Permits Filed For 1985 Jerome Avenue In Morris Heights, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for a seven-story mixed-use building at 1985 Jerome Avenue in Morris Heights, The Bronx. Located between West Burnside Avenue and West Tremont Avenue, the lot is steps from the Burnside Avenue subway station, serviced by the 4 train. Moris Yeroshalmi under the Yed LLC is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 70-foot-tall development will yield 41,759 square feet, with 38,620 square feet designated for residential space and 3,139 square feet for commercial space. The building will have 56 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 689 square feet. The concrete-based structure will also have a cellar and a 30-foot-long rear yard.

ARC Architecture + Design Studio is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits were filed in March for the parking lot on the site. An estimated completion date has not been announced.

MAYOR ADAMS, HUD, NYCHA COMPLETE $434 MILLION COMPREHENSIVE RENOVATION OF NINE PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS, BENEFITING MORE THAN 6,000 BROOKLYNITES

 

Resident Association Leaders, PACT Partners Deliver Comprehensive Apartment Upgrades, Renovated Community Spaces, and Infrastructure Enhancements That Will Improve Public Safety and Quality of Life

  New York City Mayor Eric Adams, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Regional Administrator Alicka Ampry-Samuel, New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Chair Greg Russ, and NYCHA resident association leaders today announced the completion a $434 million full-scale revitalization of nine public housing developments across Brooklyn under the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program. Known as the Brooklyn Bundle II, the nine public housing developments span 37 buildings and over 2,600 apartments, which are home to more than 6,000 NYCHA residents. The nine developments are managed by the PACT partner team, which includes the Arker Companies, Omni New York LLC, Dabar Development Partners, and the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation. 

“All New Yorkers have the same right to public safety and quality of life, no matter where they live, and today we take one major step closer to realizing those rights for 6,000 New Yorkers,” said Mayor Adams. “This process only works with residents, front and center, throughout the process, and I want to thank the resident association leaders across these sites for their partnership from beginning to end. Even as this project has delivered the much-needed comprehensive improvements that New Yorkers deserve, it is clearer than ever that we need every tool available to do the same across the city. That’s why the PACT program is essential and why I will continue working closely with my partners in Albany and in public housing, across all five boroughs, to pass the NYCHA Public Housing Preservation Trust and make the improvements that have been promised for years but never materialized.”

 

The nine renovated developments are:

• Armstrong I (371 units)
• Armstrong II (248 units)
• Berry Street — South 9^th Street (150 units)
• Independence Towers (744 units)
• Marcy Avenue-Greene Avenue Site A (48 units)
• Marcy Avenue-Greene Avenue Site B (30 units)
• 572 Warren Street (200 units)
• Weeksville Gardens (257 units)
• Williams Plaza (577 units)

“Congratulations to Arker, Omni, Dabar, Bed Stuy Restoration, and, most importantly, the more than 6,000 NYCHA residents who now have beautiful new homes,” said New York City Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz. “The PACT program continues to show it is one of the best tools available to delivering long-overdue repairs to New Yorkers while protecting tenant rights. NYCHA will continue this momentum with our allies and partners at all levels of government to deliver the safe, healthy homes NYCHA residents deserve.”

 

“The completion of these renovations opens a new chapter in the lives of 6,000 NYCHA families,” said HUD Regional Administrator for New York and New Jersey Alicka Ampry-Samuel. “All New Yorkers deserve to be proud of their home, and now they finally live in upgraded, safe apartments. HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration program, or PACT at NYCHA, delivers beautiful units and ensures these apartments remain permanently affordable.”

 

“Housing affordability and stability are critical to ensuring equitable communities, and the array of amenities delivered to these developments ensures that more than 6,000 NYCHA residents will have improved living conditions for generations to come,” said NYCHA Chair and CEO Greg Russ. “The Brooklyn Bundle II project demonstrates what is possible under the PACT program when multiple stakeholders are aligned for change.”

 

“The comprehensive apartment renovations and building system upgrades completed at these nine developments wouldn’t be possible without the close involvement of our tenant association leaders, the institutional support of the city, and the tireless commitment of our development partners — who shared our vision for delivering 21^st-century, quality of life-changing improvements on behalf of our residents,” said Jonathan Gouveia, executive vice president of real estate development, NYCHA. “PACT is an essential tool in our efforts to drastically transform our building stock, and the modernizations on display here today should leave no doubt as to the benefits of this program.” 

