street, in East New York, Brooklyn. Credit: NYC DOT   

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn today announced plans to install new bus lanes and safety upgrades along Linden Boulevard, one of Brooklyn’s most dangerous corridors, from Fountain Avenue to Conduit Avenue in East New York.

The project will deliver faster, more reliable buses for 60,000 daily riders, while improving access to nearby subway lines and reconnecting neighborhoods long divided by the boulevard. Along this stretch, one person is injured in a traffic crash every four days, on average.

“This project will deliver faster, more reliable buses for the 60,000 New Yorkers who rely on them every day — parents getting their kids to school, workers trying to clock in on time, families picking up groceries on the way home,” said Mayor Mamdani. “And redesigning this historically dangerous corridor will make it safer for everyone who has to cross it. When we make our buses faster and our streets safer, we’re making a clear choice about the kind of city we want to be: one that puts people first.”

“Faster buses and safer streets are what New Yorkers deserve,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Julia Kerson. “These improvements will not only ensure quicker commutes and safer conditions for residents, but they will also better connect neighborhoods, bringing real-life improvements to the entire area.”

“Mayor Mamdani has tasked us with delivering fast buses for New Yorkers and our redesign of Linden Boulevard will help deliver on this promise for so many residents in East New York, where these buses are a lifeline to connect to jobs, healthcare appointments and so much more. With the nearest subway a far walk away, residents here must cross ten lanes of vehicle traffic just to board buses that end up stuck in traffic, behind double-parked cars — that is going to change under the Mamdani administration,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. “The proposal will help bring much-needed safety and order to Linden Boulevard, deliver faster buses for tens of thousands of New Yorkers and better connect neighborhoods long divided by this wide roadway.”

“Linden Boulevard is a critical corridor for this community, and since the beginning of the Jewel Streets Neighborhood Planning process, residents have been clear that safer, more well-connected streets must be a priority,” said Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Dina Levy. “As the City plans for future affordable housing growth along Linden, we have to invest in the infrastructure that makes neighborhoods work for people who live there today. This project responds to community priorities and will make Linden Boulevard safer, more active and better able to support the neighborhood’s future.”

“Dedicated bus lanes keep buses moving and projects like the proposed redesign of Linden Boulevard are gamechangers to improve safety and bus service for riders,” said MTA NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow. “It’s a win for everyone using the roads — safer for pedestrians, bus operators, bus riders and motorists, and with connections to six bus routes and six subway lines, it strengthens the transit network overall.”

Beginning in late 2026, NYC DOT will install eight new bus boarding islands, which will also serve as pedestrian refuge islands and shorten crossing distances. The agency will add two new signalized intersections at Pine Street and Emerald Street to reduce gaps between crosswalks and better connect East New York and the Jewel Streets area. Five slip lanes will be closed or redesigned to improve safety and support bus operations.

The project will benefit riders on six routes: B13, B14, B15, B20, BM5 and Q8. Faster and more reliable service will improve connections to the A, C, J, Z, L and 3 subway lines, as well as to JFK Airport, Brookdale Hospital and Gateway Center.

Along the Linden corridor, 54% of residents commute via public transportation and 57% of households do not have access to a private vehicle. The nearest subway station is more than a half-mile away.

Between 2021 and 2025, the corridor recorded 443 traffic injuries, including 15 severe injuries and one fatality. Linden Boulevard is designated a Vision Zero Priority Corridor, meaning it ranks among the highest in Brooklyn for pedestrian deaths and serious injuries per mile.

The redesign aligns with the community vision outlined in the City’s Jewel Streets Neighborhood Plan, led by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, which calls for a safer, more active corridor with new housing, businesses and community services. It also complements NYC DOT’s ongoing work to reimagine the Conduit corridor, for which NYC DOT is hosting a second round of public workshops beginning this week.

NYC DOT expects to complete the Linden Boulevard redesign in 2027.

More Third World Violence: ICE Requests Texas Not Release Illegal Alien Who Murdered His Co-Worker with a Sledgehammer

 

If you import the third world, you become the third world

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged an arrest detainer requesting local authorities not release Josue Abraham Chirino-Leonice, a 19-year-old criminal illegal alien from Venezuela, who is charged with murdering his co-worker to death with a sledgehammer.

