Housing Lottery Launches For 2004 Davidson Avenue In Morris Heights, The Bronx

 

The affordable housing lottery has launched for 2004 Davidson Avenue, a six-story residential building in Morris Heights, The Bronx. The 24,768-square-foot development was designed by Asher Hershkowitz Architect and yields 34 units. Available on NYC Housing Connect are 11 units for residents at 80 to 130 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $39,703 to $159,640.

Residences at 2004 Davidson Avenue.

Residential amenities include a shared laundry room, gym, and bike storage lockers. The building will also have parking for 10 vehicles.

Amenities at 2004 Davidson Avenue.

At 80 percent of the AMI, there is one one-bedroom with a $1,330 monthly rent for incomes ranging from $45,600 to $81,920; one one-bedroom with a $1,158 monthly rent for incomes ranging from $39,703 to $81,920; and five two-bedrooms with a $1,500 monthly rent for incomes ranging from $51,429 to $98,240.

At 130 percent of the AMI, there is one one-bedroom with a $2,245 monthly rent for incomes ranging from $76,972 to $133,120; and three two-bedrooms with a $2,700 monthly rent for incomes ranging from $92,572 to $159,640.

Kitchen and entry way at 2004 Davidson Avenue.

The Bathroom at 2004 Davidson Avenue .

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than April 19, 2021.

Bronx Night Market's HOT Surprise 🌶️

This Saturday, the first day of Spring is upon us. As the first weekend of Bronx Night Market approaches, we want our followers to get to know our team and have access to these exclusive details about the upcoming food festival. While you’re waiting for the BIGGEST street vendor gathering of the season, make sure to support your local street vendors! They have survived through one year of the pandemic but they need your help to make it to NEXT summer! TEAM MEMBER HIGHLIGHT This week, we would like to shout out our communications manager Beatriz Torres Martinez! She is a recent graduate of CCNY and a curious foodie who is super excited about trying different dishes from around the world at Bronx Night Market. The vendor she is most excited about is 2 Belize Girls  The Harlem-based '2 Belize Girls' is a catering company specializing in Caribbean food. With delicious options such as wings, salbutes, panades, or garnaches served with beans, coconut rice, or fish, the explosive flavors are available for amazing prices! BRONX STREET VENDORS SHOUTOUT Georgie’s Food Truck, located by Castle Hill, is hard to miss with the beautiful red truck. With fresh hot hero sandwiches, homemade salads, and even breakfast specials, you can order from Georgie’s for any meal of the day at a decent price. We recommend the Western Omelet on a Roll! Tacos Emmanuel, located by West Farms, has been around for almost three years! Handmade tortillas and delicious Tortas are the key ingredients to this local favorite. We recommend the chicken tacos! Share Forward Tweet Click below to secure your Bronx Night Market experience. All RSVP are automatically added to our monthly raffles for a chance to win food, drink, and cool merch. Producing the Bronx Night Market as a weekly event takes a lot of work, and we've been lucky to have an amazing community that supports our efforts for the past few years. We need volunteers - if you're interested in joining our team, engaging with the community, and enjoy some time out in Fordham this spring-summer click here. And, thank you, in advance.

This April, we are releasing our very own hot sauce brand! With four distinct flavors, you’re not going to want to leave the Bronx Night Market without a bottle. Our CARIBBEAN BLOCK PARTY infuses a sweet mango with the heat of Scotch Bonnet peppers. THE OD is for those who dare to try the fire with their food. Our HOT DAMN has the smoky habanero flavor with a kick. And our EL CHAPO combines the zesty Chipotle flavor with habanero. Try one or try them all when you come to visit Bronx Night Market starting April 3!

 

286 Days and Counting

 

I can't wait for # 9 to come forward, that was the number that did in former Governor Spitzer. Who can I ask that worked in the governor's office during the toxic era. I wonder if the governor knew a certain State Senator's grandfather?

Attorney General James Delivers $150,000 to City of Yonkers School District to Support Homeless Youth

Agreement Resolves Microsoft’s Overcharging of Sales Tax to Customers Purchasing Xbox Products Online in New York  

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today delivered $150,000 to the City of Yonkers Public Schools district to promote remote learning by homeless students. The funds will provide assistive technology to students, including iPads, laptops, Wi-Fi connectivity, and more. The payment was provided by Microsoft Corporation, as part of an agreement with the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to resolve the company’s overcharging of sales tax for products being sold on the Xbox website. Prior to a recent fix implemented by Microsoft, some consumers in New York who purchased an Xbox product online — via Microsoft’s website — were charged an incorrect, higher amount of sales tax.

