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Bronx Politics and Community events
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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.
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."
Plan will outline ways to improve the design and operation of school buses
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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
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.
A Second Defendant Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that NATALIA KORZHA and VLADISLAV NECEAEV were sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to conspiracy to commit bank fraud in connection with a scheme to launder money derived from an online vehicle sale scam that generated at least $5.3 million from dozens of defrauded consumers. KORZHA was sentenced to 48 months in prison and NECEAEV was sentenced to 18 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres, before whom they previously pled guilty.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Natalia Korzha and Vladislav Neceaev opened or caused others to open fraudulent bank accounts that were used to launder millions of dollars in criminal proceeds from an online vehicle sale scam. Without those fraudulent accounts, online fraudsters would not be able to profit from their illegal schemes. Korzha and Neceaev now face terms of imprisonment and will be required to forfeit their ill-gotten gains.”
In imposing these sentences, Judge Torres said that KORZHA and NECEAEV caused “real harm to [the victims’] financial well-being” and noted that victims reported having been hurt “mentally, emotionally and physically.”
As alleged in the Complaint and the Indictments, and based on statements made in court:
From at least March 2019 through approximately March 2021, KORZHA managed a money laundering operation based in Brooklyn that included co-defendant VLADISLAV NECEAEV and others. With KORZHA as coordinator, NECEAEV and other co-conspirators opened numerous bank accounts in the name of shell companies for the purpose of laundering money stolen from consumers who were trying to buy vehicles online. In exchange, the defendants received a cut of the victims’ money.
Other members of the conspiracy, pretending to represent car dealerships, advertised vehicles that they did not own and were not authorized to sell on fake websites with domain names that sounded like legitimate car dealerships or through online marketplaces like Craigslist and eBay. Victims who responded to those advertisements and negotiated a purchase price were instructed by the purported sellers to wire payment to accounts that NECEAEV and other co-conspirators opened. Once the payments cleared, the defendants quickly withdrew the funds before the victims realized they had been defrauded. The victims never received the vehicles or any refunds from the fake sellers. In total, dozens of victims were defrauded of a total of at least $5.3 million.
In addition to her prison term, KORZHA, 50, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $5,386,538 and pay restitution in the amount of $5,370,180.
In addition to his term of imprisonment, NECEAEV, 28, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to three years’ supervised release and ordered to forfeit $458,300 and pay restitution in the amount of $458,300.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of Homeland Security Investigations and the New York Police Department. He also thanked the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division, the United States Marshals Service, the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Lithuania, and the Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau for their assistance in this investigation.