Josue Abraham Chirino-Leonice

According to local reports and court documents, Josue Abraham Chirino-Leonice, murdered his co-worker Juan Antonio Salinas Leija by hitting him with a sledgehammer multiple times. The victim, who was working as a carpenter, was found dead inside a home under renovation on Goldensong Court in the Northgate Crossing community. His body was found by his sister.

Local law enforcement arrested Chirino-Leonice on April 12 in Pasadena, Texas, after he was reportedly found driving around in the victim’s vehicle.

“This criminal illegal alien from Venezuela is accused of savagely beating a co-worker to death repeatedly with a sledgehammer and stealing his car,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “This barbaric criminal illegal alien should have never been released into our country by the Biden administration. If you import the third world, you become the third world.”

The U.S. Border Patrol first apprehended Chirino-Leonice in November 2023 when he arrived at the border as an unaccompanied minor. The Biden administration released him into the interior of the country.

This brutal killing comes after ICE lodged an arrest detainer for an illegal alien who brutally murdered a woman with a hammer in Florida earlier this month.

Governor Hochul Unveils Plans to Permit World Cup Fan Events at Local Bars and Restaurants Statewide

World Cup One-Day Permit from New York State Liquor Authority Will Allow Off-Site Activations and Expanded Outdoor Activations

Governor Calls on Legislature To Pass Legislation Expanding Operating Hours for Duration of 2026 World Cup

Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled a plan to support small businesses, fan festivals, public viewing events and other World Cup-related activations across New York State. With increased demand expected for public watch parties and outdoor fan experiences, the State is taking steps to ensure communities and businesses can participate in World Cup celebrations while maintaining appropriate safeguards for alcohol service. As part of the plan, event organizers can host off-site activations throughout the duration of the World Cup by applying for a World Cup One-Day Permit through the New York State Liquor Authority. Bars and restaurants will also be able to use the World Cup One-Day Permit process to use contiguous outdoor space to host events during the World Cup as opposed to the current maximum of four days.

In addition, Governor Hochul is working with the legislature to authorize temporary expansion of permissible operating hours during the World Cup, allowing bars, restaurants and other eligible on-premises establishments to remain open whenever matches are broadcast live. For the duration of the tournament, such legislation would allow licensed businesses in counties with earlier closing hours to operate until 4:00 a.m. and would temporarily supersede more restrictive hours imposed as conditions on individual licenses by the State Liquor Authority, establishing a clear and uniform statewide framework for safe and orderly World Cup celebrations.

“We want to make sure all New Yorkers can watch the World Cup in community spaces, and all businesses that want to show matches can be open to the public while they're broadcast live,” Governor Hochul said. “With the new World Cup One-Day Permit, businesses across the state can host off-site activities throughout the duration of the World Cup tournament instead of just a few days.”

Event organizers and licensees may use the State Liquor Authority’s existing One-Day Alcohol Event Permit process to apply for the World Cup One-Day Permit for off-premises viewing events, including fan festivals, watch parties and similar activations.

To streamline the process, applicants may request up to 12 one-day permits within a single application. Organizers hosting more than 12 events may submit multiple applications, each including up to 12 one-day permit requests.

Existing on-premises licensees may also apply for the World Cup One-Day Permit to extend service into contiguous unlicensed outdoor areas and bars and set up TVs throughout the duration of the World Cup events.

More information on the World Cup One-Day Permit, including how and where to apply, is available on the State Liquor Authority’s website.