“We are delivering $150,000 to support homeless youth in Yonkers and provide them with the necessary tools to secure the technology they need to continue to remote learn during these unprecedented times,” said Attorney General James. “While Microsoft initially overcharged some customers for sales tax on Xbox products, we were glad to work with the company to swiftly correct this issue for our state’s consumers. No one should be forced to pay more in sales tax than they must, especially as we face a pandemic that has affected so many New Yorkers’ wallets. I look forward to seeing this money put to good use for the children of Yonkers.”

When consumers purchase a product online, they are asked to enter their zip code as part of the billing address in an effort to determine the amount of sales tax they should be charged in connection with the purchase. Some postal codes within a certain zip code may have different tax rates.

On Microsoft’s website, specifically, consumers are asked to input their entire zip code in addition to their four-digit postal code. However, if a consumer enters their zip code without the four-digit postal code, Microsoft nonetheless processes the transaction. Prior to the recent fix made by Microsoft, if a consumer entered their zip code without the four-digit postal code, Microsoft would charge the highest sales tax within that zip code, leading to an overcharge.

One locality where sales tax overcharges occurred was Bronxville, New York, which shares a zip code with a small portion of Yonkers, New York — where residents pay a higher sales tax rate. 

The total amount of sales tax overcharged by Microsoft to Bronxville consumers was approximately $150,000.

As a result of this agreement, Microsoft has implemented a new procedure for processing orders that addresses this particular issue and charges consumers the correct amount of sales tax.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has forced our schools to do even more with less, and I applaud all our teachers, faculty, and staff,” said State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. “This funding is much needed by the district to better support remote learning for homeless students, 

who are bearing the brunt of this pandemic in ways we cannot even imagine. Thank you to Attorney General Letitia James for fighting for our state and helping our most economically disadvantaged students by negotiating this settlement with Microsoft. As state budget negotiations continue, the Senate Majority is focused on significantly increasing school funding and ensuring a three-year phase-in of full foundation aid, along with free broadband access to every student and school.”

“I would like to thank New York Attorney General Letitia James for her swift action with Microsoft,” said Westchester County Executive George Latimer. “The $150,000 in funds, which has been transferred directly to the City of Yonkers School District, will serve a great need with our remote learners who are struggling. The pandemic has caused a great deal of hardship for our youth in many communities, and we know that Yonkers will greatly benefit from this grant.”

Governor Cuomo Announces Discovery of First Brazilian Variant in New York State Resident

 

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the discovery of the first case of a COVID-19 P.1 variant, commonly referred to as the Brazilian variant, in a New York State resident. The case was identified by scientists at Mount Sinai hospital in New York City and verified by the Department of Health's Wadsworth Center Laboratories. The patient is a Brooklyn resident in their 90's with no travel history. DOH is working with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to learn more information about the patient and potential contacts.

"The detection of the Brazilian variant here in New York further underscores the importance of taking all the appropriate steps to continue to protect your health," Governor Cuomo said.  "While it's normal for a virus to mutate, the best way to protect yourself is to continue to wear a well-fitted mask, avoid large crowds, social distance, wash your hands and get vaccinated when it's your turn."

New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said, "This is a race between the vaccine and the variants, and we continue to make tremendous progress of getting shots in the arms of eligible New Yorkers. In the meantime we remind New Yorkers to do everything they can to protect themselves and their neighbors as we continue to manage this pandemic."

The P.1 variant was first detected in the United States at the end of January, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is currently reporting 48 cases nationwide. The P.1 variant has been designated a "variant of concern," which means there is evidence of an increase in transmissibility, more severe disease and the potential for reduced effectiveness of treatments or vaccines. However, while additional research is warranted, researchers at the University of Oxford recently released non-peer reviewed data that indicates the P.1 variant may be less resistant to the current vaccines than originally thought. 

Wadsworth Center is currently sequencing COVID-19 virus specimens at a rate of approximately 90 per day and has sequenced more than 8,200 virus samples statewide. Most specimens have been selected at random from throughout the state to ensure geographic representation. 

A RECOVERY FOR ALL OF US: 181st STREET BUSWAY TO LAUNCH APRIL 26, BRINGING FASTER BUSES TO 66,000 DAILY RIDERS IN WASHINGTON HEIGHTS

 

Two months after launch of Flushing-Main Street busway, DOT announces speeds up 13-31%

 Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced the 181^st Street Busway, which will bring faster bus speeds to 66,000 daily riders in Washington Heights, will launch on April 26^th, 2021. The 0.5-mile busway, which builds on the success of similar projects on Jay Street in downtown Brooklyn, 14^th Street in Manhattan, and Flushing-Main Street in Queens, is the latest promise kept in Mayor de Blasio’s transformational Better Buses initiative, announced last June. 

