FORMER ACS YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST CHARGED IN CONTRABAND SMUGGLING INVESTIGATION AT BROOKLYN JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER

 

LYMEK FRAZIER, 33, of Brooklyn, N.Y., a former Youth Development Specialist (“YDS”) for the City Administration for Children’s Services (“ACS”), was arrested and charged Wednesday, October 29, 2025, with conspiracy to commit Travel Act bribery, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, and was arraigned late yesterday before United States Magistrate Judge Taryn A. Merkl. FRAZIER was released on a $100,000 unsecured bond and ordered to home detention, with electronic monitoring. As detailed in the Complaint, FRAZIER took bribes from residents of the Crossroads Juvenile Center in Brooklyn and their associates in exchange for smuggling contraband into Crossroads. 

Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation, announced the arrest, made in connection with a contraband smuggling investigation that DOI worked in partnership with the Offices of Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), New York Field Office, and Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, which is handling the prosecution. 

DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said, “This defendant was trusted to ensure the safety and well-being of the young people under his supervision as a youth development specialist. He betrayed that trust when, as charged, he accepted illicit payments to smuggle contraband into the Crossroads Juvenile Center, jeopardizing the safety of its residents and staff. I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the FBI for their commitment to maintain the order and safety in the City’s juvenile detention centers.”

According to the Complaint, approximately 176 residents ranging from ages 14 to 20 are detained at Crossroads, and approximately 280 staff members work at the facility. Residents at Crossroads are prohibited from possessing any contraband, including narcotics, cellular telephones, cigarettes, weapons and alcohol, among other prohibited items. ACS prohibits Crossroads staff from offering or giving contraband or gifts to residents, receiving any gifts or money from residents or anyone associated with them, and having any unauthorized contact with residents or anyone associated with them. Crossroads staff receive training on these and other prohibitions.

Between approximately March 2022 and September 2025, at least 112 cell phones and approximately 699 scalpels or blades were recovered from the facility, as well as narcotics and tobacco. Based on the evidence gathered in this investigation, at least a portion of this contraband was smuggled into the facility by Crossroads staff, including the defendant.

Crossroads staff undergo a security screening when they arrive to work at the facility. Staff members’ belongings are put through an X-ray machine, and all staff pass through a magnetometer (metal detector). Crossroads staff are required to put their personal cell phones and any other prohibited items in a locker prior to undergoing the security screening.

FRAZIER was employed as a YDS at Crossroads from November 2023 to January 2025. Between approximately February 2024 and January 2025, FRAZIER received approximately $72,356 on his Cash App account from Crossroads residents or their associates. For example, from approximately April 2024 to October 2024, an associate of a Crossroads resident sent FRAZIER approximately $21,016 over 48 transactions. Some of the subject lines written by the sender of the payments indicated the payments were in fact bribes to bring in contraband, such as “1 zip,” “papers & toe” “sprinkles” and “grabba,” which all make reference to either marijuana, tobacco or marijuana paraphernalia. 

From approximately November 2024, to January 2025, the sibling of a Crossroads resident sent FRAZIER approximately $7,350 over 14 transactions through Cash App. Approximately 12 of these transactions, consisting of approximately $5,950, contained the subject line “30s” listed in each subject line, which indicate that the payment was to bring in 30 mg tablets of oxycodone. Between February and June 2024, another sibling of a Crossroads resident sent the defendant a total of approximately $10,318 over approximately 33 transactions through Cash App. The majority of the payments include the nickname of a Crossroads resident in the subject line, which allowed FRAZIER to know that those payments were bribes from that resident -- or associates of that resident -- to bring contraband to that resident.

FRAZIER and his co-conspirators not only used Cash App to send and receive bribes but also to communicate in furtherance of the scheme. On March 9 to 10, 2024, FRAZIER and a Crossroads resident engaged in a discussion regarding their criminal scheme (including smuggling marijuana into the facility) by sending one-dollar payments back and forth and writing their communications in the subject lines of the transactions. During this same conversation, FRAZIER requested that a resident (“Resident-1”) send Resident-1’s phone number, and Resident-1 replied with a number, which was assigned to a contraband cell phone recovered by ACS in a residence hall in Crossroads in April 2024. Phone records show that on March 9 and March 10, 2024, FRAZIER had approximately four phone calls with this contraband cell phone, including a call within minutes of the above messages.