This announcement builds on Governor Hochul's efforts to capture World Cup excitement in New York State. Governor Hochul recently announced that 12 community-based projects across seven regions of New York State have been selected as awardees through the New York State Community World Cup Grant Program. Canalside in Buffalo will host three free community watch parties for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ group stage. Soccer fans are invited to gather at the waterfront to support the U.S. Men’s National Team in their highly anticipated matches against Paraguay, Australia and Türkiye. In addition to the Community World Cup Grant Program, New York State is supporting several initiatives designed to ensure communities across the state can participate in the excitement surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York is approaching the World Cup as a coordinated statewide activation for all New Yorkers to enjoy, combining private sector events through bars and restaurants, regionally led community events supported by the State and two State-led flagship experiences on Long Island and in the Mid-Hudson Region. The Long Island and Mid-Hudson events will feature live match broadcasts alongside community-developed programming designed to celebrate New York’s passion for the world’s game. Designed as outdoor experiences capable of welcoming thousands of attendees, each event will reflect the unique character of its region while promoting community engagement, small business participation, and inclusive access. Additional event details will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information, including how to sign up to be notified of future New York State World Cup announcements, visit the I LOVE NY website.

As part of the FY27 Budget, Governor Hochul has also advanced NY Kicks, a new initiative aimed at expanding youth soccer access by investing in new soccer facilities and community programming in disadvantaged communities across the state. NY Kicks also advances Governor Hochul’s Get Offline, Get Outside initiative, which encourages New Yorkers to unplug from devices and spend time outdoors in their communities, by activating public spaces across the state and creating shared, active experiences for families.

These efforts also build on the State’s broader strategy to maximize the economic, tourism and community benefits associated with hosting matches during the tournament.

Florida Man Working as a Ransomware Negotiator Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Deploy Ransomware and Extort U.S. Victims

 

A Florida man, formerly employed as a ransomware negotiator, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit ransomware attacks against U.S. companies in 2023.

According to court documents, Angelo Martino, 41, of Land O’Lakes, Florida, collaborated with the operators of the Blackcat/ALPHV (“BlackCat”) ransomware variant used by cybercriminals to attack and extort institutions and companies. Beginning in April 2023, Martino abused his role at a U.S.-based cyber incident response company to assist BlackCat actors. Working as a negotiator on behalf of five different ransomware victims, Martino provided BlackCat attackers with confidential information about the negotiating position and strategy of his company’s clients without the clients’ or his employer’s knowledge or permission. This confidential information assisted the ransomware actors and maximized the ransoms that the victims were required to pay. The confidential information included the victims’ insurance policy limits and internal negotiation positions. The BlackCat actors paid Martino for this confidential information.

Additionally, Martino has admitted to conspiring with Ryan Goldberg of Georgia and Kevin Martin of Texas to successfully deploy BlackCat ransomware between April 2023 and November 2023 against multiple victims located throughout the United States. All three men worked in the cybersecurity industry and leveraged their knowledge and skills to commit these crimes. After successfully extorting one victim for approximately $1.2 million in Bitcoin, the men split their share of the ransom three ways and laundered the funds through various means.

To date, law enforcement has seized $10 million of assets from Martino, including digital currency, vehicles, a food truck, and a luxury fishing boat that Martino obtained using proceeds of the offense or acquired as a result of the offense.

“Angelo Martino’s clients trusted him to respond to ransomware threats and help thwart and remedy them on behalf of victims,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Instead, he betrayed them and began launching ransomware attacks himself by assisting cyber criminals and harming victims, his own employer, and the cyber incident response industry itself.”

“Ransomware victims turned to this defendant for help, and he sold them out from the inside,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “As he admitted in court, he abused his position at a cyber incident response company to feed confidential information to BlackCat actors, helping them maximize ransom payments from American victims. He then went further, joining the conspiracy himself to deploy ransomware and profit from extortion. This guilty plea makes clear that if you weaponize insider access and cybersecurity expertise against victims in South Florida or anywhere in this country, you will be prosecuted. And as the seizure of more than $10 million in assets shows, you will not get to keep the proceeds of your crime.”

“The FBI works every day to dismantle the ransomware ecosystem,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “That includes apprehending key facilitators like Angelo Martino, who abused the trust placed in him as a private sector negotiator by collaborating with ransomware criminals. Martino provided BlackCat ransomware actors with confidential information to maximize ransom payments. He also conspired with other U.S. residents to launch attacks on victims across the country. His guilty plea demonstrates that, for all the international aspects of cybercrime, the threat is also here in the United States. The FBI is proud of the close collaboration with partners that led to this outcome.”

