Bronx Chamber of Commerce - Celebrating our Members: 2022 Honorees Announced

 

The evening is the Bronx's #1 business networking event of the year and features a two-hour cocktail reception, dinner, and dancing. Invited speakers include New York State Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The evening includes star-studded performances by Master of Ceremonies, Sal Valentinetti, "The Voice,” Brenda K. Starr, C-Bank, Cynthia, Steven Maglio, and DJ Serg. This annual event raises critical funds for borough economic and workforce development. 100% of all contributions support the Bronx Chamber’s business and economic development programs.  Sponsor, Purchase Tables & Tickets - Click Here The Board of Directors and leadership of The Bronx Chamber of Commerce invite you to join celebrating our longstanding history and commitment to our communities, while honoring extraordinary champions and partners who have made a lasting impact on our mission and those we serve.  This year, we are proud to honor: Joseph Kelleher is an experienced business executive with an extensive background in real estate development and philanthropy. He was appointed president and chief operating officer of Hutch Management LLC in 2009. Kelleher previously served as the executive director of leasing and property management for the 42-acre Hutchinson Metro Center in the Bronx. The Hutchinson Metro Center is a highly successful mixed-use complex that features 1.4 million square feet of Class A office, medical, retail and educational space. Kelleher first began his real estate career in the real estate division of NYNEX as property manager for the Corporate Headquarters Building in New York City. Subsequently, he served as director of property management for Catalano Kornblum Management Corp. and Winoker Realty Corp., as well as chief executive officer for Casino New York LLC. Joseph Kelleher also served as president of the Bronx Council of the Boy Scouts, and on the executive board of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce as president, treasurer and vice president. Since 2008, he has served as Chairman of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce, as well on the board of the Bronx Chamber’s Foundation. John Collazzi has served as publisher and Co-Founders of The Bronx Times. He founded the paper in 1981 with Michael Benedetto, expanding it from a monthly to a bi-weekly paper within a few years, and to a weekly in 1989. After the publication was sold in 2007 he continued to work for the new ownership until his retirement in 2012. At present he is the Chief of Staff for Michael Benedetto, Assembly member representing the 82nd Assembly District. He co-founded the Bronx Chamber of Commerce in 2001, was a Community Board 10 member for over ten years, served on the Bronx YMCA's board of managers for 15 years and was an original member of the Bronx Initiatives Corporation. Collazzi is a founding member of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce, where he now serves as a vice-president emeritus. The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of two major league clubs based in New York City. The team was founded in 1903 and was established as the New York Highlanders. The Highlanders were officially renamed the New York Yankees in 1913. The team is owned by Yankee Global Enterprises, controlled by the family of the late  George Steinbrenner, who purchased the team in 1973.  Mr. Steinbrenner passed away in 2010. He was the longest-serving owner in club history, and the Yankees won seven World Series championships and 11 American League pennants under his ownership. During his tenure, Mr. Steinbrenner was actively involved in developing The Bronx Chamber of Commerce and served as Executive Vice President to the Board of Directors. His outspokenness and role in driving up player salaries made him one of the sport's most controversial figures. Steinbrenner was also involved in the Great Lakes and Gulf Coast shipping industry. Known as a hands-on baseball executive, Mr. Steinbrenner earned the nickname "The Boss". The NY Yankees are currently owned by Yankee Global Enterprises, for which Steinbrenner's four children have served as general partners. ‌ Sponsor, Purchase Tables & Tickets - Click Here Secure Your Journal Ad - Click Here ‌ ‌  ‌  ‌  ‌

Governor Hochul Announces Groundbreaking of $9.5 Billion New Terminal One in a Major Step Forward for Port Authority's JFK Transformation

 

2.4 Million Square Foot International Terminal Will Be Built in Phases on Sites of Current T1, T2, and Former T3

Arrivals and Departures Hall and First New Gates Will Go Live in 2026

The New Terminal One Will Be the Largest Terminal at JFK International Airport and Represents an Integral Part of the $18 Billion Transformation Project Now Well Underway

