MAYOR ADAMS, GOVERNOR HOCHUL, BOROUGH PRESIDENT GIBSON, NYCEDC, 8TH REGIMENT PARTNERS, AND NWBCC CELEBRATE PASSAGE OF HISTORIC VISION FOR KINGSBRIDGE ARMORY IN THE BRONX

 

Unveiled by Mayor Adams, Governor Hochul, and Representative Espaillat Earlier This Year, Bold Plan for Kingsbridge Armory Will Create Thriving Community Hub in the Bronx 

 

Proposal Includes State-of-the-Art Event Venue, Recreational Space, Cultural and Commercial Space, Community Space, Workforce Development and Affordable Housing 

 

Backed by $216 Million in City, State, and Federal Investment, Redevelopment Will Add $2.9 Billion to City’s Economy and Create Nearly 3,600 Jobs 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President and CEO Andrew Kimball, 8th Regiment Partners, and the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC) celebrated the New York City Council’s approval of an ambitious plan to transform the Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx into a thriving, community-centered hub. The proposal — which was unveiled by Mayor Adams, Governor Hochul, and U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat earlier this year and shaped by the “Together for Kingsbridge Vision Plan” — includes two phases. The first phase will create a state-of-the-art venue space for entertainment, recreational space, cultural and commercial space, light industrial manufacturing space, and over 25,000 square feet of dedicated community space. The second phase will create approximately 500 units of permanently-affordable rental housing adjacent to the armory. Backed by $216 million in city, state, and federal investments, the sweeping proposal is expected to add nearly $2.9 billion to the city’s economy and create about 3,600 jobs, with an emphasis on hiring from the local community. 

 

“From training troops during the first World War to distributing food during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kingsbridge Armory has served our city for more than a century. With today’s vote, we begin work on the next chapter in its dynamic history and building a brighter future for the Bronx,” said Mayor Adams. “With hundreds of affordable homes and tens of thousands of square feet of commercial, community, and manufacturing space, this ambitious proposal will give the Bronx vital space to work, live, and come together. Other administrations have talked about transforming this space, but our administration got it done. Thank you to the thousands of community members who weighed in on the future of the armory and the community leaders who have supported it.” 

 

“This City Council vote marks a major step toward bringing Bronx communities together — creating hundreds of affordable homes, thousands of good-paying, local jobs, and a vibrant community space where neighbors can connect,” said Governor Hochul. “This project has been decades in the making, and now we’re finally getting it done. The Kingsbridge Armory will remain a cornerstone of the Bronx, driving economic growth and strengthening Kingsbridge Heights. Thank you to our partners in city and local government and community leaders for supporting this ambitious plan as we work together to get it over the finish line.” 

 

“With the reimagining of the Kingsbridge Armory, we will see affordable housing opportunities, good-paying union jobs with pathways to the middle class, recreational space for youth and families, support for small businesses, and a true commitment to equitable economic development in the Bronx that we have not seen for decades,” said Bronx Borough President Gibson. “Thank you to New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Majority Leader Amanda Farías, Councilmember Pierina Sanchez, the members of the Bronx Delegation, and the entire New York City Council for today’s vote to move this transformative plan forward. I also want to express my gratitude to Governor Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams, Congressman Adriano Espaillat, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, 8th Regiment Partners, and the Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition for their partnership and continued support in advancing this historic project. The redevelopment of this landmark in the heart of the Northwest Bronx stands as a testament to our shared commitment to driving unprecedented investment back into our borough, while fulfilling the blueprint outlined in the Together for Kingsbridge Vision Plan.” 

 

“This City Council vote is a victory for Kingsbridge Heights and for the Bronx, and all but guarantees that the city can move forward in redeveloping the historic Kingsbridge Armory into a dynamic, mixed-use hub that will finally usher in a new era for this site,” said NYCEDC President and CEO Kimball. “For the last three years, NYCEDC has been collaborating closely with elected officials, stakeholders, and the community to ensure that a redeveloped armory delivers on the needs of the community, and following today’s vote, our development partner, 8th Regiment Partners, can begin working on a construction timeline and eventual groundbreaking ceremony.” 

 

Over the last decade, the Kingsbridge Armory has served as an emergency supply and food distribution center following Hurricane Sandy, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and after the Twin Parks fire. In November 2022, the Adams administration, local elected officials, and community leaders kicked off a community-driven engagement process to work with the surrounding community and outline a new vision for the future of the armory. Following that process, which engaged over 4,000 community members, the Adams administration unveiled the “Together for Kingsbridge Vision Plan” in August 2023 to inform proposals for the redevelopment. In January 2025, following a competitive request for proposals process, the Adams administration announced the winning two-part proposal for the site, led by 8th Regiment Partners LLC and designed to serve both the local community and the broader region.  