Martino pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to obstruct, delay or affect commerce or the movement of any article or commodity in commerce by extortion. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Martin and Goldberg separately entered guilty pleas to the same charge in December 2025. Martin and Goldberg are scheduled to be sentenced on April 30 and each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This announcement follows the Justice Department’s prior actions in December 2023 to disrupt BlackCat ransomware, during which the FBI developed a decryption tool that allowed FBI field offices across the country and law enforcement partners around the world to offer hundreds of victims the capability of restoring their systems, saving victims approximately $99 million in ransom payments. At that time, the FBI also seized several websites operated by the BlackCat ransomware actors.

The FBI’s Miami field office is leading the investigation, with assistance provided by the U.S. Secret Service.

Trial Attorneys Christen Gallagher and Jorge Gonzalez of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Haggerty and Quinshawna Landon for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitchell Hyman for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture.

Significant assistance in this investigation was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Merrilyn Hoenemeyer for the Middle District of Florida and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx P. Calderón of the Southern District of Florida.

CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime and intellectual property (IP) crime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cyber and IP criminals and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds. 

Private sector organizations can report any suspicious activities and threats to the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), visiting www.tips.fbi.gov  or contacting their local FBI field office.

If you are a victim of ransomware, contact your local FBI field office or file a report at ic3.gov.

If you have information about ALPHV/BlackCat, their affiliates or activities, you may be eligible for a reward through Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards program or Rewards for Justice program. Information can also be submitted through the following Tor-based tip line (Tor browser required): he5dybnt7sr6cm32xt77pazmtm65flqy6irivtflruqfc5ep7eiodiad.onion.

DEC Announces Hudson Estuary Trees for Tribs Annual "Potting Up" Event for Arbor Day

 

On April 24 and 25, Volunteers Can Help Prepare Thousands of Native Tree Seedlings for Stream Restoration Projects Throughout the Estuary Watershed

Supports New York State’s 25 Million Trees Initiative 

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced the Hudson Estuary Trees for Tribs (tributaries) program will kick-off the spring planting season with a "Potting Up" event in celebration of Arbor Day on Friday, April 24, and on Saturday, April 25. Volunteers are encouraged to join DEC’s Estuary Program staff in potting up thousands of bare-root seedlings. 

"The Hudson Estuary Trees for Tribs program provides a great opportunity for Hudson Valley communities to protect their local watershed with new tree plantings and support Governor Kathy Hochul's 25 Million Trees initiative," DEC’s Region 3 Director Kelly Turturro said. "Trees provide healthy buffers that reduce water pollution, erosion, and flood damage and protect critical habitat for fish and other wildlife. I encourage New Yorkers to celebrate Arbor Day by helping prepare these tree seedlings for planting.” 

Seedlings potted up during this event will be planted throughout the Hudson Valley in May and June. Municipalities, environmental organizations, land trusts, watershed groups, and schools participate and volunteer.  

The trees planted through the Hudson Estuary Trees for Tribs program are all grown and provided by DEC's Colonel William F. Fox Memorial Saratoga Tree Nursery. They are native, New York seed-sourced riparian species, ideal for flood and erosion-prone areas. To learn more about Hudson Estuary Trees for Tribs, a video about Hudson Estuary Trees for Tribs is available on YouTube at Hudson Estuary Trees for Tribs or visit DEC's Hudson Estuary Trees for Tribs webpage. 

To volunteer for "Potting Up,” please RSVP for one or both days by emailing HudsonEstuaryTFT@dec.ny.gov or completing the sign-up form. The event takes place on Friday, April 24 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturday, April 25 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the DEC Region 3 Headquarters, 21 South Putt Corners Road, New Paltz. Volunteers must be 16 years of age or older to participate. 

Arbor Day is a nationally celebrated observance that promotes tree plantings and tree care and highlights the importance of trees to the environment, economy and overall quality of life. Now celebrating its 20th year, more than 11,000 volunteers have helped the Hudson River Estuary Trees for Tribs plant an estimated 75,700 shrubs and trees on more than 156 acres at 420 streamside sites. 

