Friday, October 22, 2021

Morris Park Community Association Meeting


Wednesday Night the Morris Park Community Association held its bi-monthly meeting. This meeting was to give the Columbus Day Parade committee a pat on the back for doing what turned out to be a very good job considering all the obstacles that had to be overcome, including the rain that turned heavy during the parade. Mayor Bill de Blasio marched in the parade, and Al D'Angelo president of the MPCA said he kept smiling even as the few detractors booed or hurled other comments at him. Al also said that the mayor assured him that work would restart on the revamping of the baseball/softball field. 


Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez was on hand to answer questions, and remind everyone of her upcoming Job Fair in the cafeteria of Columbus High School on Saturday October 23rd, which she added was the first day of early voting for the November general election. The NCO officers from the 49th Precinct were on hand to remind everyone of crime safety tips when parking cars, do not leave your car running to run into a store, as someone can just hop into your car as you go in. They also mentioned that there were two car jackings in their sector, but no one was hurt. 


49th Precinct NCO officer Brancatelli (one of the Columbus Day Parade Grand Marshals) gives the sector A report to the MPCA.


Assemblywoman Fernandez gave out information, and took questions from the audience on many different subjects. She mentioned her Job Fair Saturday at Columbus High school, and explained why she did not march in the Bronx Columbus Day Parade.



Thursday, October 21, 2021

Governor Hochul Announces Administration Appointments, Nominations and Recommendations

 

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced new appointments, nominations and recommendations to her administration.

"There's no doubt that New York faces enormous challenges, and it's absolutely vital that we attract the best and brightest minds to govern our state and fight for our people," Governor Hochul said. "These individuals will fill important roles and help our administration shore up its responses to a host of critical challenges, from protecting New Yorkers during emergencies to regulating the state's financial system."

Jeanette M. Moy will be nominated as Commissioner of the Office of General Services (OGS). She most recently served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Public Health Solutions, an organization committed to reducing health inequities across New York City. In this role, she oversaw PHS' Finance and Accounting, Human Resources, Information Technology, Facilities and Real Estate Management, and Contracting and Management Services teams. Previously, Ms. Moy served as COO at the Office of the New York Attorney General, overseeing its business operations with a $225 million budget and 1,800 employees across 33 locations, and enterprise-wide modernization program. Ms. Moy served as the first Chief Strategy Officer at the Brooklyn Public Library, driving its mission-critical strategic initiatives to deliver innovative services, generate revenue and improve operations. She served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Policy Advisor in the NYC Office of the Mayor, focused on customer service strategies, technology, and innovation. Prior to her time in public service, she worked at management consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton and health insurance company Anthem. Ms. Moy received her BA in Political Science and MS in Management from the University of Rochester. Ms. Moy will serve as Acting Commissioner until confirmation by the Senate.

Maria Imperial will be nominated as Commissioner of the Division of Human Rights (DHR). Most recently, Ms. Imperial served as the CEO of the YWCA White Plains & Central Westchester, whose mission is eliminating racism and empowering women. Under Ms. Imperial's leadership, the YWCA completed a $26 million green renovation of its Residence, a $4 million bond refinancing of its North St. Activity Center, re-aligned the organization's programs to better reflect its mission, including the creation the Center for Racial Equity opening April 2021. Ms. Imperial has been recognized by Westchester 914 as a 2018 Women in Business Awardee and received Fordham Law School's Feerick Center for Social Justice Champion of Justice Award, the Westchester Human Rights Commission Award for promoting human rights in the County and also the Westchester Community Opportunity Program (WESTCOP) Community Service Award. She serves on the Board of Directors of Nonprofit Westchester, and the Advisory Board for the Women in the Courts Committee for the Ninth Judicial District. Ms. Imperial began her career working as an associate at O'Melveny and Myers law firm. She is a graduate of Harvard University, the Robert Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and Harvard Law School. Ms. Imperial will serve as Acting Commissioner until confirmation by the Senate.