Private Partners Will Provide Financing To Cover Full Cost of Terminal; Port Authority To Build Supporting Road and Utility Infrastructure

State of the Art Technology, Best Sustainability Practices, Public Art, Iconic Local Concessions and Revamped Roadways Will Create a World-Class Passenger Experience

Project Will Create More Than 10,000 Total Jobs Including 6,000 Union Construction Jobs

Includes 30 Percent MWBE Goal for Contracts and Financing Interests; Extensive Opportunities for Local Businesses and Jobseekers Guided by Community Advisory Council

Renderings for New Terminal One Available Here

 Governor Kathy Hochul today celebrated a key milestone in the Port Authority's transformation of John F. Kennedy International Airport with the groundbreaking for a $9.5 billion, privately financed New Terminal One. The start of construction follows a revised agreement late last year between the Port Authority and the New Terminal One - a consortium of financial sponsors - to build the 2.4 million square foot, state of the art new international terminal that will anchor the south side of John F. Kennedy International Airport and create 10,000 jobs, including 6,000 jobs in construction.

"Our state-of-the-art renovations of New York State's airports are critical and long overdue - especially at JFK, the nation's front door to the world," Governor Hochul said. "The investments we are making today will ensure all New Yorkers, and the tens of millions of people who come here every year, have a first-class travel experience tomorrow - all while creating more than 10,000 jobs. Congratulations and thank you to everyone who has put in the years of hard work to make this transformative project possible."

Designed to accommodate the growing demand for international air travel, the New Terminal One will be more than twice the size of Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Bright and airy check-in halls and arrival spaces advanced security technology and a state-of-the-art baggage handling system will enhance the passenger experience. The new Terminal One will double the number of gates that currently accommodate wide-body aircraft, with 22 of the 23 new gates designed for larger aircraft that are key to international travel.

With more than 300,000 square feet of world-class, locally inspired dining and retail concessions, as well as lounges, indoor green-space, inspiring public art, family friendly amenities and revamped roadways, the New Terminal One will provide customers the world class experience expected at a global gateway, and it will compete with some of the highest-rated airport terminals in the world.

In keeping with the Port Authority's commitment to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the Terminal will be sustainably designed and future focused, including on-site renewable energy generation, electric ground support equipment and optimized lighting and building controls.

Initially expected to break ground in 2020, the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on air travel required that the Port Authority and the New Terminal One (NTO) consortium restructure the previous agreement to build and operate the new Terminal. A revised agreement was approved by the Port Authority Board of Commissioners and announced by Governor Hochul in December 2021, enabling the project to move forward.

In June, the Port Authority's Board also voted to approve a new lead investor in the project. Ferrovial, a global airport operator with experience building world-class terminals, acquired 96 percent of The Carlyle Global Infrastructure Fund's 51-percent stake in the New Terminal One. The consortium, which also includes the financial partners ULLICO and JLC Infrastructure, will design, build and operate the state-of-the-art terminal.

The entire cost of the Terminal will be privately financed by the NTO consortium. The Port Authority will undertake infrastructure upgrades and improvements including roads, parking and utilities, including a new electrical substation as part of the project. The project will be built in phases, with the arrivals and departures hall and 14 new gates opening in 2026 and completion of the Terminal's final nine gates in 2030

The New Terminal One will be built on the sites of the current undersized and outdated Terminal 1, the aging and obsolete 60-year-old Terminal 2 and the site of the former Terminal 3, which was demolished in 2014. In order to maintain full flight operations during construction, demolition of old structures will be coordinated with the opening of new facilities. Work will begin at the vacant Terminal 3 site. Terminal 2 will be demolished after Delta Air Lines consolidates its operations at a newly expanded and modernized Terminal 4 in 2023. The current Terminal 1 will be torn down after the first phase of the New Terminal One is completed in 2026, allowing the second phase of the project to move forward.

