MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TO REIMAGINE 14TH STREET CORRIDOR WITH UPGRADES TO PUBLIC SPACES, PEDESTRIAN AND BUS RIDER EXPERIENCE

City Launches Design Study to Develop Vision for Transformational Upgrades 

 

$3 Million Public-Private Investment, $2 Million Commitment From City, $1 Million from Local Business Improvement Districts 

 

Project to Follow Public-Private Model of City’s $400 Million Transformation of Fifth Avenue 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President and CEO Andrew Kimball, and leaders from the Union Square Partnership and Meatpacking District Management Association today announced $3 million in funding to develop a vision plan for 14th Street in Manhattan. Together, DOT, NYCEDC, and the Union Square and Meatpacking District Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) will conduct a study to evaluate transformational upgrades to the pedestrian and transit rider experience along 14th Street in Manhattan, building on the remarkable success of the corridor’s busway.  

The $1.5 million investment in the Fiscal Year (FY) 26 Adopted Budget, which builds on Mayor Adams’ FY 2026 Executive Budget — often called the “Best Budget Ever” — along with $500,000 in funding from the NYCEDC, will help provide a once-in-a-generation upgrade to the entire 14th Street corridor for the 28,000 daily bus riders and thousands more New Yorkers visiting iconic destinations along the street each day. Design features will include, but are not limited to new landscaping, upgraded pedestrian space, greenery, and safety enhancements that all still preserve existing busway operations.  

 

“Our administration continues to invest in transformative generational projects that redesign our public spaces, support our small businesses, boost tourism, make our city safer, and encourage world-class recreation across the five boroughs,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “As part of our ‘Best Budget Ever,’ we were proud to work with the Union Square and Meatpacking District BIDs and the City Council to advance a study of 14th Street that will usher in the future of this iconic corridor. We continue to think big and imagine what is possible on our streets and in our communities in service of our mission to make New York City a safer, more affordable city that is the best place to raise a family.” 

 

“The 14th Street busway has already been transformational for New Yorkers, creating a safer, more welcoming street while dramatically speeding up buses and reducing wait times,” said DOT Commissioner Rodriguez. “This study will help us unlock the full potential of the entire corridor and create a world-class, people-first 14th Street. We look forward to working closely with the New York City Economic Development Corporation and our partner organizations to develop this vision.” 

 

“Union Square Partnership is excited to build on the momentum of our ‘USQNext Vision Plan’ to deliver a modernized Union Square Park and a reimagined 14th Street,” said Julie Stein, executive director, Union Square Partnership. “This is our chance to create a world-class public realm along one of New York’s key thoroughfares — with greener, safer streetscape, 21st century design features, and a best-in-class pedestrian experience. We look forward to working closely with public agency partners and community stakeholders to shape a bold vision for 14th Street and turn it into implementable, lasting improvements.” 

 

The 24-month design study includes a $2 million investment from the city with the Union Square Partnership contributing $750,000 and the Meatpacking District contributing $250,000 for a combined contribution of $1 million towards the effort. DOT will lead the study in close collaboration with the NYCEDC and the BIDs, with the aim of developing a world-class pedestrian experience along 14th Street and modernizing anchor public spaces like Union Square Park. The city will begin seeking a consultant for the study this year, with plans to engage the public in the first quarter of 2026 and have capital projects developed by the end of the study. 

 

The City Council has made a down payment on those capital projects, with Councilmember Carlina securing $9 million in city capital funds across Fiscal Years 2027-2029. Borough President Levine has also allocated $500,000 for the future capital project.  

