BRONX MAN CHARGED WITH CREATING AND SELLING FRAUDULENT FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS TO INDIVIDUALS CLAIMING TO SEEK AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN NYC

 

Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), announced the arrest of a Bronx man on charges of creating and selling forged financial documents to two individuals who claimed they sought to qualify for affordable housing financed by the City Housing Development Corporation (“HDC”), one of whom is a DOI undercover investigator who posed as a customer in need of documents for that purpose. The documents included fraudulent proof of income, bank statements and tax returns. A housing management company that administers housing lotteries for HDC reported to DOI discrepancies in applications for affordable housing, which prompted DOI’s investigation. DOI worked with the office of Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, which is prosecuting the case. 

RODNEY BILLINGS, 46, of Bronx, N.Y., was charged on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, with three counts each of Forgery in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, which are class D felonies; three counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, a class E felony; and two counts each of Forgery in the Third Degree, Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Third Degree, and Falsifying Business Records in the Second Degree, which are class A misdemeanors. Upon Conviction, a class D felony is punishable by up to seven years in prison, a class E felony is punishable by up to four years in prison, and a class A misdemeanor is punishable by up to one year in jail. BILLINGS was arraigned late Wednesday and released on his own recognizance. His next court date is scheduled for October 14, 2025. 

DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said, “As charged, this defendant created and sold forged financial documents for profit, documents he was told would be used to obtain affordable housing in New York City. Creating fake financial documents to facilitate the exploitation of this scarce public resource harms the intended beneficiaries of the City’s affordable housing programs. I thank District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and his staff, as well as the Housing Development Corporation, for their diligence and partnership in protecting these vital programs and the New Yorkers that they serve.” 

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said, “This defendant allegedly tried to exploit a system designed to help hardworking New Yorkers find affordable housing. By allegedly selling fake financial documents, he not only took advantage of people in need, but also undermined public trust and hurt communities that rely on these critical programs. My office is committed to rooting out this kind of fraud, and I thank the New York City Department of Investigation and the City Housing Development Corporation for their strong partnership on this case.” 

According to the criminal complaint, on three separate occasions – in 2021, 2023 and 2024 – the defendant provided fraudulent documents to individuals, including a DOI undercover investigator posing as a customer, who indicated they needed the documents to apply for affordable housing financed by HDC.

• In August 2021, an individual providing information to the prosecutor’s office communicated with the defendant via text message, indicating the individual was in need of fraudulent bank statements to qualify for an affordable housing development financed by HDC. The defendant responded via text that he could produce fraudulent documents and instructed the individual to send the defendant $510 via a bank payment network. The individual sent the money and then received fraudulent bank statements, a fraudulent pay stub and a fraudulent W2 form from an email associated with the defendant. 

• In November 2023, a DOI undercover investigator communicated with the defendant via text message about the defendant providing fraudulent bank statements in exchange for a fee, and the defendant sent the undercover investigator an advertisement for “document editing” services for pay stubs, tax returns, bank statements, W2s, and other financial documents. The undercover investigator spoke with the defendant by phone and told the defendant that the undercover investigator needed fraudulent bank statements and pay stubs to qualify for an affordable housing development financed by HDC. The defendant stated he could produce these documents in exchange for a fee and instructed the undercover investigator to send a payment of $330 through a bank payment network. The undercover investigator paid the fee and then received fraudulent bank statements and pay stubs from an email associated with the defendant. 

• In May 2024, the same DOI undercover investigator communicated with the defendant via phone, requesting a fraudulent tax return to qualify for an affordable housing development financed by HDC. The defendant stated he could produce that document in exchange for a fee and instructed the undercover investigator to send a payment of $80 through a bank payment network. The undercover investigator sent the payment and received an email from a different email account associated with the defendant, which contained a fraudulent tax return.  

DOI Commissioner Strauber thanked Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, for his and his staff’s partnership on this case. Assistant District Attorney Peter Choi in the District Attorney’s Public Integrity Bureau is handling the prosecution. Commissioner Strauber also thanked HDC President Eric Enderlin, and his staff, for their cooperation in this investigation.

A criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. 