 

“HDC is proud to contribute critical financing to help ensure stronger, more equitable communities through PACT,” said New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) President Eric Enderlin. “Thanks to extensive resident engagement and the dedication of our partners, these 2,625 NYCHA households will benefit from comprehensive upgrades, guaranteed tenant protections, as well as enhanced social services and community programming. Congratulations to the residents and all our partners for their efforts towards guaranteeing the success and longevity of our city’s public housing.”

 

“The community members at these developments represent so much of what makes Brooklyn great, and we’re proud to have worked closely with them along with our partners at Omni, Dabar, and Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation to deliver the safe, affordable housing they deserve,” said Daniel Moritz, principal, Arker Companies. “The NYCHA PACT program has allowed us to preserve critical affordable housing, ensure residents have all the same strong rights they’ve always had, and improve the quality of life of New Yorkers for years to come.”

 

“This project has been an investment not just in the thousands of apartments and buildings, but also in the residents who make up these strong Brooklyn communities,” said Eugene Schneur, cofounder and managing director, Omni New York LLC. “These renovations not only preserve affordable housing for thousands of families, but they also meet the needs of the community with supportive services, shared open space, and programming for Brooklynites of all ages.”

 

“We are so proud to reach the ribbon-cutting milestone on these developments, which preserve high-quality affordable housing for thousands of Brooklyn residents, thanks to the NYCHA PACT program,” said Dawanna Williams, founder and managing principal, Dabar Development Partners. “Only through our strong joint venture partnership with Arker, Omni, and Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation are we able to offer these modernized facilities, dynamic outdoor space, and vital social services to be enjoyed by New Yorkers at large.”

 

“Restoration is overjoyed to continue over 50 years of community development with our dynamic partners Dabar, Omni, and Arker,” said Gordon Bell, CFA, chief of strategy and business, Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation. “Our team’s efficient rehabilitation of 2,600 units, while supporting thousands of families through the COVID pandemic and 40-year-record inflation is a tribute to the resilient Brooklyn community we proudly serve.”

 

The development team replaced, overhauled, or corrected infrastructure at 37 buildings in total, with the installation of new roofs, elevators, windows, doors, plumbing fixtures, and trash removal systems. Renovations completed within the 2,625 apartments included full-scale replacements of kitchens, bathrooms, and apartment electrical panels, as well as the installation of new flooring for living rooms and hallways.

 

Other enhancements included improvements to building entrances and facades, beautified lobbies and hallways, and the addition of thousands of cameras and energy-efficient lighting in common and exterior spaces to improve public safety. Non-residential facilities at the nine developments in the bundle were upgraded, with vacant community centers for Berry Street and the Armstrong campuses being wholly repaired and renovated.

All nine developments in the bundle received new boiler and heating equipment — most notably, Independence Towers installed high-efficiency boilers, new hydronic distribution lines, apartment radiators, and temperature controls designed to improve the delivery of hot water and safeguard the system against storm events.

 

In addition to environmentally retrofitting the buildings against extreme weather events, the development partners also partnered with the local nonprofit Solar One to install solar panels on the rooftops of four developments. The energy generated from these solar panels will be circulated back into the electrical grid for the surrounding community and the clean solar power that is generated will help to offset peak electricity usage.

 

Before-and-after photos of the renovated NYCHA sites are available online.

 

The development partners also took care to be responsive to the cultural needs of NYCHA residents throughout the process. The partner team worked closely with tenant leadership and the United Jewish Organization, a local nonprofit, to ensure construction work was considerate of the needs of the Jewish community, adjusting working schedules to minimize disruptions during Shabbat and Jewish holidays. The partner team also made other accommodations for the local Hasidic community, including the design and installation of new Shabbat-compliant access controls at front entrances and Kosher-compliant sink faucets, compartments, and dividers.

 

Through PACT, property managers with the development team are now responsible for the day-to-day operations and upkeep of the buildings and grounds. Across the bundle, there are 73 on-site staff members and numerous offsite staff dedicated to these buildings. There are 55 people for on-site maintenance staff, all of whom are members of 32BJ. Sixty-two NYCHA residents were hired for construction positions, and an additional 28 were hired for permanent positions with property management.

 

The Brooklyn Bundle II marks the fourth major project completed under the PACT program, which leverages HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program by transitioning a development’s operating subsidy to Project-Based Section 8 funding to finance capital needs.

