MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES ACTION PLAN TO STRENGTHEN PROTECTIONS FOR VULNERABLE HISTORIC BUILDINGS

 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) Chair Sarah Carroll, and New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) Acting Commissioner Kazimir Vilenchik today announced an action plan to strengthen enforcement tools that will preserve the city’s most vulnerable historic buildings. The plan will aid in protecting buildings designated as historic landmarks that are at risk due to pre-existing unknown structural conditions, owner neglect, and contractor negligence, and focuses on early detection of risks to designated buildings, more robust engineering oversight, increased coordination, and communication between LPC and DOB, and enhanced community tools, including new digital tools.

“New York City is home to some of our nation’s richest history and protecting our most fragile landmark buildings is a crucial way to ensure those stories continue to be told,” said Mayor Adams. “I am proud of our administration’s ability to drill down, locate the gaps in the preservation process, and create a plan to fix it. This action plan will undoubtedly help save the incredible historic buildings that decorate our city.”

“The rich cultural and historical significance of New York City's buildings are some of the things that set us apart as the greatest city in the world,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development Maria Torres-Springer. “I thank Chair Carroll and Acting Commissioner Vilenchik for taking these important steps to identify issues in the city's buildings preservation process and swiftly addressing them to protect New York’s rich architectural history.”

“It’s a priority that our city’s most vulnerable historic buildings are protected and preserved,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “Through increase enforcement and community engagement, our historic architectural jewels will remain safe and standing for this generation and the next ones to admire and enjoy.”

“Through LPC and DOB’s action plan, we will be able to identify at-risk buildings earlier and take meaningful steps to protect our aging and most vulnerable landmark buildings,” said LPC Chair Carroll. “The plan also outlines enhanced communications to property owners, community organizations, residents, and other stakeholders to address issues early on to further protect our historic buildings.”

“Time and lack of proper maintenance by owners have a compounding effect on our city’s aging historic buildings,” said DOB Acting Commissioner Vilenchik, P.E.. “These new initiatives spearheaded by LPC and DOB are going to help us proactively identify at-risk landmarked buildings in our city, so we can intervene before structural stability issues worsen and the buildings deteriorate beyond repair.”

While the risk of demolition or deconstruction of landmark designated buildings is very low, LPC and DOB worked together to analyze threats to these buildings and reviewed their policies and protocols to strengthen protections. LPC also recently convened an expert engineering roundtable, undertook stakeholder engagement, including with preservation and community groups and preservation professionals in other large cities across the country. As a result, LPC and DOB have identified three primary risks to landmark designated buildings: pre-existing unknown structural conditions, demolition by neglect, and illegal work by contractors/contractor error. They have therefore developed additional strategies to identify vulnerable buildings earlier and strengthen their enforcement:

Earlier Detection and Enhanced Monitoring of At-Risk Buildings

• DOB will share more data with LPC so vulnerable conditions can be identified earlier and monitored by LPC.
• LPC will work with DOB and the Fire Department of the City of New York to use data to help identify compromised roofs.
• LPC and DOB will enhance existing coordination with DOB’s Forensic Engineering Unit of at-risk landmarks.
• LPC recently hired additional enforcement staff to enhance monitoring of identified buildings.

Engineering Review and Increased Oversight

• Increase the types of applications that will undergo review by LPC’s consulting engineer to help identify pre-existing unknown structural conditions before an LPC and DOB permit is issued and work commences.
• DOB’s Construction Safety Engineering Unit will review certain applications for work, including excavation and additions that require significant demolition of the rear walls prior to approval by LPC.
• DOB and LPC will require joint inspections during certain construction work that involves extensive construction, demolition, and excavation.

Enhance Community Tools and Outreach

• LPC will upload violation information to its maps for increased transparency and collaboration with communities.
• LPC will provide additional violation information directly to community boards and other stakeholders to provide earlier notification to communities.
• LPC will partner with citywide and local groups on educational programming for property owners.

Buildings Under Consideration for Designation

In addition to these new steps to protect designated buildings, LPC and DOB have taken action to protect buildings that are under consideration for designation by LPC by requiring all new full demolition jobs to be filed in DOB’s online public portal, DOB NOW: Build, instead of the previously used Buildings Information System (BIS) — creating  more transparency and accountability. DOB will also require certain jobs filed in BIS prior to DOB NOW’s launch to be refiled in DOB NOW.

LPC and DOB are committed to protecting designated buildings and have had considerable success in resolving structural and potential demolition by neglect situations. Some examples include the Samuel Treadwell Skidmore House, an individual landmark at 37 East 4^th Street in the East Village, 243 and 245 Lenox Avenue in Harlem’s Mount Morris Park Historic District, and an individual landmark at 86-15 Lefferts Boulevard in Richmond Hill, Queens. The vast majority of property owners maintain their designated buildings, and incidents of neglect or illegal structural work are very rare. These new steps will enhance protections by allowing LPC and DOB to identify pre-existing conditions before work is approved and to identify potentially neglected buildings earlier to ensure that all necessary steps are taken to protect the structural integrity of these structures.