The Department of Transportation (DOT) also announced today that two months after its launch, the Flushing-Main Street busway is already providing faster and more reliable bus service for 155,000 daily riders in Queens. Data from MTA/New York City Transit show that bus speeds along the Main Street corridor have been significantly faster since January 19^th. Bus speeds in the northbound direction are on average 15%-24% faster during the day, and 13%- 31% faster during the PM peak.

 

“Washington Heights deserves faster, safer, more reliable bus transit. The 181^st Street busway will help this iconic neighborhood come back stronger than ever,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Busways have transformed transportation across the city – most recently in Flushing, where the new busway has dramatically increased speeds in just two months – and I look forward to bringing these changes to even more neighborhoods citywide.”

 

"We have seen across this city the benefits of faster, more reliable bus service, and the early success of the Flushing-Main Street busway is just the latest example," said Deputy Mayor for Operations Laura Anglin. "Washington Heights is up next in our continued expansion of busways, and we are looking forward to the positive impact this project will have on the more than 60,000 daily riders."

 

“Next month, DOT will continue our great Better Buses work by speeding up commutes across Washington Heights,” said DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman. “We have already worked closely with our partners at MTA New York City Transit to deliver busways with faster and more reliable bus service, including in Flushing, downtown Brooklyn and of course on 14th Street in Manhattan. In all of these locations, busways are successfully connecting New Yorkers, including essential workers, to employment as well as to dynamic commercial hubs, where local business owners are working hard to emerge from the COVID crisis. We expect similar great results along 181st Street – and I for one cannot wait to ride.”

 

“The key to an effective bus system is well-enforced bus priority.  We’re thrilled that the Main Street Busway is improving commutes for thousands of customers with up to 31% speed increases, and are excited to bring improvements to our customers on 181st Street and in other parts of the city,” said Craig Cipriano, President of the MTA Bus Company and Senior Vice President for Buses, MTA New York City Transit.

 

181^st Street is one of the busiest and most congested corridors in Manhattan, resulting in average bus speeds of less than 4mph. These slow bus speeds create unreliable service for bus riders making connections to the A and 1 trains; any of the six MTA bus routes traveling on the north-south avenues; and the Port Authority’s George Washington Bridge bus terminal. This project will increase bus speed and reliability, calm traffic, and improve truck travel and loading and unloading, while maintaining local access to support businesses and services.

 

The busway in Washington Heights will bring transit and truck priority to 181^st St between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue in the eastbound direction, and Amsterdam Ave to Wadsworth Avenue in the westbound direction. Through traffic would be limited to buses, trucks, and emergency vehicles. Cars, taxis, and vans must make next available right turn off busway. Local access and parking are allowed, with improved truck loading and parking meter regulations.

 

NYPD will provide traffic enforcement and inform motorists about the new regulations with the launch of the busway. DOT will also install bus lane cameras, which for the first 60 days will issue warning letters to registered vehicle owners who violate the new regulations, before beginning to mail out violations with fines.

 

DOT formed a Community Advisory Board (CAB) to guide the project before, during, and after implementation. DOT also met with Community Board 12, the Washington Heights BID, local elected officials, and small businesses.

The Mayor’s record-setting Better Buses Restart plan has increased bus speeds and reliability along major corridors in all five boroughs. Since June 2020, DOT implemented 16.9 miles of new bus lanes and busways, the largest one-year effort in New York City history. Completed projects Jay Street in Brooklyn (0.8 miles), Malcolm X Blvd in Brooklyn (0.1 miles), 14th Street extension in Manhattan (0.8 miles), Hylan Boulevard (4.7 miles) on Staten Island, E.L. Grant Highway (1.2 miles), University Ave (0.1 miles) and 149th Street (2.7 miles) in the Bronx and Merrick Blvd (5.9 miles) and Main Street (0.6 miles) in Queens.

Attorney General James Recovers More Than $1.6 Million from Government Contractor That Skimmed Funds from State Public-Works Projects

 V.J. Associates Inc. of Suffolk Padded Hours on Public-Works Projects in New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced the recovery of $1,875,000 — $1,658,020 of which will go to New York state — from V.J. Associates Inc. of Suffolk and its affiliates (VJA) for falsely inflating bills for cost estimating and scheduling services on public-works projects in New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.  

“We demand contractors taking on public-works projects in the state of New York and billing our state to act with the highest levels of honesty,” said Attorney General James. “V.J. Associates padded hours and bilked our state’s taxpayers out of hundreds of thousands of dollars for hours they never worked. Not only are we now recovering the ill-gotten gains of these fraudsters, but we are ensuring that V.J. Associates cannot bid on or be awarded another public-works contract with the state for at least five years. New Yorkers can always rely on my office to fight to protect their tax dollars.”