On January 10, 2025, FRAZIER entered the Crossroads facility to report for his scheduled shift. An ACS supervisor standing directly behind FRAZIER observed an object fall out of FRAZIER’s pocket as he was going through the metal detector to enter the facility. ACS Police immediately retrieved the object from the floor and identified it as a silver blade. ACS subsequently terminated FRAZIER for attempting to bring dangerous and prohibited contraband into the facility

At the time of his termination in January 2025, FRAZIER was receiving an annual salary of approximately $51,502.

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

Two Russian Mob Leaders Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Murder-For-Hire Targeting a Journalist on Behalf of the Iranian Government

 

The Iranian Government Hired Polad Omarov and Rafat Amirov to Kill Masih Alinejad in Exchange for $500,000

The Justice Department announced today that RAFAT AMIROV, a/k/a “Farkhaddin Mirzoev,” a/k/a “Pᴎᴍ,”  a/k/a “Rome,” and POLAD OMAROV, a/k/a “Araz Aliyev,” a/k/a “Polad Qaqa,” a/k/a “Haci Qaqa,” were each sentenced yesterday to 25 years’ in prison for their participation in a murder-for-hire plot targeting Masih Alinejad, a journalist, author, and human rights activist, on behalf of the Government of Iran.  In March 2025, Amirov and Omarov were found guilty of murder-for-hire, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related charges, following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon, who imposed today’s sentences.

“The defendants and their criminal associates came chillingly close to gunning down an Iranian-American journalist on the streets of New York.” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg.  “Tehran has long sought to silence Ms. Alinejad, and after multiple failed kidnapping attempts, turned to Omarov and Amirov and their organization to stalk and murder her.  This case is part of a well-documented and disturbing rise in plots involving criminal networks paid by Iran to target dissidents in the United States and around the world. We are committed to holding accountable those who join forces with this vile regime to violate our national sovereignty or threaten U.S. citizens.”

“The Government of Iran, a sponsor of terrorism, assassination, and espionage around the globe, brazenly brought its efforts to murder Masih Alinejad to New York,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton.  “The plot exposed at trial involved actors on three continents, culminating with a hitman with an AK-47 outside Ms. Alinejad’s apartment in Brooklyn.  Yesterday’s sentences send a clear message:  the DOJ and our partners will expose and severely punish those who target U.S. citizens and bring terror to our community.”

“This sentencing marks a victory for justice and a clear warning to those who seek to export repression onto U.S. soil,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “The plot, orchestrated by the Iranian government to assassinate a dissident living in America, demonstrates the lengths to which authoritarian actors will go to silence voices of freedom. The FBI remains steadfast in its mission to defend the homeland from anyone who participates in transnational repression and threatens our democratic values.”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: “Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov, two highly ranked members of the Russian Mob, attempted to assassinate Masih Alinejad to permanently silence her criticism of the Iranian government and public advocacy of human rights. These defendants operated as unlawful enforcers for a foreign government to target an American journalist on our nation’s soil. May yesterday’s sentencing emphasize the FBI’s steadfast commitment to protecting Americans against any foreign actor seeking to inflict terror and physical harm to further a political agenda.”

According to the Superseding Indictment, public court filings, and the evidence presented at trial:

AMIROV and OMAROV were high-ranking members of an Azerbaijani faction of the Russian Mob (the “Organization”) who worked with other members of the Organization to kill Masih Alinejad on instructions from high-ranking members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (“IRGC”). Ms. Alinejad has previously been the target of multiple plots by the Government of Iran to intimidate, harass, and kidnap her for her work as a journalist, author, and human rights activist who has publicized the Government of Iran’s human rights abuses, especially its discriminatory and oppressive treatment of women, repression of political expression, and killings of Iranians engaged in peaceful protests against the regime.  As recently as 2020 and 2021, Iranian intelligence officials and assets plotted to kidnap Ms. Alinejad from within the U.S. for rendition to Iran in an effort to silence her criticism of the Iranian regime.   

After its efforts to kidnap Ms. Alinejad from the U.S. failed in 2020 and 2021, the IRGC turned to AMIROV—a Vor, or Thief-in-Law, the highest rank in the Russian Mob—and OMAROV—the cousin of a powerful Vor who aspired to become a Vor himself—to locate, surveil, and murder her.  The IRGC offered AMIROV $500,000 for Ms. Alinejad’s murder and provided him with targeting information about Ms. Alinejad, including her home address.  Beginning in approximately July 2022, AMIROV sent this targeting information to OMAROV. OMAROV, in turn, communicated this information to Khalid Mehdiyev, another member of the Organization who had been residing in Yonkers, New York, so that Mehdiyev could surveil Ms. Alinejad and murder her.  AMIROV and OMAROV arranged the delivery of $30,000 to Mehdiyev from the IRGC’s advance payment; Mehdiyev used a portion of these funds to buy an AK-47 style assault rifle, two magazines, and 66 rounds of ammunition.