By transforming the Kingsbridge Armory into a community-centered hub with commercial space, cultural space, and affordable housing, the proposal passed will add $2.9 billion to  the city’s economy and create nearly 3,600 jobs. Credit: FXCollaborative. 

In June 2025, building on the winning proposal, Regiment Partners and NWBCCC announced an unprecedented collaborative agreement with the development team to join the project and help maximize community input and ownership. The agreement commits to maintaining high environmental standards and emphasizes community ownership by establishing a Community Council, co-convened by NWBCCC. This council will provide ongoing input on tenant mix, programming, and additional strategies for community investment. Additionally, a Community Benefit Fund — funded through project revenue and governed by the Community Council — will support long-term local investments in initiatives aimed at wealth-building and community ownership. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in June between NWBCCC and 8th Regiment Partners, a joint venture of Maddd Equities and Joy Construction. 

 

Separately, NWBCCC — alongside nearly 40 labor, faith, and community organizations — partnered with 8th Regiment Partners to execute a comprehensive Community Benefits Agreement that includes commitments to local hiring, living wages, environmental sustainability, small business protections, and affordability provisions to ensure that Kingsbridge residents and merchants are active participants in the Armory’s economic success. 

 

The first phase of the redevelopment will consist of a mixed-use development with a state-of-the-art venue space, recreational space, cultural and commercial space, and over 25,000 square feet of dedicated community space and is centered around the 180,000-square-foot, column-free Drill Hall within the armory, expected to break ground in 2026 and be completed in 2030. The building will also include 125,000 square feet of community-owned manufacturing and community space for community use. Phase two consists of the redevelopment of the adjacent National Guard site, which will create 500 units of permanently-affordable rental housing adjacent to the armory, expected to be completed in 2032. 

 

The Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment is backed by a $200 million investment by Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul, $3 million from Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, $12 million from New York City Councilmember Pierina Sanchez, and a $1.05 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development with the support of Representative Espaillat. The construction will be executed under a project labor agreement, ensuring fair wages and benefits for construction workers. 

 

The Kingsbridge Armory opened in 1917 and was used by the U.S. military until 1994, before reverting to city ownership in 1996. The armory was designated as a New York City Landmark in 1974 and placed on the National Register for Historic Places list in 1982. 

CITY OF NEW YORK TAKES ACTION TO BLOCK FEDERAL RULE THREATENING IMMIGRANTS’ ECONOMIC LIVELIHOOD AND UNDERMINING STREET SAFETY IN U.S. CITIES

 

Nearly 200,000 People With Commercial Driver’s Licenses to Be Out of Work Nationwide 

  

Amicus Brief Argues Non-Citizens Take on Crucial Jobs in NYC Economy;  Adams Administration Broke All-Time High Total Jobs Record 12 Times

 

The City of New York — as part of a coalition of five cities and counties from across the country — today filed an amicus brief supporting petitioners in Lujan v. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, challenging a federal rule that bars asylum seekers, refugees, and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients with work authorization from holding non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDL). The rule affects nearly 200,000 immigrants who will be out of work. In the amicus brief, the coalition argues that the rule exacerbates a nationwide shortage of commercial drivers, which will lead to a disruption of the lives of residents and government operations, as well as threaten road safety in cities. In January 2024, the Adams administration first broke records for the most jobs in city history — six months ahead of schedule, which it has now done a total of 12 times. For New York City to continue to grow its economy, job opportunities must be available for all New Yorkers, even those who are foreign born but still make up a major piece of the economy.  

  

“Our administration has broken jobs record after jobs record because we were focused on delivering an inclusive economy that works for everyone,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “We are proud to work with our partners from across the nation to, once again, take action to support our immigrant sisters and brothers who want to work legally. Offering commercial driver’s licenses to non-citizens who are here legally has been a way to give people work, while also performing important street safety functions and moving our economy forward. Among a nationwide shortage of commercial drivers, this rule should be removed and immigrants should be able to legally apply to fill these important jobs.” 

  

“This unlawful federal rule not only inflicts needless hardship upon hundreds of thousands of immigrants who are in the country legally trying to build better lives for themselves and their families, it also harms the broader public and should not stand,” said New York City Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant.   

  

Until this year, non-citizens who were in the United States legally could obtain a non-domiciled CDL. In September 2025, however, the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) issued an interim final rule limiting those eligible for a non-domiciled CDL to those with H-2A, H-2B, and E-2 visas. The rule didn’t go through the required notice and comment period and relied on evidence that five non-citizen drivers were involved in crashes over the course of calendar year 2025. Petitioners claim the rule is arbitrary and capricious in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act because the U.S. DOT offered no evidence of any connection between citizenship status and roadway safety. Petitioners also argued that U.S. DOT failed to satisfy the good cause exception allowing agencies to forgo notice and comment, as it offered no evidence that an emergency or any public interest justified the rule. Petitioners have filed a motion to stay the rule in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.  