The Hicksville, New York-based companies performed services as subcontractors to prime contractors on public works projects for the Metropolitan Transit Authority, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, New York City’s School Construction Authority, and other government entities throughout New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.  

“Riders and taxpayers have a right to know that unscrupulous contractors will not rip off hard-earned tax dollars and fares dedicated to our public transportation system,” said MTA Inspector General Carolyn Pokorny. “Executives at V.J. Associates padded their invoices to the MTA in a failed attempt to steal precious dollars from New Yorkers. I am grateful to our law enforcement partners at the New York attorney general’s office and pleased these individuals have been held accountable.”

VJA performed these services under two types of contracts: time-and-expense contracts (under which VJA was paid for the hours it claimed its employees worked) and fixed-fee contracts. 

From January 1, 2013 through August 29, 2018, VJA submitted false bills to the prime contractors on certain time-and-expense public works projects where VJA employees worked from a VJA office rather than on-site, at government offices. The bills VJA submitted falsely billed for more hours on projects than its employees actually worked. Specifically, VJA overbilled for hours that its employees worked on unrelated, fixed-fee projects; hours that its employees spent performing administrative tasks unrelated to the projects for which they were billing; and hours that were excessive and unnecessary. 

As part of this agreement, VJA admitted to submitting false bills and also agreed to be debarred from submitting bids or being awarded any public-work contracts with the state of New York or any municipality or public body within the state for five years.

Attorney General James’ investigation began after a whistleblower filed a qui tam complaint under the New York False Claims Act, the Federal False Claims Act, and similar statutes in Massachusetts and New Jersey. The New York False Claims Act allows private persons to file civil actions on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. The recovery announced today is part of a multistate agreement between VJA and New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.

New Yorkers can learn more about filing a New York False Claims Act on the Office of the Attorney General's (OAG) website.

The OAG wishes to thank the whistleblower — without whose information the misconduct might not have been discovered — and also the whistleblower’s attorneys. The OAG also wishes to thank the Office of the Inspector General of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, the Office of the Inspector General of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the New York City Law Department, and the Offices of the Attorneys General of Massachusetts and New Jersey for their extensive cooperation and support with the investigation of VJA. The OAG extends particular thanks to Assistant Deputy Inspector General Monica Hickey-Martin in the Legal and Investigations Department at the Metropolitan Transit Authority; Investigator Mia Chang of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; Senior Counsel Anjan Mishra of the New York City Law Department; Assistant Attorney General Erin Staab of Massachusetts; and Deputy Attorney General Eric Boden of New Jersey. Finally, the OAG wishes to thank the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts for its work in this matter.

Governor Cuomo Announces More than 5 Million New Yorkers Have Received at Least One Dose of the COVID Vaccine

 

188,828 Doses Administered Across New York State in the Last 24 Hours         

More than 1 Million Doses Administered Over Past Seven Days         

Vaccine Dashboard Will Update Daily to Provide Updates on the State's Vaccine Program; Go to ny.gov/vaccinetracke

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced more than 5 million New Yorkers have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine. 188,828 doses have been administered across New York's vast distribution network in the last 24 hours, and more than 1 million doses have been administered over the past seven days.  

"Our providers have been working day and night to administer shots and we can see the results of their tireless efforts," Governor Cuomo said. "One in every four New Yorkers has now received at least one dose of the vaccine, and we are continuing our outreach across the state to address hesitancy and accessibility so that we can continue getting shots into people's arms as quickly as possible. In the meantime, it is essential that we continue to exercise basic safety protocols so we can continue to build on all the progress we've made on vaccinations." 

New York's vast distribution network and large population of eligible individuals still far exceed the supply coming from the federal government. Due to limited supply, New Yorkers are encouraged to remain patient and are advised not to show up at vaccination sites without an appointment.                    

The 'Am I Eligible' screening tool has been updated for individuals with comorbidities and underlying conditions with new appointments released on a rolling basis over the next weeks. New Yorkers can use the following to show they are eligible:

• Doctor's letter, or
• Medical information evidencing comorbidity, or
• Signed certification  

Vaccination program numbers below are for doses distributed and delivered to New York for the state's vaccination program, and do not include those reserved for the federal government's Long Term Care Facility program. A breakdown of the data based on numbers reported to New York State as of 11 AM today is as follows.                  

STATEWIDE BREAKDOWN

Total doses administered - 7,494,596

Total doses administered over past 24 hours - 188,828

Total doses administered over past 7 days - 1,047,876 

Percent of New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 25.3% 

Percent of New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 13.0%