Jackie Bray will be nominated as Commissioner of the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES). She joins the HochulAdministration after coordinating hospital surge capacity during the height of COVID for New York City, serving as the Deputy Executive Director of NYC Test and Trace Corps, and a senior advisor for the City's vaccination campaign. She previously served as the inaugural Director of the Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants where she built a new office from the ground up focused on tenants' rights and protecting the City's 2 million renter households. Prior to that, she served as the First Deputy Commissioner at the New York City Department of Homeless Services, the nation's largest and most comprehensive homeless system, where she oversaw day to day operations and implementation of the City's Turning the Tide on Homelessness Plan. Before joining NYC government, Ms. Bray served as Deputy Chief of Staff at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Chief of Staff at the National Weather Service. There she focused on stabilizing the nations' weather satellite programs, implementing the Weather Service's vision to provide quality decision support services to States and localities, and developing climate adaptation policy. She is an alumna of the University of Michigan and has a Masters of Public Health from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. Ms. Bray is passionate about public sector change management and making bureaucracies work. Ms. Bray will serve as Acting Commissioner until confirmation by the Senate.

Lucy Lang has been appointed Inspector General of the State of New York. Lang most recently served as Director of the Institute for Innovation in Prosecution (IIP) working with prosecutors and communities to promote safety, fairness and dignity in the criminal justice system. Under her leadership, the IIP advocated for criminal justice reforms and focused on reducing police involved shootings and fatalities, creating national prosecutorial guidelines to increase accountability and calling for increased support for victims of police violence. In 2006, Lang began her career as an Assistant DA in Manhattan, first in the Appeals Bureau and later in the Trial Division. She also served as Special Counsel to the District Attorney as well as Executive Director of the in-house think tank, the Manhattan D.A. Academy, which expanded legal training for prosecutors and developed prosecutorial reform policy. There she created a program called Inside Criminal Justice, a first-of-its kind college class for prosecutors and incarcerated students to study criminal justice together inside of a prison. Lang was named a Rising Star by the New York Law Journal in 2015. She was a member of the 2017 Class of Presidential Leadership Scholars a program launched in 2014 by former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush and serves as a term member on the Council on Foreign Relations. Lang received the 2020 Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award from the American Psychological Association, for her work as an educator who inspired her students to make a difference in their communities. She was appointed to and served on the New York State Bar Association Task Forces on Racial Injustice and Police Reform in 202, and on Racism, Social Equity, and the Law in 2021.She is the author of March On! achildren's book about women's suffrage released in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. In 2021 Lang was named one of Worth Magazine's 50 Women Changing the World. Lang received her B.A. in Political Science with High Honors from Swarthmore College and her J.D. from Columbia Law School.

Governor Hochul recommends the Commissioners of the New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF) appoint Gaurav Vasisht as Executive Director. Mr. Vasisht has served as an advisor to a former Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, as a lawyer to three Governors of New York, and in key roles at the New York Department of Financial Services, its predecessor, the New York Insurance Department, and the New York Attorney General's Office. As Senior Vice President and Director of the financial regulation program at the Volcker Alliance ("Alliance") from 2014 to 2020, Mr. Vasisht advised former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul A. Volcker and numerous Volcker Alliance board members on financial stability and regulatory matters. Mr. Vasisht also guided the development of reform proposals and promoted the Alliance's policy priorities before the federal government, including the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, the House Financial Services Committee, and an array of financial regulatory agencies. Before joining the Alliance, Mr. Vasisht spent a decade in New York State government. Most recently, he served as Executive Deputy Superintendent of DFS, heading the agency's Banking Division, and prior to that was Senior Deputy Superintendent of DFS's predecessor agency, the NYS Insurance Department. Mr. Vasisht has also worked as First Assistant Counsel and Assistant Counsel to three Governors of New York and Assistant Attorney General in the Investment Protection Bureau of the NYS Attorney General's Office. A graduate of New York University and St. John's University School of Law, Mr. Vasisht has been a Non-Resident Fellow at the Global Financial Markets Center at Duke Law School and a Contributor to Penn Law's Regulatory Review.

NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE'S STATEMENT ON NEW VACCINE REQUIREMENT FOR CITY WORKERS

 

"The administration has often lacked clarity, consistency, or courage in implementing the necessary policies to keep New Yorkers safe amid the ongoing pandemic; but the requirements announced today for all municipal employees are a welcome, crucial step. We each owe it to one another to get vaccinated and protect ourselves and our neighbors, and the city owes it to New Yorkers to do all in its power to increase vaccination rates. 


"When the Mayor took too long to close down offices last year, or forced them to fully open too quickly and abruptly this month, I opposed orders that made our team less safe and set a bad model for the city. But I look forward to implementing this vaccine requirement and protecting everyone in our office as we look to return in person, safely."


72 Days and Counting - I Will Take No Questions From That Bronx Reporter of The Bronx Chronicle on the 540 Homeless Men DHS is Dumping in Community Board 11.

 


Do I have to get a new moderator? I told you I don't want to be asked any questions from Robert Press of the Bronx Chronicle. He is going to ask me about the Department of Homeless Services dumping of 540 single adult males into a small area of Community Board 11 in the Bronx, and I don't have an answer, nor do I want him to ask me about that.  He knows that there may be Level one and Level Two Sex offenders in the 540 single adult homeless men. I also don't want any community meetings because at one such homeless shelter meeting, the then Assistant DHS Commissioner Anabel Palma revealed that Level one and Level two sex offenders are placed into homeless shelters even if they are close to places where children are found such as schools, libraries, and pre K buildings. I had to find another position for Anabel elsewhere in my administration in charge of paper towels and toilet paper.


That reporter Robert Press has beat me up on NYCHA, Homelessness (before), the poor performance of Bronx public schools, and a whole bunch of other East Side Bronx problems. You would think that he is an elected official since he knows so much about what is going on. I wouldn't be surprised if he is able to do things that his local elected official on the state level can't get done. I should have hired him to be a part of my administration from day one, because Bob was with me when I introduced MIHZQA and knows more than most of my staff does. Oh well Charlene there is no media conference on Friday's, so we can enjoy another three day weekend. 

MAYOR DE BLASIO, COMPTROLLER STRINGER, AND TRUSTEES ANNOUNCE COMMITMENT TO ACHIEVE NET ZERO GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS IN PENSION INVESTMENT PORTFOLIOS BY 2040

 

New York City is among the first cities in the nation to commit to a net zero emissions goal in their public pension funds; first city in the nation to set an ambition of reaching net zero emissions by as early as 2040

 

Goal to double investments in climate change solutions to over $8 billion by 2025 and achieve a total of $37 billion in investments by 2035 across three pension funds in line with a total of $50 billion in all pension fund investments  


 Mayor Bill de Blasio, Comptroller Scott M. Stringer, along with trustees of three of the City’s pension funds, today announced these funds have adopted a commitment to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions in their investment portfolios by 2040. This includes a goal to double investments in climate change solutions, such as renewable energy, energy efficiency and green real estate, to over $8 billion by 2025 and achieve a total of over $37 billion in climate solutions investments by 2035 across the three funds, in line with achieving the Mayor’s State of the City goal of $50 billion in total pension fund investments in climate change solutions by 2035.

 

The goal and plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2040, which were proposed jointly by the Mayor and Comptroller, addresses the vast financial, environmental and social risks that climate change poses to the funds and planet, will further align the funds’ investments with the accelerating transition towards a low carbon economy, and help limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius to prevent the most devastating impacts of climate change. New York City is among the first cities in the nation to commit to a net zero emissions goal in their public pension funds, and is the first city in the nation to set an ambition of reaching net zero emissions by as early as 2040. The three New York City pension funds have also adopted the Net Zero Asset Owner Commitment of the Paris Aligned Investment Initiative (PAII), a former partner of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC’s) Race to Zero campaign, joining asset owners and investors globally in developing best practices to achieve net zero emissions.