In late July 2022, Mehdiyev repeatedly traveled to Ms. Alinejad’s neighborhood to surveil her residence and locate her.  Mehdiyev sent photographs, videos, and updates on his stakeouts to OMAROV, who passed them on to AMIROV.  AMIROV gave OMAROV intelligence about Ms. Alinejad’s home, location, and family members provided by his IRGC contacts to assist Mehdiyev’s attempts to locate and kill Ms. Alinejad.  On July 24, 2022, Mehdiyev reported to OMAROV from Ms. Alinejad’s residence that he was “at the crime scene.”  On July 27, 2022, OMAROV told AMIROV that Mehdiyev was ready to kill Ms. Alinejad, writing “this matter will be over today.  I told them to make a birthday present for me.  I pressured them, they will sleep there this night.”  On July 28, 2022, Mehdiyev sent OMAROV a video taken from inside the car that Mehdiyev was driving with the assault rifle and a message reading, “we are ready.”  As OMAROV continued to update AMIROV about Mehdiyev’s readiness, AMIROV cautioned OMAROV, “let him keep the car clean.”  When Mehdiyev drove away from surveilling the residence on July 28, 2022, he was stopped after a traffic violation and, during a search of the vehicle, police officers found the assault rifle; 66 rounds of ammunition, including one in the chamber of the assault rifle; approximately $1,100 in cash; gloves; and a black ski mask.

After Mehdiyev was arrested and placed into custody, OMAROV contacted Mehdiyev’s mother and threatened to kill her and her other son if she did not locate Mehdiyev, in part because the IRGC was demanding the return of its money.

In addition to their prison terms, AMIROV, 46, of Iran; OMAROV, 41, of the country of Georgia, were sentenced to a $500 special assessment.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and its New York Field Office Counterintelligence-Cyber Division and the New York FBI Iran Threat Task Force.  Mr. Clayton also thanked the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) and the NYPD Intelligence Bureau, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, for their assistance. Mr. Clayton also thanked the authorities in the Czech Republic.

Governor Hochul Declares State of Emergency and Initiates New Actions in Response to Cutting Off Food Assistance to Nearly 3 Million New Yorkers Starting November 1

Announces $65 Million in New State Funds for Emergency Food Assistance, Providing 40 Million Meals to New Yorkers

Deploys SUNY Empire State Service Corps Members To Support Food Banks

State of Emergency Enables Governor To Take Additional Actions as Needed, as Trump Administration Refuses to Release Federal Contingency Funding

This Week a New Website Launched To Connect New Yorkers With Food Assistance Resources

Governor Kathy Hochul today declared a state of emergency and announced new actions in response to the Government shutdown stripping food assistance from 3 million New Yorkers come November 1. As the government shutdown continues, the Trump administration has refused to release billions in statutorily approved federal contingency funding that would address this crisis in states across the nation. By refusing to release this contingency funding, the federal government is leaving millions of New Yorkers without critical assistance they rely on to feed themselves and their families.

While Congress and the U.S. Senate refuse to act to avert this crisis, Governor Hochul is stepping up by committing an additional $65 million in new State funds for emergency food assistance that will reinforce New York’s network of vital food bank and pantry partners and provide about 40 million meals to hungry New Yorkers. The Governor is also deploying Empire State Service Corps and SUNY Corps Members to support local food banks during this emergency period of increased need, and continuing to explore food hubs at schools.

“The House and Senate are cutting food assistance off for three million New Yorkers, leaving our state to face an unprecedented public health crisis and hurting our grocers, bodegas and farmers along the way,” Governor Hochul said. "I won’t sit idly by as families struggle to put food on the table. Today, I’m declaring a state of emergency and am committing additional state funds for emergency food assistance to ensure New Yorkers don’t go hungry. Congress has the power to stop this crisis — millions of families depend on it.”

Since the inception of the program, SNAP benefits have been federally funded. New York administers approximately $650 million per month in federally funded SNAP benefits to nearly 3 million New Yorkers. Given the scale of the program, Governor Hochul along with governors across the country have repeatedly emphasized that no state government can replace SNAP benefits or backfill the program.

Here’s a look at what today’s announcement means for New Yorkers:

$65M in new State funds for programs that support food banks, pantries, soup kitchens and more to provide emergency food assistance to New Yorkers

• $40M in new funding for the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides emergency food relief and nutrition services to food-insecure populations. HPNAP works in partnership with a network of about 2,700 Emergency Food Providers (EFPs), including food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters.
• $25M in new funding for Nourish NY, which supplies surplus agricultural products (e.g., milk, apples, cheese, yogurt, cabbage, squash) to populations who need them through the State’s network of food relief organizations (i.e., regional food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, and community-based organizations that provide food for free to persons experiencing food insecurity).