Transforming JFK Into a World-Class Global Gateway

The New Terminal One builds on the momentum of the other three major components of the airport's transformation. The $3.9 billion development of a state-of-the-art new Terminal 6, to be built by JFK Millennium Partners, on the airport's north side that will seamlessly connect with JetBlue's existing Terminal 5 and was approved by the Port Authority Board of Commissioners in August, 2021. The $1.5 billion expansion of Terminal 4, led by Delta Air Lines and JFK International Air Terminal, was approved in the spring and is now under construction. Additionally, work began in December 2019 on the $425 million expansion of JFK's Terminal 8, led by American Airlines, which operates the Terminal, and British Airways, which will be relocating to Terminal 8 from Terminal 7, once the project is completed by the end of this year.

Combined, the privately financed terminal projects combined with the Port Authority's roadway, parking and infrastructure projects represent an $18 billion transformation of JFK International and an extraordinary series of public-private partnerships. The Port Authority capital investment of $2.9 billion is leveraging private investment at a rate of more than five to one when taking into account the full private investment of more than $15 billion that has been committed to the four projects comprising the full JFK redevelopment program.

Redeveloping JFK Airport in Lockstep with the Local Community

In 2018, the JFK Redevelopment Community Advisory Council was formed. It is co-chaired by U.S. Representative Gregory Meeks and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, and is composed of elected officials, community boards, business and nonprofit organizations, civic organizations, and clergy leaders from the targeted local communities of Southeast Queens, Southwest Queens, the Rockaways, and western portions of Nassau County.

Since its inception, the Council has been working with the Port Authority to expand community outreach efforts and develop community-focused programs, ensuring that this ambitious project solicits ongoing feedback from local stakeholders and provides meaningful opportunities for local businesses, MWBEs, students, and jobseekers.

This includes programming to advance the Port Authority's commitment to a 30 percent MWBE contracting goal in all categories of work, and a special focus on opportunities for local businesses across all aspects of the JFK Redevelopment program, including this terminal project, which will be built by union labor under a full project-labor agreement. Other community development initiatives prioritized by the Council focus on job opportunities and workforce development programs for local residents, small business outreach and development, and educational programming for local students.

Governor Hochul Announces $35 Million Available for Permanent Supportive Housing Projects

 

Request for Proposals Issued for Funding Through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative

Awards to Provide Operating Expenses for 1,400 Supportive Housing Units Statewide

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the availability of $35 million in funding to provide supportive services for affordable housing projects statewide. The seventh round of funding through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative will help cover operating expenses for 1,400 units of permanent supportive housing that will help reduce housing instability among vulnerable populations in New York.

"Supportive housing is a critical component of our efforts to build inclusive communities and ensure all New Yorkers have a safe, affordable place to call home," Governor Hochul said. "The funding announced today through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative will be critical to addressing the root causes of housing instability and uplifting our most vulnerable and marginalized populations."

The State Office of Mental Health - the lead procurement agency for the initiative -issued a request for proposals today for Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative funding, which is dispersed by an interagency workgroup of eight State agencies serving vulnerable New Yorkers. The initiative provides operating funding for supportive service providers serving homeless veterans and their families; victims of domestic violence; seniors or frail elderly; young adults with a history of incarceration, homelessness, or foster care; chronically homeless individuals and families; individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities; individuals reentering the community from prison; and those living with HIV or AIDS, serious mental illness and/or substance use disorders.

Projects may receive up to $25,000 per unit per year for service and operating funding needed to operate permanent supportive housing units. Applicants are expected to secure separate capital funding to finance the development and construction of their housing project.

Funding awarded through the initiative may be used for rental assistance and services to eligible target populations to ensure their housing stability. Permissible uses include rental subsidies and other occupancy costs; services or staff to identify and locate eligible individuals that need housing; primary and behavioral health services; employment and vocational training; educational assistance, parenting skills development and support; child care assistance counseling and crisis intervention; children's services, including educational advocacy, support and counseling; and costs associated with services that help individuals and families remain stably housed.