 

The project builds on the core tenets of the “New” New York action plan, which identified public space and pedestrian improvements as key forces for the city's economic recovery. It also reflects other public-private partnerships to reimagine iconic corridors, which will provide the model for the 14th Street vision plan. In 2023, the Adams administration launched the Future of Fifth public-private partnership, which brings city agencies together with the Fifth Avenue Association, the Grand Central Partnership, the Central Park Conservancy, and the Bryant Park Corporation to further this project. As part of Mayor Adams’ Best Budget Ever, he announced total investments of over $400 million to fully fund the city and the Future of Fifth Partnership's plan to transform Fifth Avenue — between Bryant Park and Central Park — into a world-class, pedestrian-centered boulevard, cementing the iconic corridor's status as a catalyst for economic growth and job creation in New York City. Last year, the Adams administration cut the ribbon on the latest phase of Broadway Vision, the city’s plan to dramatically expand pedestrian and cycling space along Broadway, from Union Square to Columbus Circle. 

 

The Adams administration has pedestrianized a record amount of public space, adding more than 1.4 million square feet of pedestrian space over the last three years. This is part of the Adams administration’s broader efforts to create safe, welcoming streets through the expansion of the city’s Open Streets program and a newly established permanent outdoor dining program, ‘Dining Out NYC’.  

 

Today’s announcement is a reflection of Mayor Adams’ commitment to improving quality of life and public safety through improving public spaces, with a focus on better design, operations and maintenance, and enforcement. Recently, the administration announced the Department of Sustainable Delivery (DSD), a new entity housed within the DOT. DSD will conduct enforcement against illegal moped-, e-bike-, and e-scooter-riding; hold delivery apps accountable by ensuring that commercial cyclists are using safe and legal equipment and that delivery companies face repercussions for unsafe behavior; and address vehicle parking behaviors that endanger pedestrians, cyclists, and e-bike riders. As part of Mayor Adams’ Fiscal Year 2026 Adopted Budget, new funding will support DOT hiring up to 45 new peace officers trained to issue moving violations and enforce commercial cycling laws against businesses. This department will bring order to New York City streets as the number of app-based deliveries and delivery workers have soared, with little accountability in place for app-based companies. 

 

In addition to DSD, the administration is advancing measures to combat reckless driving, including a dramatic expansion of automated enforcement against speeding drivers and red-light runners; as well as rules to prohibit e-bikes and e-scooters from travelling faster than 15 miles-per-hour on city streets, mirroring best regulatory practices for e-bike speeds in countries that are at the forefront of sustainable transportation, such as the Netherlands and Belgium, and matching the existing speed limit in New York City for stand-up e-scooters to ensure speed limits are applied consistently across e-mobility devices. 

 

Today’s announcement builds on the Adams administration’s continued work to improve e-bike access and foster the growing use of legal e-micromobility options through the “Charge Safe, Ride Safe” action plan, while also shifting deliveries to more sustainable modes of transportation. DOT has built a record number of protected bike-lane miles over the past three years and also installed wider bike lanes along its busiest routes, expanded public e-bike charging options for riders, and educated the public and delivery workers about safe and legal e-bike use. This past spring, the city launched an e-bike trade-in program for delivery workers to exchange illegal mopeds and uncertified e-bikes for legal, fire-safe e-bikes and batteries. The city also established “microhubs” to shift deliveries from large, congestion-causing trucks to more sustainable modes, such as cargo e-bikes and smaller electric vehicles. 

Permits Filed for 112 East 167th Street in Concourse, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for a 13-story residential building at 112 East 167th Street in Concourse, The Bronx. Located between Walton Avenue and Grand Concourse, the lot is one block from the 167th Street subway station, served by the B and D trains. Paul Durgaj of Durgaj Properties Corp. is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 120-foot-tall development will yield 65,735 square feet designated for residential space. The building will have 96 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 684 square feet. The masonry-based structure will also have a cellar and penthouse.

Joseph Sultana of JLS Designs is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits will likely not be needed as the lot is now vacant. An estimated completion date has not been announced.

NYS Office of the Comptroller DiNapoli: Local Sales Tax Collections Total $11.9 Billion in First Half of 2025, Up 3.7% Over Prior Year

 

Local government sales tax collections totaled $11.9 billion in the first half of 2025, an increase of 3.7% ($423 million) compared to the same period last year, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. Year-over-year growth in collections during the first half of 2025 almost doubled that for the same period last year (1.9%) and was nearly the same as the average growth rate for the January to June period from 2010 to 2019 during the recovery and expansion following the Great Recession.