Deploying Empire State Service Corps and SUNY Corps Members to support food banks

• Currently, hundreds of SUNY students serve as peer navigators, helping fellow students complete SNAP applications and assisting at campus and local food pantries.
• The Empire State Service Corps will allow current members to expand their paid hours, enabling them to provide greater support at food pantries statewide. In addition, new short-term crisis response positions will be created to assist food pantries and food banks facing staffing shortages.

Today’s announcement comes as New York, along with 24 other states, sued the Trump administration on Tuesday to demand the release of emergency SNAP funds. The Governor also joined a letter alongside 20 other Governors to the President, calling for the Administration to reverse course and release emergency SNAP funds. Governor Hochul also fast-tracked $41 million in state funds for emergency food assistance earlier this week — today’s announcement brings the total of allocated state funds to $106 million.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

House and Senate Democrats have continued to flaunt their jobs by not voting to prevent the Government shutdown on November 1st.

DEC Releases Final Long Island Watershed Action Agenda

 

Five-Year Blueprint Outlines Plan to Advance Long Island’s Clean Water Goals

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton today announced the release of the finalized Long Island Watershed Action Agenda. The Action Agenda is a clear-cut blueprint for water quality improvements, aquatic habitat conservation, groundwater protection, and the public engagement necessary to ensure success for the surface, coastal, and ground waters of Nassau and Suffolk counties. 

“Governor Hochul is ensuring that we protect Long Island’s sole-source aquifer and providing the resources to safeguard this valuable and unique groundwater source helps ensure millions of people in Nassau and Suffolk counties have affordable, clean water to drink,” Commissioner Lefton said. “The Long Island Watershed Action Agenda Action Agenda will guide actions and investments to improve water and aquatic habitats, while bolstering partnerships and engagement with the public, local officials, and stakeholders.” 

The Long Island Watershed Action Agenda is an evolution of the success of the Long Island Nitrogen Action Plan (LINAP) and will expand the scope of its work beyond nitrogen reduction. Long Island is almost entirely dependent on its sole-source aquifer. Under Governor Kathy Hochul’s leadership, the finalized Action Agenda will advance additional efforts to protect the aquifer and the unparalleled recreational and commercial water resources that are vital to the residents, visitors and tourists, and aquatic and terrestrial species on Long Island. 

The Action Agenda is a strategic framework developed by the Long Island Watershed Program and its Implementation Committee, a group of key regional stakeholders, to guide the actions and next steps to improve watershed issues resources locally. The Action Agenda is organized by four main goal topics, with objectives and implementation actions outlined under each goal. The four goals are: clean water; healthy habitats; sustainable groundwater resources; and inspired and engaged public. 

The goals will guide DEC’s efforts to coordinate with federal, State, and local partners to address the most urgent actions needed to protect and restore Long Island’s watersheds. 

“The Long Island Watershed Action Agenda represents a landmark step forward in our collective commitment to safeguard Long Island’s water resources. The Long Island Regional Planning Council commends DEC for its leadership in advancing this comprehensive blueprint, which builds upon the success of the Long Island Nitrogen Action Plan and expands our focus to all facets of watershed health. Through continued collaboration, science, and investment, we can ensure clean water for future generations,” Long Island Regional Planning Council Chair John Cameron said. 

DEC hosted a webinar on July 15, 2025, to present an overview of the Action Agenda and encourage interested New Yorkers to provide comments and feedback on the plan. Video of the webinar is available on DEC’s Long Island Watershed Program (LIWP) webpage: https://dec.ny.gov/nature/waterbodies/oceans-estuaries/long-island-watershed-program/liwp-action-agenda 

New York's Commitment to Water Quality

New York State continues to increase its nation-leading investments in water infrastructure, including more than $2.2 billion in financial assistance from EFC for local water infrastructure projects in State Fiscal Year 2024 alone. With $500 million allocated for clean water infrastructure in the FY26 Enacted Budget announced by Governor Hochul, New York will have invested a total of $6 billion in water infrastructure between 2017 and this year. This includes $700 million in water investments on Long Island, including $66.1 million for the State Septic System replacement program. Any community needing assistance with water infrastructure projects is encouraged to contact EFC. New Yorkers can track projects benefiting from EFC’s investments using the interactive project impact dashboard.

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.