Unplug and Play: Governor Hochul Announces Up to $100 Million Available for Municipal and Nonprofit Community Centers

FY 2026 Enacted Budget Includes $100 Million for Building Recreational Infrastructure for Communities, Kids and Seniors

Funding Now Available for Municipal and Nonprofit Community Centers; Grant Applications Due by 3:00 PM August 15, 2025

Open Application Question Period Begins June 5 to June 20, 2025; Webinar Video Will be Posted on NYS OPRHP and DASNY NY BRICKS Websites Addressing Questions

‘Unplug and Play’ Gets Kids Off of Their Phones by Funding Playgrounds, Community Centers, Affordable Sports Programs and Recreational Opportunities

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that funding is available from the new $100 million Building Recreational Infrastructure for Communities, Kids and Seniors (NY BRICKS) capital grant program. Governor Hochul secured this funding in the FY 2026 Enacted Budget to support municipalities and nonprofit organizations in building or renovating community centers that promote physical health, mental well-being, and community connections for youth and older adults. NY BRICKS will offer grants of up to $15 million to fund design, construction, renovation, and land acquisition for these centers. Priority will be given to projects in underserved communities, as well as those offering affordable services like childcare, eldercare, and mental health counseling. The program aims to make transformative, high-impact investments in local communities. This announcement builds on Governor Hochul’s ‘Unplug and Play’ initiative to get kids off of their phones by funding playgrounds, community centers, affordable sports programs and recreational opportunities.

“Every New Yorker deserves a safe, welcoming space to grow, connect, and thrive,” Governor Hochul said. “We’re investing in the future of our communities — creating vibrant centers where kids can play, seniors can stay active, and families can access the support they need. This is about building more than infrastructure — it’s about building opportunity, equity, and well-being in every corner of our state.”

As part of Governor Hochul’s FY 2026 Enacted Budget and State of the State proposals, NY BRICKS offers grants between $250,000 and $15 million to acquire, design, construct or reconstruct facilities, provide major renovations, improvements, and modernization or rehabilitation of community centers. The Request for Applications (RFA) for funding was posted today at dasny.org/BRICKS and parks.ny.gov.

The application period for the NY BRICKS capital grant program will open on July 14, 2025 and applications must be submitted by August 15, 2025. Awards are expected to be announced no earlier than November 1, 2025. Applications will be evaluated on characteristics of projects’ need, impact, and viability. NY BRICKS grants will require applicants to provide a 20 percent matching contribution towards the overall project cost. Not-for-profit entities must receive approved prequalification status in the Statewide Financial System (SFS) prior to the submission of their application and must remain prequalified through the execution of the Grant Disbursement Agreement and payment of all requisitions.

Governor Hochul’s Unplug and Play Initiative

The Governor's new Unplug and Play initiative earmarks $100 million for the construction and renovation of community centers through the Build Recreational Infrastructure for Communities, Kids and Seniors (NY BRICKS); $67.5 million for the Places for Learning, Activity and Youth Socialization (NY PLAYS) initiative helping New York communities construct new playgrounds and renovate existing playgrounds; and an additional $90 million for the continuation of the Statewide Investment in More Swimming (NY SWIMS) initiative including $50 million for a competitive grant program supporting municipalities in the renovation and construction of swimming facilities and $40 million for other swimming-based investments. Additionally, “Get Offline, Get Outside,” is an initiative launched by Governor Hochul to promote physical and mental health by encouraging kids and families to put down their screens, take a break from social media, enjoy recreation and the outdoors, and put their mental and physical health first.

The Governor’s Office, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) and DASNY are committed to helping potential applicants prepare competitive applications. The open application question period begins on June 5, 2025, and all questions must be submitted via the NY BRICKS SurveyMonkey form accessible here. A webinar video will be posted on the NYS OPRHP and DASNY NY BRICKS websites (www.dasny.org/BRICKS and www.parks.ny.gov) on June 25, 2025. This video will address questions received by June 20, 2025 and review the RFA and application process. Questions received after the webinar video has been posted on June 25, 2025, and prior to 3:00 p.m. on June 27, 2025 will be made available on the same websites by July 11, 2025. Details regarding the submission of questions are provided in the RFA and on the NYS OPRHP and DASNY websites. All potential applicants are strongly encouraged to review the RFA, submit questions in writing, and view the Webinar as the NY BRICKS Grant Application process will be explained in the webinar video. 

TWO MEN INDICTED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER OF NYPD OFFICER VICIOUSLY BEATEN DURING ROBBERY

Defendants Assaulted Uniformed Cop Who Was Between Shifts; Father of One Defendant Charged with Using His Stolen Credit Card 

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that two men have been indicted for Attempted Murder in the first degree and other related charges in the brutal assault of an off-duty rookie NYPD police officer as they robbed him and stole his service firearm over Memorial Day Weekend. 

