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Friday, May 14, 2021
Partnerships for Parks - Grants for Arts and Culture Events
In Celebration of the Life of The Honorable Aurelia Greene May 17 - May 20, 2021
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Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation Opens Investigation Into Civilian Death
The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation has opened an investigation into the death of a civilian who died this morning, May 14, 2021, following an encounter with law enforcement in Rochester.
New York State Executive Law Section 70-b mandated the establishment of an Office of Special Investigation (OSI) within the Office of the New York State Attorney General, effective April 1, 2021. This legislation represents the codification and the expansion of the role previously performed by the Special Investigations and Prosecutions Unit (SIPU) since Executive Order 147 became effective on July 8, 2015.
Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress During COVID-19 Pandemic May 14, 2021
Statewide Positivity Rate Drops to 1.01% - Lowest Since October 10
Statewide 7-Day Average Positivity Rate Drops to 1.22% - Lowest Since October 19; 39 Straight Days of Decline
Patient Hospitalizations Drop to 1,767 Statewide - Lowest Since November 12
415 Patients in the ICU - Lowest Since November 16
247 Intubated - Lowest Since November 21
25 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
"As we near the light at the end of the COVID tunnel, it is imperative that we remain vigilant in our fight against the virus and continue to adhere to safety measures in place," Governor Cuomo said. "New York was hit harder than any other state in the nation, but thanks to the hard work of New Yorkers, we are seeing a steady decline in our numbers. If you haven't already, get vaccinated so we can continue to make progress toward a healthier, stronger New York for all."
Today's data is summarized briefly below:
Test Results Reported - 203,852
Total Positive - 2,068
Percent Positive - 1.01%
7-Day Average Percent Positive - 1.22%
Patient Hospitalization - 1,767 (-85)
Net Change Patient Hospitalization Past Week - -497
Patients Newly Admitted - 205
Number ICU - 415 (-18)
Number ICU with Intubation - 247 (-11)
Total Discharges - 179,337 (+239)
Deaths - 25
Total Deaths - 42,417
RECOVERY FOR ALL OF US: MAYOR DE BLASIO AND COMMISSIONER SILVER MARK BEGINNING OF CONSTRUCTION ON FOUR BROOKLYN PARKS
Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, today announced the beginning of construction on four capital projects in Brooklyn, representing a more than $31 million investment to improve greenspace and open access in the borough. These projects include the construction of a brand-new park in Greenpoint; reconstructing a popular playground in Ocean Hill and adding a skate park; revitalizing and reconstructing a recently renamed park in honor of the Black experience; and a Community Parks Initiative site that has not seen investment in decades. These projects are four of more than 800 completed under Commissioner Silver’s leadership, advancing the City’s mission to build a more equitable 21st century park system.
“A Recovery for all of Us means increasing access to parks in historically underserved neighborhoods and creating greener, healthier communities,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “These four Brooklyn parks will bring joy to and serve New Yorkers for generations to come.”
“Increasing access to open space and improving parkland is integral to building healthy communities. These four projects set to begin work in Brooklyn reflect our effort to continuously invest in our neighborhoods and offer New Yorkers much needed respite and recreation,” said Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP. “As Commissioner, I’ve prioritized working to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to quality parks, and it’s outstanding to see these underused spaces transformed into community assets. I’m excited that these projects are underway and look forward to the views at the overlook at 50 Kent; the new skate park at Callahan Kelly Playground; reconstructing the Susan Smith McKinney Steward Park so that it will be worthy of bearing McKinney’s name, and bringing a revamped playground to Williamsburg.”
50 Kent
50 Kent in Bushwick Inlet Park is a brand-new park coming to Northern Brooklyn. Upon completion, the $7.7 million park will include features for passive and active recreation including new seating areas, gathering area, expansive lawns, an overlook with picturesque views of the City, and water play features to help keep cool during the summer months. This site is one of the cornerstones of the development of Bushwick Inlet Park. It was acquired by the City in 2007 and underwent remediation conducted by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Callahan Kelly Playground Reconstruction
Callahan Kelly Playground is a beloved community park in the heart of Ocean Hill. This project will reconstruct the playground, spray shower, perimeter sidewalks and walls, basketball courts, adult fitness equipment and sitting areas. In addition, this project will construct a brand-new skate park and will feature new park entrances. City funding for the project totals over $18 million.
This park, bounded by Fulton and Truxton Streets, Van Sinderen Avenue, and the Eastern Parkway Extension, was named for two local soldiers who died in World War I, William E. Callahan and Edward E. Kelly. Callahan, who lived nearby at 98 Hinsdale Street, was a Corporal in Company L of the 305th Infantry and was killed in action at the Battle of the Argonne on October 2, 1918. Kelly, who also lived only blocks away at 1330 Herkimer Street, was a Private in Company G of the 23rd Infantry, and later the 106th Infantry, and was killed in action at the Battle of Dickie Bush Farm on September 2, 1918. Kelly and Callahan were two of the more than 116,000 American men killed in World War I.