Research has shown that permanent supportive housing reduces the demand for shelters, hospital beds, emergency rooms, prisons, and jails, in addition to having a positive effect on employment, school attendance, and mental and physical wellbeing. Supportive housing projects can also positively impact neighborhoods through new construction or by rehabilitating existing buildings.

The Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative is an important component of Governor Hochul's bold statewide plan to make housing more affordable, equitable, and stable. In the FY 2023 State Budget, Governor Hochul successfully secured a new $25 billion, five-year, comprehensive housing plan that will increase the housing supply by creating or preserving 100,000 affordable homes across New York, including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations, plus the electrification of an additional 50,000 homes.

New York State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said, "The ESSHI program, and Governor Hochul's commitment to supportive housing have provided new opportunities to thousands of vulnerable individuals and families. Supportive housing is a powerful resource that helps people live productive, successful and fulfilling lives in their own homes and their own communities, and we at OMH are proud to join our partners in state government to offer this funding opportunity."

New York State Department of Health Commissioner Mary T. Bassett said. "Access to affordable and supportive housing not only improves New Yorkers quality of life but also directly enhances their personal health, allowing many the ability to leave homelessness and live in permanent housing in the community. This is another illustration of Governor Hochul's commitment to supporting the most vulnerable New Yorkers by building affordable housing, with on-site social services, the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative promotes social equity and economic prosperity for all New Yorkers."

NYC DCAS, NYC Department of Education, and U.S. Department of Transportation Announces Joint Effort to Improve School Bus Safety

 