 

“Climate change poses an existential threat to New York City, and we must do everything in our power to confront this crisis head on,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “In my State of the City address in January, I urged our pension funds to move to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 and to increase investments in climate change solutions to $50 billion by 2035. Today’s vote by the trustees will help the pension system meet these goals and ensure we have a livable planet for future generations to come.”

 

“We must act now and act boldly on climate change to protect the long-term interests of our beneficiaries, the sustainability of our pension investments and the stability and growth of the global economy,” said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “Every year, the crisis of climate change becomes more stark and immediate. Achieving net zero emissions is an imperative for investors, businesses and government to maintain economic viability as well as livable conditions on the planet. As fiduciaries, we must mitigate the tremendous systemic risk that climate change poses to our pension funds and, to do this, we must ensure our investments support limiting global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius. I thank the trustees for their adopting this commitment.”

 

The New York City Employees’ Retirement System (NYCERS) and New York City Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) voted to approve a commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2040 today and the New York City Board of Education Retirement System (BERS) is expected to move forward on a vote imminently. The goal is accompanied by a Climate Action Plan that outlines key elements of the commitment including (1) Increasing climate change solutions investments that achieve competitive market rate risk-adjusted returns, with an initial goal of doubling such investments in the portfolio to over $8 billion by 2025 and achieving a total of over $37 billion by 2035; (2) Developing and updating interim targets for reducing portfolio greenhouse gas emissions beginning with a target for 2030 or earlier using Scope 1 and 2 emissions and eventually including Scope 3 emissions; (3) Considering climate change risk and opportunity and net zero alignment in the evaluation,  selection and monitoring of asset managers; (4) Analyzing the carbon footprint of public markets investments annually for Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions and appropriately expanding to additional asset classes; (5) Exploring appropriate tools for evaluating climate risks to the portfolio; and (6) Prioritizing proxy voting, engagement and policy advocacy that promote net zero emissions.

 

This new goal builds upon the funds’ recent actions to address the risks and opportunities presented by a global transition to a low carbon economy. In January 2021, the trustees voted to divest their portfolios of an estimated $4 billion in securities of fossil fuel reserve owners. This decision followed an extensive and thorough fiduciary process to assess the portfolio’s exposure to fossil fuel stranded asset risk and industry decline and other financial risks stemming from climate change, showing the prudent nature of the divestment actions adopted by the Boards. The divestment is expected to be complete within the original five year timeline.

 

In his State of the City speech in January of this year, Mayor de Blasio urged the City’s pension funds to move to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 and to increase investments in climate change solutions to $50 billion by 2035. The Mayor and Comptroller jointly introduced today’s resolution to adopt a goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2040. With their actions today the boards of NYCERS, Teachers and BERS have put the entire pension system on track to achieve these goals.

 

In March 2021, the Mayor, Comptroller and other trustees announced the funds have more than doubled investments in climate change solutions to over $6 billion with allocations and commitments by the end of this year. This surpasses the goal set in September 2018 to double the then $2 billion investment across all asset classes over three years to reach $4 billion of investment in companies that generate revenue from climate mitigation, adaption and resiliency such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable waste management, green buildings, and pollution prevention. It also includes companies that are measurably helping to facilitate the transition to a low-carbon economy consistent with goals established by the Paris Climate Accord.

 

Climate change creates both risks to some investments and opportunities for other investments.  As part of their fiduciary responsibility, city pension funds are working to address the risks and maximize the opportunities for its beneficiaries. Specific investments will be reviewed by the boards of individual pension systems consistent with their portfolio strategies.

 

Climate change poses significant threats to New York City. Rising temperatures; stronger, more destructive hurricanes; severe flooding; and increasing precipitation tied to climate change have already affected neighborhoods and communities across all five boroughs and are projected to become increasingly severe and costly over the coming decades. Only by achieving net zero emissions before 2050 and eliminating the use of fossil fuels can these challenges be fully addressed. Since net zero global emissions cannot be achieved by any one city, state, or country, the funds have joined the United Nations accredited Net Zero Asset Owners Commitment of the PAII to work collaboratively with other asset owners and pension funds toward this goal.