Susan Smith McKinney Steward Park Reconstruction
Formerly Bridge Park II, Susan Smith McKinney Steward Park was officially renamed last December as part of Parks’ efforts to honor the Black experience. This project will reconstruct the play equipment, swings, and spray shower and construct a new adult fitness area, a multi-purpose synthetic turf field with a performance stage, benches, fences, drainage, water supply and add new plantings. The reconstruction is privately funded in the amount of $7.5 million by Watchtower. Susan Smith McKinney was the first African-American woman in New York State to receive a license to practice medicine. She was born, raised, lived, and practiced in Brooklyn.
La Guardia Playground Phase II
This $4.76 million renovation will be completed through the Community Parks Initiative (CPI), the City’s first-ever parks equity initiative, funded by Mayor Bill de Blasio. The project will reconstruct the children's play area (northern parcel) at La Guardia Playground and include new play equipment, seating, landscaping, and a spray shower. Phase I of this CPI project was completed in fall 2020 and reconstructed the sports courts and plaza in the southern parcel of the park.
CPI, launched by Mayor de Blasio in October 2014, is a multi-faceted investment in the smaller public parks that are located in New York City’s densely populated and growing neighborhoods where there are higher-than-average concentrations of poverty.
MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES AID FOR INDIA’S COVID-19 RESPONSE
Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced that the City will tap into its stockpile to send COVID-19 test kits, swabs, ventilators, BiPap machines, pulse oximeters, and other medical supplies to India.
“Just over a year ago, New York City was the center of the global pandemic,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Now it is our turn to step up and help India in its moment of crisis. We are sending vital medical equipment to India to send a clear message: nobody is in the fight against COVID-19 alone. Together, we can save lives and beat back the pandemic.”
“As a global city that once was considered the “epicenter” of the COVID-19 pandemic, it would be unacceptable for New York City to ignore the devastating situation in India,” said Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services Melanie Hartzog. “This horrible pandemic has taken too many lives, and we cannot stand idle as it continues to wreak havoc in another city. I stand with my colleagues in City government to make sure we provide any and all support possible to our fellow citizens in India.”
“Our city, home to thousands of Indian-born New Yorkers, and our country have a moral imperative to demonstrate global solidarity in order to overcome this devastating pandemic,” said Health Commissioner Dave. A Chokshi. We applaud the Biden administration’s support for COVID-19 vaccine patent waivers and call on the White House to take further action. India needs the lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines as soon as possible. We should publicly share all research, technology, and techniques for producing the COVID-19 vaccines.”
“Indeed when NYC was the epicenter of COVID-19 in the U.S., our diplomatic community rallied behind their host city and donated critically-needed personal protective equipment,” said International Affairs Commissioner Penny Abeywardena. “The news coming out of India is devastating and so we will work with our consular corps to help with this crisis. When it comes to battling COVID-19, we are all in this together.”
“During this critical time, our locally-made test kits along with a supply of PPE from the city’s stockpile will support families in India,” said Rachel Loeb, president and CEO of New York City Economic Development Corporation. “Innovations like these helped our city recover and we’re happy to lend a helping hand to battle COVID-19 in solidarity with India.”
“As a proud Indian immigrant with generations of family currently living in India, it breaks my heart to see the ongoing COVID-19 tragedy unfold. The Mayor is a leading citizen of the world, and on behalf of the Indian community, I offer my deepest gratitude for his decision to commit life-saving resources to India,” said Kapil Longani, Counsel to the Mayor. "This pandemic highlighted our interconnectedness as a global community, and it’s imperative that we stand together in solidarity to defeat this virus.”
"When New York City was the epicenter of the pandemic one year ago, we were incredibly grateful for the generosity and support we received from people all over the country and the world. Today we are paying it forward to help ease the crisis in India," said Mersida Ibric, Deputy Commissioner for Citywide Procurement at the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services. "We worked tirelessly to source the supplies and equipment our city needed to save lives and keep people safe, and now we are proud to donate some of those supplies to help the Indian people in their time of need."