Hudson Estuary Trees for Tribs efforts support Governor Hochul's ambitious 25 Million Trees Initiative, a campaign to get every New Yorker excited and engaged with tree planting. Anyone can contribute to the statewide goal to plant 25 million trees by 2033 by recording tree plantings in DEC’s Tree Tracker, a public engagement tool aiming to quantify all public and private planting projects. Since last Arbor Day alone, more than 200,000 trees have been planted across New York State and recorded in the Tree Tracker, including nearly 2,000 by the Hudson River Estuary Program. 

The public is encouraged to find other tree planting events near them by visiting the 25 Million Trees webpage and viewing the statewide event calendar. Organizers should submit tree planting events to the 25 Million Trees event calendar to encourage participation and increase reach. There are also resources for connecting tree planting events to the Initiative available online, including an Event Toolkit with downloadable social media graphics and communication tips. To request 25 Million Trees stickers and QR code tags, or learn more about getting involved with the Initiative, visit DEC’s webpage.

Ten Projects and Individuals Win 2026 New York State Historic Preservation Awards

Awardees recognized for excellence in historic preservation of New York’s historic and cultural treasures 

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The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) announced that 10 projects and individuals have been recognized with 2026 New York State Historic Preservation Awards. This year’s awards recognize preservation advocates for their work in the field and highlight historic rehabilitation projects that have made impacts in New York’s communities, including initiatives that address affordable housing, create sustainable spaces for communities, preserve performing art spaces, and explore a more complete and inclusive story of the Erie Canal. 

Created in 1980, the State Historic Preservation Awards are presented by OPRHP each year to honor excellence in the protection and revitalization of historic and cultural resources. 

“Each of these awardees demonstrates the power of preservation to connect people to place,” said Acting Commissioner Kathy Moser. “Their work not only drives meaningful community revitalization, but also helps tell a fuller, more inclusive story of our shared past. By highlighting these projects, we hope to inspire continued collaboration, and investment in the historic spaces that make New York’s communities vibrant, welcoming and enduring.”

In 2024, the Joan K. Davidson Award category was established. As Commissioner of New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation from 1993 to 1995, Chair of the New York State Council on the Arts from 1974 to 1977, and President of the J. M. Kaplan Fund from 1977 to 1993, Joan K. Davidson (1927-2023) was a visionary leader who was dedicated to the betterment of natural and built environments from cities to rural towns and villages throughout New York State. She believed that the most successful historic preservation projects begin at the grassroots level when dedicated individuals work together to ensure the future of irreplaceable community assets and tangible links to our shared past.

The 2026 New York State Historic Preservation Award recipients are:

Scenic Hudson’s Northside Hub | Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County 

Excellence in Historic Building Rehabilitation 

• Scenic Hudson’s Northside Hub transformed an abandoned industrial site at 58 Park Avenue in Poughkeepsie’s Northside through a five-year adaptive reuse and brownfield cleanup project– restoring historic buildings, remediating polluted soil and groundwater, and creating a vibrant, sustainable community space. The rehabilitation preserved the National Register-listed Standard Gage Factory while integrating net-zero energy features such as solar power, green roofs, and advanced ventilation. Designed as a community-centered hub, it reconnects residents to the Hudson River and supports recreation, education, and gathering. As New York State’s first historic rehabilitation to pair tax credit restoration with advance energy systems, it reflects Scenic Hudson’s mission to advance conservation, equity, and community revitalization.

Historic Saranac Lake’s Trudeau Building | Saranac Lake, Franklin County 

Excellence in Historic Building Rehabilitation 

• Historic Saranac Lake invested over $4.5 million to acquire and rehabilitate the former home and medical office of Dr. E. L. Trudeau for the expansion of the neighboring Saranac Laboratory Museum. The project restored the 1894 building (a contributing property to the National Register-listed Church Street Historic District). Historic Saranac Lake secured multiple funding sources, including state and federal tax credits, a $500,000 Environmental Protection Fund grant, a $325,000 Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant, an Adirondack Rural Revitalization Program grant from AARCH, private donations, and community support. The Trudeau Building rehabilitation is an outstanding example of how historic tax credits, leveraged with other funding, can help revitalize small, rural downtowns, and celebrate history through careful planning and community support.