District Attorney Clark said, “The defendants allegedly approached the victim to rob him, pushed him to the ground, and when they saw his uniform, they allegedly punched him and stomped on his head. The officer suffered head trauma, fractures to his left orbital bone and right cheekbone, and his face bore a sneaker print—evidence of the defendants’ blatant disregard for a human being.” 

District Attorney Clark said the defendants, Taveon Hargrove, 23, of Seward Avenue, the Bronx, and Wayne Lucas, 23, of Cochise Trail North, Chesterfield, Virginia, were indicted on two counts of Attempted Murder in the first degree, Attempted Murder in the second degree, four counts of first-degree Robbery, two counts of second-degree Robbery, third-degree Robbery, three counts of first-degree Assault, four counts of second-degree Assault, Aggravated Assault Upon a Police Officer, Assault on a Peace Officer, Police Officer, Fireman or EMS Professional, second-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Criminal Possession of a Firearm, Six counts of fourth-degree Grand Larceny, five counts of Criminal Possession of fourth-degree Possession of Stolen Property. Hargrove’s father, Jeffery Hargrove, was indicted for one count of fourthdegree Possession of Stolen Property and two counts of Petit Larceny.

Lucas was arraigned today by Bronx Supreme Court Justice George Villegas and remanded. Hargrove is in custody in Virginia, where he is fighting extradition to New York.

According to the investigation, on Saturday, May 24, 2025, at approximately 4:10 a.m., Police Officer Chowdhury Nafees, 27, a member of the NYPD since September 2024, was between shifts for the holiday weekend and was walking on St. Peter’s Avenue in Westchester Square when Hargrove and Lucas allegedly approached him, put a knife to his neck and pushed him to the ground. They allegedly stole his wallet containing his credit cards, personal cell phone, Department issued cell phone, and Glock 19 9mm service pistol.

Before fleeing, the suspects allegedly punched Nafees multiple times in the face and Hargrove stomped on his head, slamming it into the ground. The attack was captured on video. Nafees suffered head trauma, fractures to his left orbital bone and right cheekbone. He was taken to NYC Health +Hospitals Jacobi where he underwent treatment for four days. The defendants fled to Virginia, where Hargrove was arrested on May 27, 2025, and Lucas was arrested on May 28, 2025.

District Attorney Clark thanked NYPD Detective Sean Liscoe of the 45th Precinct Detective Squad, and NYPD Detective Joseph Rivera, of the Regional Fugitive Task Force for their work in the investigation.  

An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

Attorney General James Calls on FDA to Expand Access to Medication Abortion

 

Citing 25 Years of Proven Safety, Four AGs Petition FDA to End Unnecessary Restrictions on Mifepristone

New York Attorney General Letitia James and the attorneys general of California, Massachusetts, and New Jersey today filed a petition asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to eliminate unnecessary and outdated restrictions on the abortion medication mifepristone. Attorney General James and the coalition argue that mifepristone has proven overwhelmingly safe and effective in the 25 years since it was first approved by the FDA, and that the agency’s current Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program imposes burdensome restrictions on access to medication abortion while not meaningfully improving patient safety. The petition comes as the FDA undertakes a full review of mifepristone labeling requirements at the direction of Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations grants individuals and organizations the ability to petition the FDA to issue, change, or cancel a regulation, or to take other action. Attorney General James and the coalition are urging the FDA to use this full review of mifepristone to lift unjustified restrictions and maximize access to this essential medication.

“Given mifepristone’s 25-year safety record, there is simply no scientific or medical reason to subject it to such extraordinary restrictions,” said Attorney General James. “New Yorkers, and all Americans, deserve access to this safe, effective, and essential medication without burdensome, unjustified restrictions. The FDA must follow the science and lift these unnecessary barriers that put patients at risk and push providers out of care.”

Mifepristone, used in combination with misoprostol, is the most common method for ending early pregnancy in the United States and is also the standard of care for managing early miscarriage. Since it was first approved by the FDA in 2000, more than 7.5 million people in the U.S. have used mifepristone. According to leading medical organizations, as well as the FDA itself, serious complications are “extremely rare,” and no deaths have ever been definitively attributed to the drug. Mifepristone is even on the World Health Organization’s core list of essential, life-saving medicines.