Governor Cuomo Announces Resumption of Metro-North Penn Station Access Project
Project Moves Forward After Pause From COVID-19 and MTA 2020 Funding Uncertainty, Signaling Major Advancement in MTA 2020-2024 Capital Plan
Selected Firm to Build Four Metro-North Stations at Hunts Point, Parkchester, Morris Park and Co-op City in the Bronx; Commute from Co-op City to Penn Station to Be Cut from 75 Minutes to 25 Minutes; Commute From Hunts Point to Penn Station to Be Cut from 45 Minutes to 16 Minutes
Federal Government Approves Publication of Draft Environmental Review; MTA Preparing for 45-Day Public Comment Period
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the resumption of the Metro-North Penn Station Access Project, which had been paused by the COVID-19 pandemic and MTA funding uncertainty. The reopened process will select a firm to design and build four new Metro-North Railroad stations and make track upgrades in the Bronx. The MTA had identified three consortia qualified to bid for the project in February 2020, three weeks before COVID-19's arrival in New York raised questions about funding the historic 2020-2024 capital program. Devastating financial losses and uncertainty related to the pandemic led the MTA to pause the capital program and procurement process.
The Governor also announced that the federal government has given the MTA approval to publish the draft Environmental Assessment for public comment.
"As vaccination rates go up and COVID-19 abates, it's time to refocus our efforts on the critical infrastructure projects we need to deliver for New York's future and economic recovery from the pandemic," Governor Cuomo said. "Connecting Metro-North to Penn Station has long been an important next step not just for New York City's economic growth and development, but for protecting our environment and providing more equitable access to transit in our communities. This restarted selection process for a firm to build four new stations will expand access to transit in the Bronx and help to create a new corridor between Manhattan and the Mid-Hudson region."
With Capital Program funding becoming clearer as a result of critically needed Federal support, the MTA is moving forward to seek formal bids from the three consortia. At the same time, the MTA is making preparations for a 45-day comment period that would accompany a formal environmental review of the project. As part of that process, the public will be able to review project documents online and at physical in-person sites in the Bronx, including the Morris Park Community Association and the Bronx Jewish Community Council.
Governor Cuomo proposed the project in his 2014 State of the State address and dedicated $250 million to it in 2015. The project will bring four fully accessible Metro-North stations to the Bronx - at Hunts Point, Parkchester, Morris Park and Co-Op City. Trains stopping at those stations will serve an extension of the New Haven Line, offering rail commutation options in the east Bronx to midtown Manhattan as well as points in Westchester County and Connecticut.
The commute from Co-op City to Penn Station, currently 75 minutes, will be cut to 25 minutes. The commute from Hunts Point to Penn Station, currently 45 minutes, will be cut to 16 minutes.
Metro-North trains will use a rail line owned by Amtrak that has long been used by Amtrak's Northeast Corridor trains, which travel through the area without stopping. This project will upgrade the line and update its infrastructure systems at the same time that it brings local MTA service to the line for the first time.
The project is one of numerous efforts to make Metro-North service more attractive and useful in the Bronx. Metro-North doubled off-peak and weekend service at Melrose and Tremont in 2017 and doubled service between Manhattan and Fordham in 2019 by eliminating a longstanding prohibition inherited from previous private railroads on the use of New Haven Line trains already making those station stops. The last Metro-North station to be newly built where none had been before was also in the Bronx, at Yankees-E. 153rd Street, which opened on May 23, 2009.
Metro-North riders from the Bronx and full New Haven Line will arrive at a Penn Station that has been transformed from the confines long familiar to Long Island Rail Road riders. The spacious new Moynihan Train Hall and a new entrance at 33rd Street and Seventh Avenue have already opened. Work is now underway to nearly double the width and height of the 33rd Street corridor that is the central spine of the Long Island Rail Road concourse.
Further work to transform Penn Station into a world-class, 21st-century transportation hub will occur simultaneously with the construction of the four new Bronx Metro-North stations. Crews at Penn Station will unite the passenger spaces of the MTA, NJ Transit and Amtrak into one larger, simplified space, bring in natural light from the streetscape, and further widen and heighten the passenger areas.
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. said, "Ensuring equitable access to mass transit is important to reach underserved communities and reduce our reliance on less efficient means of transportation. Governor Cuomo has championed this infrastructure improvement for the entire region and I thank him for his dedication to getting it done despite the COVID-19 pandemic. This project is a critical step forward expanding opportunities to take mass transit in the Bronx and providing an economic conduit between the Mid-Hudson region and New York City."
233 Days and Counting 'It's Over'
The City will tap into its stockpile to send COVID-19 test kits, swabs, ventilators, BiPap machines, pulse oximeters, and other medical supplies to India. That is since we do not need them here in the city, because we have beat the COVID-19 virus.
Let's not forget who got the vaccine produced here in the United States, the man who saved the Wollman Ice Skating Rink in Central Park, built many of the buildings in Manhattan, a world class golf course in the Bronx, and did many wonderful things for the city. Thank you former President Donald J. Trump for this shot in my arm.