“While New York’s local sales tax collections experienced stronger growth in the first half of 2025, future revenues may become less predictable as local communities weather federal policy changes, inflation and other economic factors,” said DiNapoli. “Local officials should continue to take advantage of all the financial tools and guidance my office has to offer to help them strengthen their finances and resiliency amid these uncertain times.”

Findings from DiNapoli’s report on sales tax collections in the first half of 2025 include:

• Each of the state’s 10 economic development regions, including New York City, experienced a year-over-year increase in first-half collections.
• New York City’s sales tax collections totaled nearly $5.4 billion in the first half of 2025, an increase of 4.7% ($242 million), year over year, while aggregate collections for the counties and cities in the rest of the state grew by 2.8% ($156 million).
• Outside of New York City, regional growth ranged from a low of 1.3% (Mohawk Valley) to a high of 4.6% (Southern Tier).
• Nearly 86% of counties experienced a year-over-year increase in first-half collections.
• Hamilton County saw the highest growth in the first half at 14.6%, followed by the counties of Delaware (12.9%), Orleans (12.1%) and Chenango (11.7%). Several other counties experienced strong growth, including Oswego (9.1%), Schenectady (8.4%) and both Franklin and Madison (8%).
• Among the eight counties that had decreases in first-half collections, St. Lawrence saw the steepest decline at -5.7%, followed by Livingston (-5.1%) and both Sullivan and Schoharie (-2.9%).
• Nearly 75% of cities outside of New York City that impose their own sales tax experienced growth in the first half. Norwich had the largest increase at 19.3%, followed by Salamanca (15.4%). Conversely, the cities of Ogdensburg, Johnstown, Glens Falls, Mount Vernon and Utica each saw decreases in collections, ranging from -0.6% to -4%.

Report

Local Sales Tax Collections in the First Half of 2025

Data

Regional Table with Detailed Sales Tax Collections by County and City

Interactive Map

Local Sales Tax Sharing in New York State

MOST PRO-HOUSING ADMINISTRATION IN CITY HISTORY: MAYOR ADAMS, HPD CONTINUE “HOUSING WEEK” WITH MAJOR CHANGES TO CITY HOUSING POLICIES TO HELP MORE SENIORS LIVE WITH FAMILY MEMBERS

 

Reforms to Senior Affordable Rental Apartments Program Will Expand Access to Affordable Housing for Older Adults, Promote Intergenerational Living, Create Mixed-Age Communities so Seniors Can Live with Family Members and Live-in Aides

New Policies Part of Mayor Adams’ “City of Yes for Families” Plan Unveiled in This Year’s State of the City to Create More Family-Friendly Neighborhoods 

Announcement Continues Mayor Adams’ “Housing Week,” Highlighting Historic Efforts to Create More Homes, Connect More New Yorkers to Homes, and Keep More New Yorkers in the Homes They Have

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Acting Commissioner Ahmed Tigani today announced historic reforms to the city’s Senior Affordable Rental Apartments (SARA) program that will help build more deeply-affordable, intergenerational housing for older New Yorkers and their family members across the five boroughs. The city’s SARA program — which helps build deeply-affordable, age-restricted housing for older adults — has historically focused on studio and one-bedroom units. While this model has effectively served single seniors and older couples, it has not created housing options for older adults who want or need to live with family members or live-in aids. To address this important need and help promote mixed-age communities that better serve the needs of intergenerational families, the Adams administration today introduced new rules that will promote more multi-unit homes in SARA projects and help more families remain in New York City. The initiative is a key component of Mayor Adams’ “City of Yes for Families” plan, first unveiled in his State of the City address earlier this year, to create more housing and family-friendly neighborhoods.