The participating New York City Pension Funds’ trustees are: 

 

New York City Employees’ Retirement System (NYCERS): Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Representative, John Adler (Chair); New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams; Borough Presidents: Gale Brewer (Manhattan), Donovan Richards (Queens), Eric Adams (Brooklyn), James Oddo (Staten Island), and Ruben Diaz, Jr. (Bronx); Henry Garrido, Executive Director, District Council 37, AFSCME; Tony Utano, President Transport Workers Union Local 100; Gregory Floyd, President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 237.

Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS): Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Appointee, John Adler; Chancellor’s Representative, Lindsey Oates, New York City Department of Education; Natalie Green Giles; and Debra Penny (Chair), Thomas Brown and David Kazansky, all of the United Federation of Teachers.

 

Board of Education Retirement System (BERS): Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter; Mayoral: Isaac Carmignani, Natalie Green Giles, Vanessa Leung, Gary Linnen, Lori Podvesker, Eric C. Henry, Kathy Park Price; Thomas Sheppard (CEC); Michael Kraft (Manhattan BP), Deborah Dillingham (Queens BP), April Chapman (Brooklyn BP), Geneal Chacon (Bronx BP) and Jaclyn Tacoronte (Staten Island BP); and employee members John Maderich of the IUOE Local 891 and Donald Nesbit of District Council 37, Local 372.

 

Permits Filed For 1701 Clay Avenue In Concourse, The Bronx - The Beginning of the Destruction of a Residential Block

 


Permits have been filed for a six-story residential building at 1701 Clay Avenue in ConcourseThe Bronx. Located between East 173rd and East 174th Streets, the interior lot is within walking distance of the 174-175 Streets subway station, serviced by the B and D trains. Chananya Bineth of Pointy Developments is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 74-foot-tall development will yield 11,202 square feet designated for residential space. The building will have 17 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 659 square feet. The steel-based structure will also have a cellar, mezzanine level, and a 30-foot-long rear yard, but no accessory parking.

Joseph Frankl of JFA Architects & Engineers is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits were filed in April 2021 for the two-story residential structure on the site. An estimated completion date has not been announced.

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Former Pain Management Doctor Charged In Manhattan Federal Court With Sexually Abusing Patients Across Multiple States Over The Course Of Over 15 Years

 

Ricardo Cruciani Sexually Abused Numerous Female Patients as a Pain Management Doctor Employed at Various Times By Prominent Medical Institutions in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that RICARDO CRUCIANI was arrested this morning and charged in connection with his sexual abuse of numerous pain management patients over the course of over 15 years.  The Indictment unsealed today alleges that from at least in or about 2002 up to and including at least in or about 2017, CRUCIANI enticed and induced multiple victims to travel to his medical offices in New York, New York, Hopewell, New Jersey, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to subject them to unlawful sexual abuse.  CRUCIANI was arrested this morning and is expected to be presented later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger in Manhattan federal court.  The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan in the Southern District of New York.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “Doctors like the defendant take an oath to do no harm.  It is difficult to imagine conduct more anathema to that oath than exploiting patients’ vulnerability in order to sexually abuse them.  As alleged, Ricardo Cruciani’s sexual abuse involved developing personal relationships with victims to engender trust, and prescribing addictive pain medication that caused his patients to become dependent on him as he engaged in a course of increasingly abusive conduct.  The alleged pattern of abuse in this case is outrageous, and Cruciani now faces federal charges for it.”

If you believe you are a victim of the sexual abuse perpetrated by RICARDO CRUCIANI, please contact the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York at (646) 372-0364, and reference this case.