  

The coalition’s amicus — prepared by the Public Rights Project and Democracy Forward — highlights the harmful effects that the rule will have on local governments. The coalition argues that the rule impedes local governments’ ability to provide essential services by exacerbating preexisting driver shortages. According to the brief, those shortages have hit public bus operations particularly hard with 94 percent of transit agencies reporting, in 2022, that bus operator positions were among the most challenging to fill. The brief also states the rule undermines public safety as local governments depend on existing drivers to perform essential roadway safety functions, such as snowplowing. The brief further contends that additional financial strain will be placed on local governments as they pay more overtime to existing drivers and seek to pay more to recruit and train additional drivers. 

  

Joining the City of New York, the Public Rights Project, and Democracy Forward were the city and county of San Francisco, California; the cities of Cambridge, Massachusetts and Albany, New York; as well as the county of Montgomery, Maryland.  

MAYOR ADAMS INVESTS $40 MILLION FOR UNIVERSAL SEATING, INSTALLING SEATING AT EVERY BUS STOP IN NEW YORK CITY

 

Bus Stop Seating Will Make Transportation More Accessible for All New Yorkers, Especially Older Adults and People with Disabilities 

  

Starting in November 2025, Installation of Benches or Leaning Bars Will Begin at All Bus Stops that Currently Lack Seating  

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez today announced a $40 million investment to expand seating at the approximately 8,750 eligible bus stops — those on public property with sufficient sidewalk or island space — across the five boroughs that currently lack seating. Bus stop seating makes transportation more accessible for all New Yorkers, especially older adults, parents with young children, and people with disabilities. Beginning in November, seating will be installed, where feasible, at 875 bus stops every year over the next 10 years, while maintaining existing seating, to deliver monumental upgrades to bus stops across the five boroughs and provide universal bus stop seating to New Yorkers.  

  

“To make New York City the best place to raise a family, and grow old in we have to take care of the big things and the small things,” said Mayor Adams “This $40 million investment will ensure that every eligible bus stop across the five boroughs that lacks seating will be fitted, every year over the next 10 years, with either a bench or a leaning bar. I am proud that this effort will give New Yorkers a break and transform the bus-riding experience for thousands of people. 

  

“In the hustle and bustle of the greatest city on earth, sometimes there’s no better feeling than resting on a city bench while New York keeps moving around you,” said DOT Commissioner Rodriguez. “For many New Yorkers, having a place to sit at the bus stop is more than just a matter of comfort, it’s a matter of whether they can take the bus at all. With more than 15,000 bus stops used by 1.4 million people every day, many of whom are seniors and people with disabilities, there has never been a better time to step up so New Yorkers can sit down.”  

  

Nearly two-thirds of eligible bus stops currently do not have seating while passengers wait for buses to arrive. To date, seating elements are installed at more than 5,000 bus stops across the city. DOT inspects and maintains seating at over 2,600 locations throughout the five boroughs on sidewalks and at plazas.  

  

While the introduction of more comfortable and efficient bus seating has enhanced the commuter experience, it is equally promising to note that these improvements have contributed to a significant decrease in traffic fatalities, reflecting broader strides toward safer roadways for all. The Safe Streets for Seniors initiative evaluates how older New Yorkers interact with the city’s streets — studying crash data, conducting outreach, and developing and implementing mitigation measures to improve the safety of seniors and other pedestrians, as well as all road users, as part of New York City’s Vision Zero initiative. 

  

According to the recently released Mayor’s Management Report, traffic fatalities decreased 24 percent and were down across nearly all categories in Fiscal Year 2025 — this includes fatalities related to motorized two-wheelers, which decreased by 39 percent from 99 to 60; motor vehicle occupants, which saw a 31 percent decrease from 54 to 37; and pedestrians, which decreased by 8 percent from 119 to 110 — making Fiscal Year 2025 one of the best years for Vision Zero’s goals in recent history. 