Huntington Apartments | Seneca Falls, Seneca County 

Excellence in Historic Building Rehabilitation 

• Developed by Home Leasing in partnership with Eagle Star Housing through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative, Huntington Apartments features 53 affordable apartments, including 27 with supportive services for veterans in need of housing. Listed in the National Register, the building had been the site of multiple businesses, including the National Yeast Company, the Iroquois Motor Car Company, a box company, and an auto dealership, before falling vacant and then threatened by demolition. This rehabilitation was supported by $24 million from public and private funding including New York State Homes and Community Renewal’s (HCR) state and federal low-income housing tax credits, Downtown Revitalization Initiative funding, NYSERDA energy-efficient support (including NYSERDA’S High-Rise Multi-Family New Construction program), federal and state historic rehabilitation tax credits, and additional funding support from the Community Preservation Corporation.

Cherry Lane Theatre | New York City, New York County 

Excellence in Historic Building Rehabilitation 

• The historic Cherry Lane Theatre is New York City’s longest continuously operating off-Broadway venue that’s been in operation since 1923. Originally used as a brewery and warehouse, by the 1950s the buildings at 38-42 Commerce Street became a busy theater and restaurant. Today, the site is listed on the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project for its long association with LGBT theater artists and as a popular gay venue in the 1950s and 60s. In 2023, the theater was acquired by A24 in partnership with Taurus Investment Holdings and underwent a $30 million investment that utilized the historic rehabilitation tax credit program. The project carefully balanced preservation and modernization, upgrading interior spaces while maintaining the theater’s historic character. The rehabilitation emphasized the theater’s historic integrity, restoring the main façade closer to its original appearance and reintroducing the historic restaurant within the former black box theater using period-appropriate finishes.

Steiner Studios | Brooklyn, Kings County 

Excellence in Historic Preservation Stewardship 

• Steiner Studios exemplifies excellence in historic preservation through the adaptive reuse of multiple historic buildings within the Brookyln Navy Yard, a National Register listed industrial district. Key projects include the rehabilitation of Building B (1872), the former Residence of the Captain of the Yard, which was stabilized, restored, and sensitively adapted into modern office and meeting space; the transformation of Building 2 (1941), a former foundry, into state-of-the-art film and television sound stages within its expansive industrial volume; and the conversion of Building 1 (1942), a former materials testing laboratory, into office and production-support space while preserving defining architectural features. Through these and other efforts, Steiner Studios has demonstrated a strong commitment to preservation, combining high-quality rehabilitation with innovative design to support film and television production. By leveraging historic tax credits and maintaining a philosophy of stewardship, the studio has helped establish the Brooklyn Navy Yard as a major production hub while advancing economic development, sustainability, and the creative industries.

Seneca Chief Bicentennial Voyage Across New York State | Buffalo, Erie County 

Excellence in Community Achievement 

• The Seneca Chief Bicentennial Voyage across New York State began its 33-day journey in September 2025, traveling 500 miles along the Erie Canal and Hudson River, and stopped in 28 communities. This historic commemorative journey retraced the original 1825 voyage of the Erie Canal boat Seneca Chief– the first vessel to travel the completed Erie Canal from Buffalo to NYC. The voyage was centered on a full-scale replica constructed by the Buffalo Maritime Center and built in public view at Canalside in Buffalo between October 2020 and June 2024. The project engaged more than 200 volunteers, students, and partner organizations in one of the largest community boatbuilding efforts in the world. Led by two professional shipwrights, the volunteer-driven project used traditional boatbuilding skills while fostering public education and civic pride. The Buffalo Maritime Center was awarded a New York State National Maritime Heritage Subgrant to develop an accompanying exhibition that explored the boatbuilding process, the history of the original vessel, and the diverse people who traveled aboard it to tell a more complete and inclusive story of the Erie Canal.

