MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES $80 MILLION IN FUNDING TO REBUILD 70 MULBERRY STREET, CREATION OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE

A three-month visioning process will solicit public ideas and feedback

  Mayor Bill de Blasio and Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Lisette Camilo today announced $80 million in funding to rebuild 70 Mulberry Street, the creation of an advisory committee to support community engagement, and a three-month visioning process to gather public input about the future of the site. The City will explore available options to preserve the existing structure and seek to build consensus about the rebuilding process. To date, the City has participated in extensive conversations with the local community board, elected officials, building tenants, small business owners, and the public about the building and its future.

"In January, Chinatown lost the beating heart of its community: 70 Mulberry Street," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "We're working hand-in-hand with the community to preserve this building's rich history and bring it back to life again."

“Working with the residents of Chinatown, we have secured the funding necessary to rebuild this treasured site at the heart of the community,” said Lisette Camilo, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services. “This historic building is important to the entire neighborhood and we want local voices to help drive its redevelopment.”

The City will prioritize options to preserve what is salvageable from the existing structure and a re-development that acknowledges the history and significance of the site. All building tenants who were displaced will be welcomed back when construction is completed. Since the January fire, the City successfully recovered the vast majority of tenant possessions that remained in the building, assisted with the relocation of tenants, and undertook work at the site to best ensure public safety. 

Members of the advisory committee will include each of the building’s tenants, as well as representatives appointed by Congresswoman Nydia Velằuez, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, State Senator Brian Kavanagh, State Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou, Councilmember Margaret Chin, and Manhattan Community Board 3. The committee will assist with the visioning process and engage community stakeholders.

The community visioning process is expected to begin this summer and stretch into the fall. Community visioning will gather public input about the future of the site and provide a forum to discuss all available options for its redevelopment.

The morning of the fire at 70 Mulberry Street, Mayor Bill de Blasio acknowledged the extensive damage to the building and expressed his commitment to either restore or replace the building for the benefit of the community and its cultural and non-profit tenants. Today’s announcement builds upon this commitment and will further empower the community to shape redevelopment efforts.  

“Chen Dance Center is absolutely thrilled and deeply appreciative of Mayor Bill de Blasio and DCAS Commissioner Lisette Camilo’s solid commitment for the rebuilding of 70 Mulberry Street, and their thoughtful actions to meet the needs of the tenants and the community,” said H.T. Chen from Chen Dance Center. “We look forward to joining the tenant organizations, city and state advisory members, and community stakeholders for the envisioning of the restored building and services for the community. 

“On behalf of the seniors served by the Chinatown Senior Center, CPC thanks Mayor de Blasio and DCAS Commissioner Camilo for their commitment to rebuilding 70 Mulberry Street,” said Wayne Ho, President and CEO of the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC). “We recognize that this is a difficult fiscal year, so we greatly appreciate the $80 million allocation for the rebuilding effort. We look forward to working with elected officials, city agencies, and local leaders in the community engagement process to envision the future of this historic building, ensuring it can continue to serve the Chinatown community. The seniors of the CPC Chinatown Senior Center are eager to return home to 70 Mulberry Street, which for more than 40 years has provided a hot meal, human services, arts and cultural activities, ESOL classes, and more to over 300 seniors per day.”

“CMP is grateful for the Mayor and City Council's commitment of $80 million toward rebuilding 70 Mulberry Street despite this challenging time,” said Hong Shing Lee, Chinese Manpower Group. “It not only provides the tenant organizations a bright prospective for the immediate future, it also offers the community a positive and definitive reassurance that 70 Mulberry Street will continue to be a beacon of the community.” 

“The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) is emboldened and encouraged by the prioritization that Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Lisette Camilo have placed on rebuilding 70 Mulberry Street for the Chinatown community,” said Nancy Yao Maasbach, President of the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA). “They have listened deeply to the tenants and community in the tragic aftermath of the fire on January 23, 2020. DCAS’ commitment to preserving salvageable components of the existing structure and upgrading the building construction for broad community use reassures MOCA that the $80 million funding investment in 70 Mulberry, its tenants, and the community will contribute to a stronger New York City overall and will provide dividends for generations.”

Councilman Mark Gjonaj's NYC Moving Forward Week in Review - 7/2/2020 - Part 2

Increase in Car & Bicycle Thefts in District 13

There has been an increase in car and bicycle thefts in Council District 13. Lock your cars, bicycles and keep your valuable items hidden to prevent theft and damage. Please find the list of NCOs in the NYPD 45th and 49th Precincts below.