Despite this safety record, mifepristone remains subject to a REMS program designed for drugs with known, serious risks, which involves three burdensome requirements:

• Prescriber certification, which deters clinicians from prescribing the medication by requiring their names to be added to national and local abortion provider lists, raising serious safety and legal concerns;
• Patient agreement forms, which all patients must sign – even those being treated for miscarriage – attesting they intend to “end [their] pregnancy”; and
• Pharmacy certification, which imposes complex tracking, shipping, and reporting burdens that dissuade pharmacies from carrying mifepristone.

Attorney General James and the coalition argue these REMS requirements are medically unnecessary and significantly impede access to care, especially in rural and underserved communities. The attorneys general assert that the vast administrative burden associated with REMS requirements has kept mifepristone out of most family medicine practices and primary care settings, despite its low risk and ease of use. Many primary care and family medicine physicians report viewing the complex process as not worth the effort. As a result, medication abortion is largely limited to specialized settings, with only one percent of such abortions occurring at primary care facilities. Meanwhile, nearly 90 percent of U.S. counties lack a single abortion provider.

The attorneys general emphasize that these restrictions stand in stark contrast to the FDA’s treatment of far riskier medications. Drugs like opioids, blood thinners, and even other formulations of mifepristone used to treat illnesses like Cushing’s syndrome are not subject to such restrictive REMS programs. FDA-approved drugs for cosmetic procedures and erectile dysfunction, despite well-known risks for serious complications, also face fewer barriers than mifepristone.

Attorney General James and the coalition also cite mounting evidence that the REMS program burdens the entire health care system. Emergency rooms often cannot prescribe mifepristone due to certification hurdles, despite it being critical for patients experiencing miscarriages. Pharmacies also struggle to meet the administrative burdens of certification requirements, and some have even faced coordinated pressure campaigns and threats simply for attempting to stock the medication. When Walgreens announced plans to seek certification, it was met with intimidation and threats and ultimately declined to dispense the drug in 20 states, including several where abortion remains legal. Following this announcement, Attorney General James sent a letter to Walgreens and other pharmacies, urging them to confirm mifepristone would remain available in New York.

In the petition, the attorneys general refute recent attempts to challenge mifepristone’s safety using methodologically flawed scientific research papers, noting that several of these papers have been retracted by medical journals. The FDA itself has acknowledged that mifepristone’s safety has remained stable, even after prior REMS restrictions, such as in-person dispensing requirements, were lifted.                                                            

Under federal law, REMS requirements must mitigate a specific serious risk and cannot be “unduly burdensome” on patients or health care delivery systems. Attorney General James and the coalition argue that the current mifepristone REMS fails to meet that standard. They point to robust state laws already in place in New York and other states that ensure safe prescribing, rigorous informed consent, and professional accountability. The FDA is also specifically directed to account for access in rural areas and to minimize unnecessary burdens on the health care system, criteria that the mifepristone REMS does not meet.

Given mifepristone’s strong safety record and essential role in abortion and miscarriage care, Attorney General James and the coalition assert that the current REMS program is both scientifically and legally indefensible. The attorneys general are asking FDA to fully eliminate the mifepristone REMS program, including prescriber, pharmacy, and patient certification requirements; or, at minimum, exercise enforcement discretion and cease applying REMS elements in New York, California, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, states where abortion is legal and safe, and health care is highly regulated.

Federal Jury Convicts Pakistani Weapons Smuggler of Transporting Iranian Advanced Conventional Weapons Destined for the Houthis in Yemen

 

A federal jury convicted a Pakistani national today on charges related to smuggling Iranian-made advanced conventional weaponry destined for the Houthis in Yemen and threatening multiple witnesses.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on the night of Jan. 11, 2024, U.S. Central Command Navy forces operating from the USS LEWIS B. PULLER, including Navy SEALs and members of the U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Security Response Team East, boarded an unflagged dhow, a small vessel, in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Somalia. The U.S. boarding team encountered 14 individual mariners on the vessel, including the captain, Muhammad Pahlawan, 49.

During a search of the dhow, the U.S. boarding team located and seized Iranian-made advanced conventional weaponry, including ballistic missile components, anti-ship cruise missile components, and a warhead. The type of weaponry found aboard the dhow is consistent with the weaponry used by the Houthi rebel forces during the time of the charged conspiracy against merchant ships and U.S. military ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden after the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel.  During the interdiction, Pahlawan lied to the boarding team, instructed other crewmembers to lie, and eventually threatened the lives of his crewmembers and their families.