Plan will outline ways to improve the design and operation of school buses 

NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Dawn M. Pinnock, together with the NYC Department of Education (DOE), and the U.S. Department of Transportation Center Volpe Center (U.S. DOT Volpe) today announced a joint effort to improve school bus safety. Working in partnership, DCAS, DOE, and U.S. DOT Volpe will study ways to improve the design and operation of school buses in New York City to reduce crashes and increase safety. The effort will have a particular focus on electric school buses as the City will transition all school buses to electric by 2035. The study will result in a Safe Fleet Transition Plan to be published by the end of the year.   “Traffic safety is public safety — and nothing is more vital than the safety of our children,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “Developing and implementing our Safe Street Transition Plan will ensure our school buses are equipped with state-of-the-art safety features. Coupled with our recent announcement on installing Intelligent Speed Assistance in 50 city vehicles, this announcement shows that New York City is leading on creative ways to make our streets safer.”   “The implementation of the Safe Fleet Transition Plan is integral in enhancing the safety of our city’s students, who rely on school buses daily,” said DCAS Commissioner Dawn M. Pinnock. “It is a collective responsibility to explore and implement new safety measures that protect our children on school buses. We are proud to lend our expertise to devising this plan which will improve bus operations and increase sustainability.”   “Whether in the classroom or on the way to school, student safety is at the core of all we do in the Department of Education,” said Schools Chancellor David C. Banks. “As our schools, city, and methods of transportation transition towards environmental sustainability, I am thrilled to be partnering with DCAS and U.S. DOT Volpe to continue to prioritize student safety and protect our youngest commuters.”   “We are pleased to be working with the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, the US DOT Volpe Center, and DOE Office of Pupil Transportation in reviewing collisions and other incidents in the school bus industry both in the city and nationally,” said Matt Berlin CEO of NYC School Bus Umbrella Services.” Based on the city’s Safe Fleet Transition Plan, the work we are doing jointly regarding telematics, and pilot programs such as intelligent speed assistance (ISA) we are confident that our joint work will find additional technologies and vehicle design changes that will make our industry and drivers safer and prevent serious injuries and fatalities on our roadways.”   The plan will lay the foundation for critical safety improvements including the potential to adopt high vision buses, determine the viability of intelligent speed assistance and automatic braking, and consider employing audible turn signals and alerts similar to those used by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. In addition to exploring these features, the plan will also gauge the efficacy of surround cameras on buses, improve and implement new ways to utilize telematics, assess the use of backup alerts and cameras, expand the DCAS safety training to school bus operators, and more.   Upon completion of the study, DCAS will work closely with the DOE and school bus companies to develop short-term retrofit proposals and identify funding sources, reevaluate and develop specifications and requirements for future school bus contracts, and urge school bus suppliers to invest in electric vehicles with standard safety features.   Through Executive Order 53 of 2020, DCAS is called on to promote and implement safe and electric fleets of the future for the City and for private fleets and other public fleets operating within the five boroughs.   In partnership with U.S. DOT Volpe, DCAS will prepare Safe and Clean Fleet Transition Plans (SFTP and CFTP) for the broader fleet industry to outline the state of the market and technology to achieve safer and more sustainable fleet. DCAS and Volpe have already published four reports. The first report on truck side-guards has now inspired two NYC local laws and the nation’s largest side-guard implementation. The two published SFTPs for the City fleet from 2017 and 2018 - 2019 have resulted in over 63,000 safety improvements so far.    In December 2021, DCAS, the Business Integrity Commission, and U.S. DOT Volpe also published a Safe Fleet Transition Plan for the commercial waste industry. The waste industry report will be a model as they launch a similar effort with private school bus companies serving New York City children.    This fall, on October 25, DCAS will also host an in-person Fleet Safety Forum at the Queens Theatre. This will be the first in-person forum since 2019. In conjunction with Together for Safer Roads (TSR), DCAS has hosted a series of online safety fleet forums since 2020. DCAS will present initial findings for the school bus report at the forum.    “As we transition to electric school buses, we can also make our buses safer,” said DCAS Deputy Commissioner and NYC Chief Fleet Officer Keith Kerman. “High vision buses, surround cameras, improved implementation of telematics, and pedestrian avoidance and warning systems can all be part of the school bus designs of the future. We look forward to examining these options with the Department of Education, school bus vendors, and US DOT Volpe.”   In addition to the Safe Fleet Transition Plan, DCAS has implemented a wide variety of safety measures as part of Vision Zero. Other measures include the City’s fleet first CRASH management system, the nation’s largest rollout of live vehicle tracking devices managed through our Fleet Office of Real Time Tracking (FORT), the nation’s leading program of truck safety guards, barring hands-free phone use by fleet operators, and providing safety training to over 76,000 City employees.

 

About the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services   The NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) makes city government work for all New Yorkers. Our commitment to equity, effectiveness, and sustainability guides our work providing City agencies with the resources and support needed to succeed, including:  Recruiting, hiring, and training City employees. Managing 55 public buildings. Acquiring, selling, and leasing City property. Purchasing over $1 billion in goods and services for City agencies. Overseeing the greenest municipal vehicle fleet in the country. Leading the City’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions from government operations.   Learn more about DCAS by visiting nyc.gov/dcas and by following us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and listening to the Inside Citywide podcast.

Official AOC Campaign - We flipped the script on climate change.

 

We’ve come a long way from 2017 when Alexandria first publicly referenced something called "The Green New Deal" in a tweet that garnered 7 likes and 0 retweets.¹

Today, the Green New Deal has reshaped the national conversation around climate change. Where reducing carbon emissions and creating jobs were once seen as at odds, the GND promises to create millions of union jobs while building the infrastructure our country will need for clean energy. And first up for those jobs will be workers from traditional energy sectors like coal and fracking — that’s what a just transition looks like.