According to the Indictment[1] unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:

CRUCIANI was a pain management doctor who treated patients from multiple states who suffered from, among other things, severe and chronic pain.  Between at least in or about 2001 and in or about 2014, CRUCIANI was employed by and affiliated with a prominent medical hospital and medical center located in New York, New York, and maintained medical offices in New York, New York.  Between at least in or about 2013 and in or about 2016, CRUCIANI was a practicing pain management doctor employed by and affiliated with a prominent medical hospital and medical center located in Hopewell, New Jersey, and maintained medical offices in Hopewell, New Jersey.  Between at least in or about 2016 and in or about 2017, CRUCIANI was a practicing pain management doctor employed by and affiliated with a prominent medical hospital and university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and maintained medical offices in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Over the course of at least approximately 15 years, between at least in or about 2002 and in or about 2017, CRUCIANI sexually abused numerous adult female patients who suffered from severe and chronic pain and were under his medical care as a pain management doctor.  CRUCIANI exploited and leveraged his position of trust as a healthcare provider at prominent medical institutions, the significant pain suffered by the victims, and his ability to prescribe or withhold pain medication, including highly addictive opioids, so that he could sexually abuse his patients.  In order for them to obtain prescription refills, CRUCIANI required victims to travel to his medical offices and other locations for in-person appointments.  CRUCIANI enticed and induced victims to travel interstate at least in part for the purpose of subjecting them to unlawful sexual abuse. 

CRUCIANI’s sexual abuse of victims involved developing personal relationships with victims to engender trust, and prescribing addictive pain medication that caused the victims to become dependent on CRUCIANI as he engaged in a course of increasingly abusive conduct.    The abusive sexual conduct included, among other things, forcible kissing, touching victims’ breasts and genitals, oral sex acts, vaginal sexual intercourse, and attempted anal sexual intercourse. 

CRUCIANI, 63, of Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, is charged with five counts of enticing and inducing individuals to travel interstate to engage in illegal sexual activity, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.  The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by a judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Comptroller Stringer Releases Analysis of Remote Work’s Impact on New York City Sales Tax Revenue

 

For New Yorkers who work and live in the city, spending near the office will be largely replaced with spending closer to home

City sales tax revenue could be reduced by $111 million annually

 New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer released an analysis of the impact that remote work will have on New York City sales tax revenue. As work from home becomes more routine in the aftermath of the pandemic, City retailers will be impacted by reduced spending by commuters — roughly one million of whom came into the City each day prior to the pandemic, many of whom are likely to do so on a less frequent basis going forward.

“Our analysis shows that the pandemic has fundamentally altered the way people work, with far reaching implications on the city’s economy and tax base,” said Comptroller Stringer. “As remote work and hybrid work schedules keep many workers closer to home, small businesses in residential districts may see a boost from New Yorkers spending more in their neighborhoods. However, the loss of foot traffic and lower sales may be severely felt by small businesses in the city’s commercial districts.  We must ensure that all our small businesses get the support they need in this economy; that means cutting red tape and making government more user-friendly, helping immigrant entrepreneurs scale up to new markets, and closing the digital divide so that brick-and-mortar small businesses can effectively compete with larger online retailers. My office will continue to monitor the pandemic’s impacts on New York City’s economy, people, and businesses.”

Specifically, the Comptroller’s report finds

  • If the roughly 500,000 office workers who commute into the City return to the office on a three-day a week basis, retail demand would be lowered by $1.6 billion annually with a resulting loss in tax revenue of nearly $146 million
  • This could be partially offset by increased demand from the 110,000 City residents who work outside the City and going forward will spend more time and purchase more in the City. This would be expected to generate new sales of $350 million and sales tax revenue of $35 million
  • For the 3.7 million City residents who both live and work in the City, spending near the office will be largely replaced with spending closer to home
  • Overall, City sales tax revenue is estimated to be reduced by $111 million annually as a result of increased work from home. While the loss in revenue is relatively minor when compared to the $7 billion in sales tax revenue that the City is expected to raise in 2022, the impact will be severely felt by the many small businesses that operate in the commercial districts which will face lower sales.

For more details, the full report can be downloaded here.