“For too long, our city’s housing policies have made it harder for older adults to live with aids, children, or other family members. Today, our administration is changing that. With these new rules, we’ll build more senior housing with extra bedrooms and help more families find an affordable place to live together in New York City,” said Mayor Adams. “Whether it’s building more housing so that older adults can live with their family members, helping more New Yorkers buy their first home, or creating record amounts of affordable housing year after year, we are proud to be the most pro-housing administration in city history, full stop.”

“Our administration has worked tirelessly to ensure our city’s housing policy reflects how New Yorkers live their lives today,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Adolfo Carrion, Jr. “This change to the SARA program will create thriving intergenerational communities by encouraging more bedroom sizes so older New Yorkers can live with and near those of all ages. Thanks to this pivotal change, our city’s older New Yorkers will no longer have to sacrifice living with their families to finally have access to safe and secure affordable housing in areas with the least amount of affordable options.”

“For years, HPD’s Senior Affordable Rental Apartments program has allowed us to create homes that transform the lives of thousands of older — and often wiser — New Yorkers. These are the small business owners, first responders, educators, activists, and neighbors who have shaped the cultural and civic fabric of our city and whose continued presence strengthens the communities they helped to build,” said HPD Acting Commissioner Tigani. “Today, we are proud to announce new updates that will make this program even more impactful — especially for applicants who live with family members or serve as caretakers. These changes ensure that in the future, shifts in family responsibilities or life circumstances will not present a barrier to accessing housing opportunities in this program. More people will now have the chance to live out their golden years in safe, affordable homes — and to age with the dignity and grace they deserve.”

Today’s announcement responds to the direct need for more intergenerational housing options for older adults. New research has shown that one in three older New Yorkers lives with adult children; the majority of these families moved into their current home together. Moreover, when older adults move later in life, it is even more common for them to seek housing with family members, underscoring the need for more flexible models that help families remain together.

The new SARA program represents a strategic shift towards more inclusive, intergenerational housing that better reflects how New Yorkers live and allows the city to meet a diverse set of needs and preferences.

To ensure SARA investments promote inclusive and equitable housing outcomes, the Adams administration is introducing new requirements tied to geography and unit mix:

• In Limited Affordability Areas (LAAs) — neighborhoods with few deeply-affordable homes — any new SARA project must include at least 20 percent two-bedroom units to accommodate multigenerational households and promote intergenerational living.
• Outside of LAAs, developers will now have the option to include 20 percent two-bedroom units as part of a broader shift toward more flexible, inclusive housing design.

These changes will help diversify the unit mix in senior housing projects and ensure that SARA-funded buildings can better serve families, live-in aids, and other household members who live with older adults — particularly in areas where low-cost housing is scarce.

The Adams administration is proud to be the most pro-housing administration in city history, leading historic initiatives to create more homes, connect more New Yorkers to homes, and keep more New Yorkers in the homes they already have.

Under Mayor Adams’ leadership, the city created record amounts of affordable housing over the past two fiscal and calendar years in a row, including historic amounts of supportive units and units for formerly homeless New Yorkers. Additionally, last calendar year, the Adams administration connected a record number of New Yorkers to affordable housing through the city’s Housing Connect lotteries and City Fighting Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement (CityFHEPS) vouchers.

Earlier this year, Mayor Adams unveiled his “Best Budget Ever,” which invests nearly $25 billion in housing as part of the 10-Year Capital Strategy. That funding will support HPD and the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) core capital programs that build new homes, preserve existing homes, deliver capital repairs, and more. Moreover, as part of his Best Budget Ever, Mayor Adams announced that the city will invest an additional $350 million in the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together and NYCHA Trust programs to renovate thousands of NYCHA units, bringing the total investment in the 10-Year Capital Plan for Section 8 conversions to $1.2 billion.