Some of the largest unions in the country have backed the GND — from Service Employees International Union (SEIU), to National Nurses United, to the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (among many more!). The GND enjoys support from working people everywhere, in part because renewable energy could employ more than 40 million people by 2050.²

The GND has done more than just reshape the conversation. In August, the President signed into law the largest-ever investment in climate change. The money will go towards creating 9 million new jobs in clean energy, clean manufacturing, environmental protection and green transportation. And this Spring, Congress passed millions in federal funding for 60 Green New Deal certified community projects — all of which will create jobs reducing carbon emissions and making our communities more resilient to extreme weather.³

It has been our pleasure to share the importance of our continued support for the labor movement with you this week, and we’re not done yet! Stay tuned for more union wins and explainers on how they make our vision for socialism stronger.

In solidarity,

Team AOC

1 - New Yorker,  2 - IRENA and Gizmodo,  3 - Team AOC

Attorney General James and District Attorney Bragg Announce Indictment of Steve Bannon for Fundraising Fraud

 

 New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg today announced the indictment of Stephen K. Bannon, 68, and his Florida-based not-for-profit corporation We Build the Wall, Inc. (We Build the Wall) for a year-long fundraising scheme in which they defrauded thousands of donors across the country out of more than $15 million to line their own pockets, and then laundered the proceeds to further advance and conceal the fraud. A New York State Supreme Court grand jury indictment charged Mr. Bannon and We Build the Wall with two counts of Money Laundering in the Second Degree, a Class C Felony, two counts of Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a Class E Felony, one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, a Class E Felony, and one count of Conspiracy in the Fifth Degree, a Class A Misdemeanor. Mr. Bannon is scheduled to be arraigned today before State Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan in Manhattan at 2:15 p.m.

“There cannot be one set of rules for everyday people and another for the wealthy and powerful — we all must play by the same rules and must obey the law,” said Attorney General James. “Mr. Bannon took advantage of his donors’ political views to secure millions of dollars which he then misappropriated. Mr. Bannon lied to his donors to enrich himself and his friends. We will continue to take on fraudulent behavior in every corner of society, including white collar criminals, because no one is above the law. I thank District Attorney Bragg for his close partnership on this matter and commend the dedicated teams at the Attorney General's Office and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office for their hard work.”

“It is a crime to turn a profit by lying to donors, and in New York, you will be held accountable,” said District Attorney Bragg. “As alleged, Stephen Bannon acted as the architect of a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud thousands of donors across the country — including hundreds of Manhattan residents. Each and every day, my office works to ensure that when New Yorkers hand over money, they know where it’s going and who it’s going to — without any smokescreens or false promises. I thank Attorney General James for her partnership, as well as the numerous attorneys, investigators, analysts, and so many more from both my office and the Attorney General’s Office that have worked so diligently to bring today’s indictment.”

According to court documents and statements made on the record in court, from January 11, 2019, through December 31, 2019, We Build the Wall, through Mr. Bannon and others, represented that all of the money donated to We Build the Wall would be directed toward the organization’s stated purpose of building a wall on the border of the United States and Mexico using private funds. Mr. Bannon and others specifically represented that none of the donations would be used to pay the salary of We Build the Wall’s president, who stated on multiple occasions that he was taking no salary from We Build the Wall. In reality, We Build the Wall paid its president more than $250,000 in 2019, despite the organization’s promises to the contrary.  

We Build the Wall also attempted to obscure those payments by laundering them through third-party entities, including another not-for-profit corporation controlled by Mr. Bannon. Mr. Bannon facilitated more than $100,000 in salary payments to We Build the Wall’s president by directing We Build the Wall to transfer money to Mr. Bannon’s organization, and then paying We Build the Wall’s president from that intermediary organization.

In August 2020, Mr. Bannon and three others were indicted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for crimes related to We Build the Wall’s fundraising scheme. On January 20, 2021, Mr. Bannon received a presidential pardon on the federal matter from former President Donald J. Trump.

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) thanks District Attorney Bragg and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office (DANY) for their continued partnership and collaboration.

The OAG Investigations Division and the Public Integrity Bureau are part of the Division for Criminal Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General José Maldonado and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.

Criminal charges are accusations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until found guilty at trial or by plea.