Celebrate 4th of July Safely

As we get closer to the 4th of July, our office has received many complaints about fireworks being set off around the clock, disturbing communities and quality of life in our district. An astounding 8,967 complaints of illegal fireworks have been reported to the City’s 311 system. In NY, fireworks are illegal and using them can be dangerous. Let's all be safe this July 4th!

Transportation Informational Tele-Townhall

Councilman Mark Gjonaj's NYC Moving Forward Week in Review - 7/2/2020 - Part 1

Dear Friends: I hope you and your families are continuing to stay well as we make strides and cautiously move forward. While we prepare to mark July 4th, due to the coronavirus pandemic, many parades, firework displays and celebrations are canceled. We would have loved to celebrate in person as always, but we have to put the safety and health of our communities first, celebrate differently and dedicate this July 4th to the strength and resilience of NYC and to the service and dedication of our first responders, medical personnel and essential employees.  Passing the city’s budget is one of the most important duties of the New York City Council. Earlier this week, the Mayor and Council reached an agreement on an $88 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2021. And while I was able to secure one million dollars in funding for programing and over seven million dollars in capital improvements for our district, I had to cast my vote against the overall spending package as I believe this budget could have gone much further in providing the relief that New Yorkers deserve especially during these difficult times.  Since the start of the pandemic our office has done over 90 food giveaway events in our district to help our neighbors in need. We are greateful to GrowNYC, Catholic Charities, ICNA Relief, AAOHA, Bronx Community Council, Martin Brower Distributors, Toli Management and others for their generosity. Starting next week if anyone in District 13 is in need of food, please check the attached flier for Food Pantries in District 13 or contact our office. To ensure you receive the best assistance with any issues, please contact us at (718) 931-1721, email us at MGjonaj@council.nyc.gov and follow us on social media for the most updated news. May this Independence Day bring prosperity and harmony to your families and may the stories of courage and selflessness of our First Responders, US troops, Medical Personnel and Essential Employees make this July 4th memorable by counting our blessings and truly appreciating our freedom and democracy. May God bless the United States of America! Sincerely, NYC Councilman Mark Gjonaj District 13, Bronx

NYC Council Passes Fiscal Year 2021 Budget

"Passing the city’s budget is one of the most important duties of the New York City Council. Earlier this week, the Mayor and Council reached an agreement on an $88 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2021. And while I was able to secure one million dollars in funding for programing and over seven million dollars in capital improvements for our district, I had to cast my vote against the overall spending package. It was a hard decision but I felt that the budget didn’t represent the best interest of District 13 and the Bronx. First, our community pays the highest effective property tax rate than any other district in the entire city but yet this budget does nothing to address this injustice – and actually goes even further in unfairly burdening the renters and homeowners of our community. Secondly, the COVID-19 crisis has devastated lives, families and business. I believe this budget could have gone much further in providing the relief that New Yorkers deserve. For instance, locally owned businesses are barely staying afloat – and far too many have completely shut down – but this budget doesn’t set aside a single penny in grants or loans to help community-based businesses keep their doors open. Lastly, as we head into the summer, sufficient youth employment will be critical in ensuring that our young adults have constructive opportunities to learn, help provide for their families and contribute to our community. I believe that this budget could have gone much further in that regard. These are just a few of the reasons that I couldn’t in good faith support the budget presented to my colleagues for review and approval. But now that the budget has been passed, I will work to make sure that District 13 gets its fair share of funding and I will continue my fight to secure tax relief for a community that is already overburdened." NYC Councilman Mark Gjonaj District 13, Bronx

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES LOCATIONS FOR EXPANSION OF OUTDOOR DINING OPTIONS

Program will provide more street space for seating on select restaurant corridors throughout the five boroughs

 Mayor de Blasio today revealed the first 22 locations for the expansion of outdoor dining options under an initiative that combines two popular programs, Open Streets and Open Restaurants. The program expands restaurant seating options onto car-free streets for select corridors throughout the five boroughs. Selected corridors will be operational on weekends starting tomorrow evening, Friday, July 3.

Twenty-two locations citywide will be open to pedestrians and have been approved for expanded street dining. Another 10-20 corridors will be approved beginning Friday, July 17. Restaurants on these corridors will be able to place seating farther away from the curb than other Open Restaurants participants, and the remaining street space will be open to pedestrian traffic.

“Combining our popular Open Streets and Open Restaurants programs will give more New Yorkers the space they deserve to enjoy the outdoors safely – and give small businesses the chance to rebuild after facing unprecedented challenges this spring,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “I’m excited to enjoy more outdoor meals soon, and we look forward to expanding the program in the coming weeks.”