  

Early Voting Check-Ins Day Five

 

General Election 2025

 

October 25, 2025 - Day 1

 

• Manhattan - 24,046
• Bronx - 7,793
• Brooklyn - 22,105
• Queens - 19,045
• Staten Island - 6,420

 

*Unofficial as of Close of Polls 79,409

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October 26, 2025 - Day 2

 

• Manhattan - 49,191
• Bronx - 14,225
• Brooklyn - 49,432
• Queens - 38,791
• Staten Island - 12,551

 

*As of Close of Polls – Unofficial and Cumulative 164,190

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October 27, 2025 - Day 3

 

• Manhattan - 67,110
• Bronx - 19,096
• Brooklyn - 67,729
• Queens - 52,272
• Staten Island - 17,061

 

*As of Close of Polls – Unofficial and Cumulative 223,268

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October 28, 2025 - Day 4

 

• Manhattan - 89,474
• Bronx - 24,919
• Brooklyn - 92,035
• Queens - 68,873
• Staten Island - 22,417

 

*As of Close of Polls – Unofficial and Cumulative 297,718

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October 29, 2025 - Day 5

 

• Manhattan - 111,068
• Bronx - 30,633
• Brooklyn - 117,297
• Queens - 85,548
• Staten Island - 27,565

 

*As of Close of Polls – Unofficial and Cumulative 372,111

Attorney General James Urges New Yorkers to Be Cautious in Charitable Giving for Hurricane Melissa Relief

 

New Yorkers Should Beware of Sham Charities and Make Sure They Are Giving to Trustworthy Organizations

New York Attorney General Letitia James provided guidance to New Yorkers looking to support relief efforts in response to the devastating effects of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica and across the Caribbean islands. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) warns New Yorkers to be wary of sham charities attempting to take advantage of their concern and encourages everyone to ensure they are donating to legitimate charitable efforts and organizations. 

“My heart breaks for the victims of Hurricane Melissa, and I thank the brave first responders who have jumped into action to provide aid,” said Attorney General James. “As New Yorkers seek to support relief efforts, I urge them to be careful of sham charities that prey on generosity and make sure they are giving to trustworthy organizations and groups. I encourage anyone who experiences any issues when donating to contact my office.”

Fraudulent organizations can try to take advantage of New Yorkers’ good intentions, especially following natural disasters. Given the significant impact of Hurricane Melissa across the Caribbean, it is essential for New Yorkers to be informed as they seek to help those in need. The OAG offers the following tips to ensure donations are safe and effective:

• Solicited by Email? Find Out Who Is Soliciting. If you receive a solicitation by email, find out who is behind that email address. Contact the charity whose name is in the email or visit its website to find out if the email is really from the charity. Do not give personal information or your credit card number in response to an email solicitation unless you have checked out the charity.
   
• Be Careful When Giving Through Social Media or Other Fundraising Sites. Before giving through social media or fundraising sites, research the identity of the organizer of the fundraising efforts and ask the same questions you would of a charity. Online platforms that host groups and individuals soliciting for causes may not thoroughly vet those who use their service. Donors should only give to campaigns conducted by people whom they know. Donors also should take a close look at the site’s FAQs and Terms and Conditions to see what fees will be charged. Also, don’t assume that charities recommended on social media sites, blogs, or other websites have already been vetted. Research the charity yourself to confirm that the charity is aware of the campaign and has given its approved permission for the use of its name or logo. If available, sign up for updates from the campaign organizer to keep abreast of how contributions to the campaign are being spent.
   
• Check Before Giving. Donate to charities you are familiar with and carefully review information about the charity before you give. Check a website like Disaster Philanthropy to find out which charities are at the aid forefront. Most charities are required to register and file financial reports with OAG's Charities Bureau if they solicit contributions from New Yorkers. Check OAG’s website for financial reports of charities or ask the charity directly for its reports. 
   
• Ask How Your Donation Will Be Used. Find out how the charity plans to use your donation, including the services and individuals your donation will support. Find out more than just the cause. Find out what organization or entity will receive the money and what programs it conducts or what services it provides. Find out how much of the organization’s budget supports its mission. All charities have administrative expenses, but be wary if these costs outweigh the amount spent on relief.  
   
• Look Into Newly Formed Organizations Carefully. Often, in the aftermath of tragedies, new organizations emerge to meet community needs. While most of these organizations are well-intentioned, and some may provide innovative forms of assistance, some may not have the experience or infrastructure to follow through on their promises, and some may turn out to be scams.  
   
• Exercise Caution Before You Text a Contribution. Check the charity’s website or call the charity to confirm it has authorized contributions to be made via text message.  
   
• Don't Give Cash. Give directly to the charity either by check made payable to the organization or through the charity's website. 
   
• Be Careful About Personal Information. Be cautious before giving credit card or personal information over the phone, by text message, or via the internet. In all cases, make sure you are familiar with the organization to which you give such information and check to see that the fundraising campaign is legitimate. 
   
• Report Suspicious Organizations. If you believe an organization is misrepresenting its work or that a fundraising or charitable scam is taking place, please file a complaint with the Charities Bureau, or call 212-416-8401.