 

HDC — New York City’s municipal housing finance agency — is a key financing partner for PACT. Under PACT, HDC coordinates or provides loan financing through HDC’s Multi-Family Housing Bond Resolution or the Housing Impact Bond Resolution, a new bond resolution created solely to facilitate NYCHA transactions.

 

Since 2016, the PACT program has generated more than $3.4 billion in capital funding for comprehensive apartment renovations and building infrastructure improvements for nearly 15,500 households. Approximately $579 million in renovations have already been completed, and $2.8 billion in major upgrades are underway or will begin early this year. An additional 19,700 households are part of active development projects in the process of resident engagement or pre-development. In sum, NYCHA has more than 35,000 apartments completed, in construction, or in a stage of resident engagement or pre-development.

 

More information on NYCHA’s PACT program can be found here, and more information on the Brooklyn Bundle II renovation project can be found here.

 

MAYOR ADAMS STATEMENT ON AGREEMENT TO DELIVER 24/7/365 SPEED CAMERAS, SAFER STREETS FOR NEW YORKERS

Following the introduction of legislation to allow speed cameras to monitor dangerous reckless driving in New York City 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, and extend the life-saving program for three years, New York City Mayor Adams today released the following statement:

 

“Make no mistake about it, this is a major victory for New Yorkers that will save lives and help stem the tide of traffic violence that has taken too many. We are investing a historic $900 million in street safety and redesigning 1,000 intersections across the city – but we cannot do this alone, and my team and I have been working closely with our partners in Albany for months to get this done. I want to thank Speaker Heastie, Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, Senator Gounardes, Assemblymember Glick, and all of my colleagues who helped us take this significant step. I now look forward to working with our partners in the City Council to deliver safer streets and a safer city for New Yorkers.”

 

As traffic violence continues to spike in New York City and across the country, speed cameras have proven incredibly effective at discouraging repeat speeding behavior. In 2021, the majority of vehicles that received one violation did not receive a second. As of December 2020, speeding at camera locations during hours of operation had dropped by an average of 72 percent. But in 2018, one in three deaths or serious injuries occurred while the cameras were not allowed to operate. This legislation will eliminate the restrictions on when cameras can operate.

Governor Hochul Announces MTA Pandemic-era Subway, Metro-north, and Long Island Rail Road Daily Ridership Records Set This Week

 

Subways Carried 3,601,554 Riders, LIRR Carried 182,700 Riders, and Metro-North Carried 162,100 Riders   

Record of Nearly 1.2 Million New Yorkers Rode the Subway by Using OMNY   

50,000 Limited Edition Commemorative MetroCards Celebrating Notorious B.I.G’s 50th Birthday To Be Available at Four Brooklyn Subway Stations

 Governor Kathy Hochul with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority today announced that subway ridership on Wednesday topped 3.6 million, breaking a previous record set just the day before on May 17, of 3.535 million. Additionally, on Tuesday, May 17, pandemic-era ridership records were set on both the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad with Long Island Rail Road recording 182,700 rides, and Metro-North recording 162,100 rides. Each of these figures surpass pandemic-era records set in the past several weeks, and are the highest totals since March 2020. The subway system exceeded the record set on May 5 by approximately 90,000 rides, LIRR exceeded the record set on May 11 by over 4,000 rides and Metro-North exceeded the record set on May 10 by over 3,000 rides. This record day of ridership comes after New York City Transit setting a pandemic-era record for workweek trips with nearly 24 million rides between Monday, May 9 and Friday, May 13.     

"This week, New York reached a milestone in transit ridership, one of the most encouraging indicators that our comeback from COVID is right on track," Governor Hochul said. “Public transportation systems are the lifeblood of New York, and we will continue doing everything in our power to bring riders back, helping drive our economic recovery.”    

A record numbers of riders are also taking advantage of OMNY and the flexibility of fare-capping. Subway OMNY taps reached a record at nearly 1.2 million rides on Wednesday, May 18.   

Ridership on both railroads and the subway have been steadily growing as major companies began to bring employees back to the office starting in March and following the rollout of a series of pilot fare programs designed to encourage riders to return to transit by making fares more affordable and flexible. The four highest pandemic-era ridership days on the subway have all been recorded in May 2022, and both railroads have reached new pandemic-era ridership highs in each of the past 3 weeks.    

Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, “This week’s record ridership on both our commuter railroads and the subway are just the latest evidence that New York’s comeback is being powered by transit. We are committed to bringing riders back with the new OMNY ‘Lucky 13’ weekly unlimited and other fare discount options, as well as frequent, reliable service, and we can’t wait to welcome more New Yorkers back to mass transit in the weeks and months to come.”    

Governor Hochul Announces $900,000 in Grants Awarded to State Parks, Trails, Historic Sites and Public Lands Partner Organization

 

Leverages Private and Public Funding to Support 27 Projects Across New York

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $900,000 in grants to support 27 not-for-profit organizations involved with stewardship of state parks, trails, historic sites and public lands. The grants support partner group efforts to raise private funds for capital projects, perform maintenance and beautification undertakings, provide educational programming, and promote public use of the parks through hosting of special events.

"These grassroots organizations add tremendous value to the stewardship and programming of our state parks, historic sites, trails and public lands, and we are proud to support their efforts," Governor Hochul said. "Like these dedicated park partner organizations, New York State is making a strong commitment to public lands, with record funding for parks and environmental protection. I look forward to the many exciting new opportunities in the great outdoors this funding will bring as we head into the summer season."

The Park and Trail Partnership Grants program is funded through the state Environmental Protection Fund. Grants are administered in partnership with the not-for-profit advocacy group Parks & Trails New York. This seventh round of awards will be matched by over $250,000 in private funds. Recipients must raise outside funding of at least 10 percent of the grant amount received.

State Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid said, "State Park Friends Groups and volunteers are a huge force behind our park system's success. These grants will help leverage the energy and talents of our partners to do even more to improve parks, historic sites and trails across New York."

State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said, "The work of partners like friends groups and not-for-profit organizations is critical to enhance DEC's environmental education and programming and advance conservation and access projects to State lands. Thanks to Governor Hochul and the $900,000 in grants announced today, this important work can go even farther to improve State lands, waters, and facilities."

VCJC News & Notes 5/20/22

 

Van Cortlandt Jewish Center News and Notes

Here's this week's edition of the VCJC News and Notes email. We hope you enjoy it and find it useful!

Reminders Shabbos Shabbos information is, as always, available on our website, both in the information sidebar and the events calendar. Here are the times you need:   Shabbos Candles Friday 5/20/22 @ 7:53 pm Shabbos morning services at 8:45 am.  Please join the services if you can do so safely.  Shabbos Ends Saturday 5/21/22 @ 8:57 pm

Attorney General James Recovers $36 Million from H&M for Unlawfully Keeping Money in Unused Gift Cards

 

Popular Fashion Retailer H&M Kept Millions in Unused Funds on Gift Cards That Should Have Transferred to the State’s Abandoned Property Fund

H&M to Pay Penalty for Repeatedly Lying about Its Gift Card Business to the State

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today recovered $36 million from popular fashion retailer H&M for unlawfully keeping millions of dollars in unused gift cards. For years, H&M withheld unused balances on gift cards that should have been transferred to the Office of Unclaimed Funds, which is overseen by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli’s Office. H&M repeatedly lied to the state about its failure to transfer the unused gift card balances and falsely claimed that an out-of-state company was handling its gift cards business. As part of today’s agreement, H&M will pay a penalty for its wrongdoing and transfer the money owed to the state’s Abandoned Property Fund.

“My office has zero tolerance for companies that disregard the law and line their pockets with money that belongs to hardworking people,” said Attorney General James. “For years, ​not only did H&M illegally keep unused gift card money that ​customers paid for, ​but they then lied about it to the state. Violating the law is not trendy or tolerable, and today H&M will pay millions of dollars for its wrongdoing. New Yorkers can trust that my office will always stand up to unscrupulous companies and hold them accountable.”

“New Yorkers with unused balances on their H&M gift cards now can recover their money under today's agreement,” said New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. “The Comptroller’s Office of Unclaimed Funds stands at the ready to assist those who have money coming to them. I thank Attorney General Letitia James and her office for their work to help my office hold companies accountable and ensure that unused gift card money goes to the consumer.”

Like many retailers, H&M sells gift cards for use in its retail and online stores. Customers redeem the balances on the cards in exchange for clothing and other merchandise from H&M. Every year, some portion of H&M’s gift cards go unused by consumers, resulting in an unredeemed balance on the cards — money that H&M has received in payment for the cards, but has not given value for in merchandise. After five years of inactivity, New York law requires gift card issuers to turn over unused balances on gift cards to the state’s Abandoned Property Fund, which is overseen by DiNapoli’s office.