Mayor Adams’ historic “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” proposal — which passed the New York City Council last December — will build up to 80,000 new homes over 15 years and invest $5 billion towards critical infrastructure and housing. As the most pro-housing zoning proposal in city history, City of Yes for Housing Opportunity will bring a little more housing to every neighborhood. In addition to rezoning the entire city through City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, the Adams administration is also advancing five robust neighborhood plans to rezone specific corridors across the city and deliver more than 50,000 homes over the next 15 years. Along with the Adams administration’s Bronx-Metro North Station Area Plan and the Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan — both of which have been passed by the New York City Council — the Adams administration is furthering plans in Midtown South in Manhattan, as well as Jamaica and Long Island City in Queens. Additionally, in the spring of 2024, Mayor Adams celebrated the largest 100 percent affordable housing project in 40 years with the Willets Point transformation.  

Building on the success of City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, Mayor Adams unveiled his City of Yes for Families strategy earlier this year to build more homes and create more family-friendly neighborhoods across New York City. Under City of Yes for Families, the Adams administration is advancing more housing on city-owned sites, creating new tools to support homeownership, and building more housing alongside schools, playgrounds, grocery stores, accessible transit stations, and libraries. Additionally, as part of City of Yes for Families, Mayor Adams launched a new pilot program to help tenants in affordable housing developments report on-time rental payments to major credit bureaus, helping them strengthen their credit scores and achieve homeownership.

In addition to creating more housing opportunities, the Adams administration is actively working to strengthen tenant protections and support homeowners. The “Partners in Preservation” program was expanded citywide in 2024 through a $24 million investment in local organizations to support tenant organizing and combatting harassment in rent-regulated housing. The Homeowner Help Desk, a trusted one-stop shop for low-income homeowners to receive financial and legal counseling from local organizations, was also expanded citywide in 2024 with a $13 million funding commitment. 

Finally, Mayor Adams and members of his administration successfully advocated for new tools in the 2024 New York state budget that will spur the creation of urgently needed housing. These tools include a new tax incentive for multifamily rental construction, a tax incentive program to encourage office conversions to create more affordable units, lifting the arbitrary “floor-to-area ratio” cap that held back affordable housing production in certain high-demand areas of the city, and the ability to create a pilot program to legalize and make safe basement apartments. 

Housing Lottery Launches for Wakefield Yards at 4641 Furman Avenue in Wakefield, The Bronx

 

The affordable housing lottery has launched for Wakefield Yards, an 11-story mixed-use building at 4641 Furman Avenue in Wakefield, The Bronx. Designed by Aufgang Architects and developed by Radson Development, the structure yields 251 residences. Available on NYC Housing Connect are 212 units for residents at 30 to 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $19,235 to $160,720.

Residences are equipped with broadband internet, energy-efficient appliances, and air conditioning. Amenities include a shared laundry room, community room, indoor and outdoor recreation areas, rooftop terrace, elevator, and bike storage. Tenants are responsible for electricity.

At 30 percent of the AMI, there are three studios with a monthly rent of $465 for incomes ranging from $19,235 to $38,880; 11 one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $591 for incomes ranging from $24,000 to $43,740; ten two-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $700 for incomes ranging from $28,938 to $52,500; and one three-bedroom with a monthly rent of $800 for incomes ranging from $33,532 to $60,270.

At 50 percent of the AMI, there are 12 studios with a monthly rent of $866 for incomes ranging from $32,983 to $64,800; 24 one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,092 for incomes ranging from $41,178 to $72,900; 24 two-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,301 for incomes ranging from $49,543 to $87,500; and three three-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,494 for incomes ranging from $57,326 to $100,450.

At 60 percent of the AMI, there is one studio with a monthly rent of $1,066 for incomes ranging from $39,840 to $77,760; 14 one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,342 for incomes ranging from $49,749 to $87,480; 13 two-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,601 for incomes ranging from $59,829 to $105,000; and two three-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,841 for incomes ranging from $69,223 to $120,540.

At 80 percent of the AMI, there are ten studios with a monthly rent of $1,395 for incomes ranging from $51,120 to $103,680; 41 one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,710 for incomes ranging from $62,366 to $116,640; 34 two-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $2,115 for incomes ranging from $77,452 to $140,000; and nine two-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $2,534 for incomes ranging from $92,983 to $160,720.

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than September 23, 2025.