Harambee Kingston NY, Inc. | Kingston, Ulster County 

Excellence in Nonprofit Achievement 

• Harambee Kingston NY has led the preservation and revitalization of the Pine Street African Burial Ground since acquiring the site in 2019. Established in 1750 for the burial of Kingston’s enslaved people and their descendants, the long-forgotten site was protected, interpreted, and revitalized through Harambee Kingston’s community-centered vision. Harambee Kingston created a cultural center and museum, partnered with SUNY New Paltz Archaeological Field School to document and protect the burial ground leading to the site’s listing in the State and National Registers of Historic Places. Through community engagement, youth education, public events such as Juneteenth, and performing sacred ceremonial services to honor those interred at the site, Harambee has uplifted marginalized histories, advanced interdisciplinary preservation practice, and created a model for nonprofit stewardship. 

Deborah Harris, Gowanda’s Historic Hollywood Theater | Gowanda, Cattaraugus County 

Outstanding Contributions to Historic Preservation 

• For over two decades, Deborah Harris has played a pivotal role in the rehabilitation of Gowanda’s Historic Hollywood Theater. Originally built as an opera house, the theater opened in 1884 and was eventually destroyed by fire in 1924. Just 18 months afterwards, the Hollywood Theater reopened to the public in 1926 and remained an important part of life in Gowanda until the 1980s. The theater closed in 1992 and fell into disrepair, with large roof leaks damaging the plaster walls and ceiling. In the early 2000s, locals quickly mobilized to create a sustainable preservation plan for the future of the theater– creating the nonprofit Gowanda’s Historic Hollywood Theater, Inc.– and securing significant local, state, and federal funding to restore and revitalize the National Register-listed building. Since 2007, Deborah has expertly guided the project as grant administrator and project manager, navigating grant writing, budgeting, project coordination, and construction oversight. Her tireless efforts were instrumental in securing thousands of dollars in state funding and ensuring the theater’s successful restoration, which has earned awards from the Preservation League of NYS and Preservation Buffalo Niagara. Deborah’s dedication has not only brought this historic landmark back to life but also sustained the momentum for ongoing preservation work, setting a model for long-term stewardship in the field.

Historical Society of the Town of Chester | Chestertown, Warren County 

Excellence in Historic Preservation Documentation 

• The Historical Society of the Town of Chester has preserved the work of photographer Itsuzo Sumy through extensive digitization, exhibitions, and public programming. Originally from Japan, Itsuzo Sumy came to the United States in 1922 and traveled as a Master of Jujitsu before settling in Chestertown in 1932. For nearly four decades, Sumy captured parades, weddings, family portraits, buildings, fires, traffic collisions, and everyday village life becoming Chestertown’s unofficial documentarian. When Sumy died in 1970, he left more than 38,000 negatives and 5,000 prints. Since 2017, the Historical Society has digitized, indexed, and exhibited this vast archive, making 900 images available online through the New York Heritage website. Sumy’s photographs are invaluable historic preservation research materials – helping inform the expansion of the Chestertown Historic District in 2025. The Historical Society has not only preserved the town’s visual history but also highlighted immigrant experiences, enhanced public understanding of Chestertown’s built environment, and brought Sumy’s legacy to life in a way that will help guide preservation work in Chestertown into the future.

The MARK Project, Inc. | Arkville, Delaware County 

Joan K. Davidson Award 

• The MARK Project has spent over 40 years advancing community revitalization in the central Catskills through collaborative, locally driven initiatives and becoming a model for community-based revitalization. The MARK Project has united local leaders, residents, and funding partners, strengthening both the social and economic fabric of small towns throughout central Catskills through initiatives in affordable housing, economic development, local food systems, tourism, farming, civic planning, and downtown revitalization. Signature efforts include housing support programs and Kirkside, a fully operational inn and restaurant that will serve as a workforce and entrepreneurship incubator. The MARK Project also supports emerging nonprofits with administrative and technical assistance, which strengthens long-term organizational resilience across rural communities.

The mission of the New York State Division for Historic Preservation (DHP) is to create meaningful connections to the dynamic history of the state for all residents and visitors, and the Division is committed to protecting historic and cultural resources. Part of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the DHP strives to raise awareness of the value of historic places for future generations and to expand the complex narratives in order to tell a more complete story that represents the diversity of the state's people, both past and present. Learn more about the full scope of the Division's work online. 

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, and welcomes over 86 million visitors annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, visit parks.ny.gov, download the free NY State Parks Explorer app or call 518.474.0456. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), or the OPRHP Blog.