Pahlawan’s January 2024 trip was part of a larger operation. From in or around August 2023 through in or around January 2024, Pahlawan worked with two Iranian brothers, Shahab Mir’kazei (Shahab), and Yunus Mir’kazei (Yunus), affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to smuggle materials from Iran to the Houthi rebel forces in Yemen. Pahlawan completed multiple smuggling voyages, coordinated and funded by Shahab and Yunus, by traveling with cargo from Iran to the coast of Somalia and transporting that cargo to another vessel for a nighttime ship-to-ship transfer. Pahlawan worked with Shahab and Yunus to prepare the dhow for these smuggling voyages, received specific coordinates from them for the ship-to-ship transfers, and received multiple payments from them for his role in the smuggling operation.

Pahlawan was convicted of: conspiring to provide material support and resources to terrorists, providing material support and resources to Iran’s weapons of mass destruction program, providing material support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’s weapons of mass destruction program, conspiring to and indeed transporting explosive devices to the Houthis knowing those explosives would be used to cause harm, and threatening his crew. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 22 and most statutes of conviction include a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Director Donald M. Holstead of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division; and Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Troy A. Edwards Jr. and Gavin R. Tisdale for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Joseph N. Kaster of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. Former Eastern District of Virginia prosecutor Danya Atiyeh and former National Security Division Trial Attorney Lesley Woods supported the case.

The following government agencies provided invaluable support to the case: the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of Defense, the Diplomatic Security Service, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of State.

Muslims Israel Dialogue - No Anti Israel Is Welcome

 

To all the candidates running for mayor in our city, here’s a fact you need to know and embrace to qualify to be our mayor.

1. The United Nations has 194 members.

2. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has 57 members.

3. The Arab League has 22 members.

4. The Jewish world has Israel.

If you refuse a nation for the Jews that all our Abrahamic holy books confirmed, you don’t qualify and deserve to be our mayor. New York City must never elect an anti Israel and anti semitic mayor because not only it’s home to the largest Jewish population in the world outside of the holy land but also the closest ally of Israel. Any candidate who refuses to travel to Israel once elected, must not even be considering running for a city council much less for mayor.

This statement comes from a proud pro-Palestine Muslim New Yorker. Thank you!

#MuslimsIsraelDialogue

Sheikh Musa Drammeh

President,

Muslims Israel Dialogue

718-822-5555

muslimsisraeldialogue@gmail.com

AOC releases endorsement slate for NYC mayoral primary

 

AOC releases slate of endorsements for NYC's Democratic primary election for mayor

This morning, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez released a message to NYC voters and supporters about her slate of endorsements for mayor in the upcoming Democratic primary election on Tuesday, June 24th:

New York City needs a mayor who will put the needs of working people first, and rebuild trust in our city’s government.

Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani has demonstrated a real ability on the ground to put together a coalition of working-class New Yorkers that is strongest to lead the pack. In the final stretch of the race, we need to get very real about that.

I will be ranking Zohran #1 for mayor on my ballot on June 24th, and I hope you will, too. 

With our ranked choice voting system, we have the opportunity to vote for five candidates who are a true, broad coalition fighting for a better New York City. 

So I will also be ranking City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams second, Comptroller Brad Lander third, former Comptroller Scott Stringer fourth, and State Senator Zellnor Myrie fifth.

Beyond the slate of candidates listed here, do not rank Andrew Cuomo on your ballot at all. Leave the bubble next to his name blank. 

This is our most effective tool to protect NYC institutions from being molded to maximize impunity for Cuomo’s bully politics. Cuomo gutted NYS Democratic party leadership, stuffed it with lobbyists, and used it to boost the GOP. 

We can do better, NYC.

Lets run a strong, progressive candidate that directly addresses the core crises so many New Yorkers face, like fighting housing instability, improving early childhood care, supporting small businesses, and raising our minimum wage. 

We have less than 3 weeks until Primary Day. We are within the margin of effort. And if there’s one thing we know how to do, it’s outwork expectation. 