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) opened an investigation into H&M after a whistleblower filed a lawsuit under the New York False Claims Act, which allows people to file civil actions on behalf of the government and share in any recovery. The OAG’s investigation found that H&M knew that it was required to transfer millions of dollars in unredeemed gift card balances to the Abandoned Property Fund but did not do so for years. Instead, H&M concealed its failure to comply with the law.

After H&M became aware in 2008 that it would have to transfer the unredeemed balances to the Abandoned Property Fund, it entered into a contract with an out-of-state company (Company A) that gave the false impression that Company A would conduct H&M’s gift card business. However, Company A did not take over the gift-card business. Instead, H&M continued to run that business itself — and the money from the sale of gift cards never left its accounts.

H&M falsely told the state that its gift card balances had been transferred to the company with which it contracted. However, H&M continued to retain millions of dollars of unredeemed gift card balances in its bank accounts, manufacture and sell gift cards, and remained responsible for honoring its gift cards. In addition, H&M caused a letter to be submitted to the state falsely stating that Company A had “paid out tens of millions of dollars” on H&M’s gift cards, even though H&M knew that no such payments had been made.

In November 2011, the state again asked H&M about its gift-card business, and H&M again caused false statements to be made to the state. Specifically, the state was told that H&M’s unused gift card balances had been transferred to an out-of-state entity that had no transfer obligation to New York when, in fact, H&M retained millions of dollars in unredeemed gift card balances and remained responsible for honoring its gift cards.

Today’s agreement resolves allegations that H&M knowingly made false statements to DiNapoli’s office to avoid turning over the unused balances on gift cards to the Abandoned Property Fund. As part of the agreement, H&M will pay more than $28 million to the state, of which more than $18 million will go to the Abandoned Property Fund for unredeemed balances on H&M gift cards sold before 2015. A whistleblower will receive $7.74 million for bringing H&M’s misconduct to light.

Consumers who have unused funds in gift cards issued by H&M between 2004 and 2014 can either use the card at H&M, if they still have the physical card, or file a claim for the unredeemed balance with the Comptroller's Office of Unclaimed Funds.

Attorney General James thanks DiNapoli’s Office of Unclaimed Funds for its help in the investigation.

Tequila Entrepreneur Sentenced To Prison For Securities Fraud

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JOSEPH CIMINO was sentenced today to 18 months in prison, in connection with his scheme to induce victims to invest several hundred thousand dollars into his Hudson Valley tequila business based on false information about the company’s finances.  CIMINO previously pled guilty to committing securities fraud and wire fraud in connection with his misrepresentations to investors and misappropriation of investor funds.  U.S. District Judge Vincent L. Briccetti imposed today’s sentence in White Plains federal court.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “Cimino doctored documents and provided phony information to dupe investors into handing over hundreds of thousands of dollars that he used in part to line his own pockets.  Now Cimino has been sentenced for his crimes.”

According to statements in the Complaint, Information, and other filings and statements at public court proceedings in the case:

In or about 2016 to 2018, CIMINO raised approximately $615,000 from approximately 16 investors.  To attract investors, CIMINO falsely inflated the amount of capital that he had raised from prior investors, and fraudulently altered an investor list to include several individuals who, in fact, had not contributed any funds.  CIMINO also falsely inflated his company’s sales.  For example, in July 2017, CIMINO claimed in an investor report that year-to-date sales totaled 3,410 cases of tequila, when the actual sales totaled only 350 cases.  Similarly, in October 2017, CIMINO falsely claimed that year-to-date sales totaled 6,035 cases, which was approximately five times the actual total.  CIMINO further claimed in October 2017 that his company would receive reimbursement for 800 cases of tequila supposedly destroyed at a Puerto Rican warehouse as a result of Hurricane Maria.  In reality, no inventory was destroyed in the hurricane, and the company lacked insurance.

CIMINO also misused a substantial portion of investor money that was intended to fund the operations of his tequila business for personal expenses, contrary to the company’s operating agreement.  For example, CIMINO transferred investor money to his personal bank account in order to subsidize his food, entertainment, and other living expenses.

In addition to the prison term, CIMINO, 58, of Warwich, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.  CIMINO was further ordered to pay restitution to his victims in the amount of $615,000.02 and to forfeit $159,258.23 in fraud proceeds.  

Ms. Williams praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for its assistance.