“As we head into the July 4th weekend, we are excited to be able to start giving restaurants the additional room they need to welcome more customers, so that we can all work together to rebuild this key sector of our local economy in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “We thank everyone from all the BIDs and other neighborhood organizations who made the case that expanding the vision of our Open Streets program to grow outdoor dining will be good for New Yorkers’ quality of life and the city’s bottom line.”

The locations announced today are focused on streets that are already participating in the Open Streets program, on corridors represented by organizations that have worked with DOT on street closures in the past. The second tranche of locations will include additional applicants, such as ad hoc groups of restaurants that coordinate through a single entity acting as a partner organization.

The hours of operation for this new expanded seating option for restaurants will be from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday nights, and noon to 11 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Expanded seating will last until Labor Day.

Organization	Street	From	To	Borough
Belmont BID	Arthur Ave	E 188th St	Crescent Ave	Bronx
DUMBO	Dock St	Front St	Water St	Brooklyn
DUMBO	Main St	Plymouth St	Water St	Brooklyn
DUMBO	Washington St	Water St	Front St	Brooklyn
DUMBO	Anchorage Place	Water St	Front St	Brooklyn
Park Slope 5th Ave BID	5th Ave	Dean St	Park Pl	Brooklyn
Red Hook Business Alliance	Reed St	Conover St	Van Brunt St	Brooklyn
Chinatown BID	Doyers St	Bowery	Pell St	Manhattan
Uptown Grand Central	E 101st St	Lexington Ave	Park Ave	Manhattan
Meatpacking BID	Gansevoort St	Washington St	W 13th St	Manhattan
Meatpacking BID	9th Ave	14th St	15th St	Manhattan
Meatpacking BID	13th St	Hudson St	Washington St	Manhattan
Meatpacking BID	Little W 12th St	9th Ave	Washington St	Manhattan
Flatiron Partnership	Broadway	25th St	28th St	Manhattan
LES Partnership	Orchard St	Delancey St	Grand St	Manhattan
LES Partnership	Broome St	Ludlow St	Allen St	Manhattan
Times Square Alliance	W 46th St	8th Ave	9th Ave	Manhattan
Little Italy Merchants Association	Mulberry St	Hester St	Broome St	Manhattan
Little Italy Merchants Association	Hester St	Mulberry St	Mott St	Manhattan
Bayside Village BID	Bell Blvd	39th Ave	41st Ave	Queens
Bayside Village BID	41st Ave	Bell Blvd	214th Pl	Queens
New Dorp BID	New Dorp Ln	S. Railroad Ave	Hylan Blvd	Staten Island

BIDs and community-based organizations can apply here. The City will quickly review applications and consult with elected officials and Community Boards to ensure optimal safety and appropriate design.

“I thank the Mayor for his innovative approach of using Open Streets for outdoor dining. This is a much-needed lifeline for restaurants struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I hope to see this program expand in the coming days to areas in Brooklyn that have not historically been prioritized for safe streets and economic development initiatives, like East New York and Canarsie,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.

"I'm thrilled to share the news that Bayside's Bell Boulevard was selected to participate in the Open Streets: Restaurants initiative, which gives restaurant owners the power to expand dining on the weekends and offer more diners food service in the open air, giving New Yorkers a safe way to enjoy a meal out while supporting their favorite local eateries," said Council Member Paul Vallone, Chair of the Committee on Economic Development. "I thank the Bayside BID for their partnership and welcome this economic boon for our local restaurants, whose success will be a critical part of a strong economic recovery for New York City."

“Thank you to DOT, SBS, the NYPD, and the Mayor for giving us a fair hearing on this plan and agreeing to implement it so quickly. New Dorp Lane, with almost 30 restaurants, is a true ‘restaurant row,’ and with these closures those restaurants who call it home will have the opportunity to dramatically increase their outdoor capacity. This is a win-win-win since it will help local businesses survive, it will allow for appropriate social distancing, and it will give Staten Islanders a safe outdoor place to enjoy a meal with their families on weekend nights," said Council Member Steven Matteo.

"Between our customers and the business owners, it’s hard to tell who is happier,” said Christine Silletti, Executive Director, Bayside Village BID.

“While Little Italy in the Bronx has been operating during COVID-19 due to our essential businesses including butchers, pharmacies, fish markets, delis, bakeries, pizzerias, and many other specialty stores and services, we have looked forward to reopening our restaurants which make up the other half of our historic, multi-generational neighborhood. Streets will remain open during normal business hours every day while the weekend evenings will be a new opportunity for visitors to experience our own Little Italy in the Bronx piazza-style al fresco dining. The Belmont BID is thankful to the NYPD 48th Precinct, led by Captain Joseph Tompkins and the Department of Transportation for their help, coordination and support of this initiative,” said Peter Madonia, Chairman of the Belmont BID.