See you at the polls,

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

MAYOR ADAMS INVESTS $50 MILLION TO FURTHER REVITALIZE “THE ARCHES,” PUBLIC SPACE ON MANHATTAN SIDE OF BROOKLYN BRIDGE

 

Investment Part of “Best Budget Ever” and “We Outside Summer,” Will Improve Revitalized Public Space

Major Restoration of Brooklyn Bridge Closed Adjacent Space for Past 15 Years

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today cut the ribbon on a newly-revitalized portion of “The Arches” — the public space on the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge adjacent to City Hall that is named for the 53 adjacent arches under the Brooklyn Bridge — and announced $50 million in additional funding to improve the public space. As part of Mayor Adams’ Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget — referred to often as the city’s “Best Budget Ever” — this investment will add additional amenities to the public space, including public seating, plantings, lighting, and more. The announcement continues Mayor Adams’ “We Outside Summer” —  a new initiative that will include a series of announcements, events, investments, and new programming across the five boroughs to ensure New Yorkers have a safe, enjoyable summer.

“Public space in this city is precious — it’s where our families create memories, it’s where our children play, and it’s where communities come to relax. Today, we return two more acres of public space back to the local Chinatown community at ‘The Arches,’ giving New Yorkers more outdoor space to exercise, engage with others, and enjoy,” said Mayor Adams. “We are also investing $50 million in funding to bring this space back to life, and transform it into a lively, inclusive space for friends and neighbors to come together — welcoming New Yorkers from all walks of life. Right in time for our ‘We Outside Summer,’ The Arches brings us closer to creating a more equitable, livable, and prosperous New York.”

“The Arches” is named for the 53 adjacent arches under the Brooklyn Bridge.
Source: New York City Department of Transportation (DOT).

“In the shade of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, this project delivers many things — an architectural marvel, a proper home for skating in one of the sport’s global hubs, and a place to relax in a neighborhood with too few,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Jeff Roth. “We are grateful to our agency partners; to Rosa Chang, who relentlessly helped us push this over the finish line; The Skatepark Project; and our many local friends and advocates who got us to this moment.”

“In a city where public space is at a premium — especially in neighborhoods like Chinatown and Lower Manhattan — bringing this iconic stretch under the Brooklyn Bridge back to life is a big win for New Yorkers,” said Chief Public Realm Officer Ya-Ting Liu. “We’re turning concrete into community — a place that will be a respite and gathering place for residents, workers, and visitors alike. By opening up more welcoming, active spaces, we’re also helping local businesses thrive and shining a spotlight on the culture and energy that make neighborhoods like Chinatown so special.”

“The Lower Manhattan community, and all who visit it each day, can celebrate this special day as we return the space around this beautiful bridge to a neighborhood where public space is so precious,” said New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “As the weather warms, we invite the community and tourists who are visiting the bridge and Chinatown to come enjoy this beautiful new public space.”

The phased re-opening of “The Arches” began in 2023 but today marks the return of the largest plaza portion — more than two acres of new public space — to the local lower Manhattan community, to be combined with the more than one acre previously opened. The new space includes access to space under the Brooklyn Bridge’s dramatic vaulted archways — part of the National Historic Landmark that is managed by DOT — which in the last decade has undergone more than $1 billion in improvements, its most significant rehabilitation and restoration since the bridge was first completed in 1883.

“The revitalization and re-opening of the Brooklyn Banks is a monumental moment for skateboarding,” said Benjamin Anderson Bashein, CEO, The Skatepark Project. “This historic skate spot is a special place where people from across the world have come to skate and to find community, and we’re thrilled to see it open to the public once again. We are grateful to our partners at City Hall, who have prioritized this project, along with Gotham Park and Vans, whose unwavering support has helped make this dream project become a reality.”

The area opening today had served as a contractor staging area for more than a decade, supporting restoration for the Brooklyn Bridge, projects which together totaled more than $1 billion in investments. In spaces re-opened over the last two years, public space was added for pickleball, basketball, and shuffleboard, as well as quiet benched areas.

In May 2023, Mayor Adams also announced the plaza space would be open to the community for a range of recreational activities, including the return of the “Brooklyn Banks”  site, once known as the “mecca of New York skateboarding.” The newest public plaza space honors this history with a revitalized  space designed in partnership with Gotham Park and Tony Hawk’s non-profit organization, The Skatepark Project. The Adams administration continues to work closely with The Skatepark Project to ensure all materials and design features of the park meet the safety, wellness, and performance needs of the action sports community, and with Gotham Park and community leaders to ensure the historic site serves New Yorkers for years to come.