Attorney General James Releases Statement on Decision to Restrict Access to Medication Abortion

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James today released the below statement after the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas ordered the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to stay its decades-old approval of mifepristone for use in medication abortion. The court stayed its decision for seven days to give the federal government an opportunity to appeal.

“Today’s decision blatantly disregards decades of medical research for politically motivated reasons that will jeopardize the health of millions of people nationwide. Restricting access to safe and effective medication is a dangerous attack on reproductive freedom, public health, and scientific integrity.

“Let me be clear: abortion continues to be legal in New York and New York will remain a safe haven for anyone seeking abortion care. The fight for reproductive justice is not over. New York will continue to do everything within its power to protect reproductive rights, because it should always be your body, and your choice.”

Abortion is still legal in New York and is protected under state law. Mifepristone was approved by the FDA more than 20 years ago. It is used for abortion care and to treat other health issues, such as miscarriages and gastric ulcers. More than half of abortions in the U.S. are conducted through medication abortion. Last November, a coalition of anti-abortion groups sued the FDA and asked the court to order the agency to rescind or suspend its approval of mifepristone. Last month, Attorney General James led a multistate coalition in filing an amicus brief in this case to defend and protect access to medication abortion.

Following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Attorney General James, national law firms, and reproductive rights organizations launched a hotline to offer free legal guidance on reproductive health care for individuals and providers. To get legal assistance, call the New York abortion rights legal hotline (212) 899-5567 to know your rights.

Attorney General James has been a national leader in protecting access to reproductive health care. In February, Attorney General James and a coalition of attorneys general sent a letter to CVS and Walgreens supporting their decision to offer medication abortion after a group of anti-abortion states wrote a letter to the companies warning of legal repercussions. Following the Supreme Court’s decision to end Roe v. Wade, Attorney General James launched a pro bono legal hotline to provide legal support to patients and health care providers nationwide. Attorney General James has also supported state legislation to provide funds to abortion providers in New York and called for an amendment to the state constitution to ensure the right to an abortion. Attorney General James has helped lead a coalition of attorneys general to defend abortion access in Idaho, Texas, Arizona, Indiana, and Mississippi.

California Resident Sentenced To Four Years In Prison For Conspiring To Violate U.S. Sanctions Against Iran

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that NILOUFAR BAHADORIFAR, a/k/a “Nellie Bahadorifar,” was sentenced to four years in prison for conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”) by providing services, including financial services, to Iran and the Government of Iran, in violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran, and for structuring.  BAHADORIFAR pled guilty on December 15, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams, who imposed today’s sentence.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Niloufar Bahadorifar willfully violated sanctions and knowingly provided financial support to Iranian intelligence assets, who in turn were engaged in a plot to kidnap an Iranian human rights activist living in the United States whom the Iranian Government has sought to silence for years.  Assisting malign foreign governments by violating sanctions can have devastating consequences, including for those targeted by hostile regimes for retribution.  This Office will continue to prosecute efforts to subvert sanctions and is proud to protect victims from repressive regimes.”

According to the Indictment and other documents in the public record, as well as statements made in public court proceedings:

The IEEPA confers upon the President authority to deal with unusual and extraordinary threats to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.  Since 1979, the President has found that the situation in Iran constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.  Among the Government of Iran’s malign practices, it has targeted and sought to repress, including through harassment, intimidation, and violence, those who defend human rights and criticize the regime.  Pursuant to the IEEPA, and applicable Executive Orders and regulations, U.S. persons are prohibited from exporting any services, including financial and banking services, to Iran or the Government of Iran without a license from the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”).

For years, the Government of Iran has targeted a prominent Iranian dissident living in New York City (“the Victim”).  The Victim is a journalist, author, and human rights activist who has publicized the Government of Iran’s human rights abuses and suppression of political expression.  Beginning in at least 2020, Iranian intelligence officials and assets, including co-defendant Mahmoud Khazein, plotted to kidnap the Victim from within the United States for rendition to Iran in an effort to silence the Victim’s criticism of the regime.  As part of that plot, on multiple occasions in 2020 and 2021, agents of the Government of Iran procured the services of private investigators to surveil, photograph, and video record the Victim and the Victim’s household members.  These agents of the Government of Iran, including Khazein, procured the surveillance by misrepresenting their identities and the purpose of the surveillance to the investigators and laundered money into the United States from Iran in order to pay for the surveillance, photos, and video recordings of the Victim. 

Beginning in approximately 2015, BAHADORIFAR, a U.S. citizen residing in California and originally from Iran, provided financial and other services, including access to the U.S. financial system and U.S. financial institutions, to Iranian residents and entities, including to Khazein.  BAHADORIFAR, who is not charged with participating in the kidnapping conspiracy, provided financial services that ultimately supported the plot.  Among other things, BAHADORIFAR caused a payment to be made to a private investigator for surveillance of the Victim on behalf of Khazein.  BAHADORIFAR’s payment obscured the origin of those who had hired the private investigator, who surveilled the Victim without knowing it was on behalf of Iranian intelligence services.  At no time did BAHADORIFAR obtain permission from OFAC to provide services to Iran. 

Beginning in approximately 2019, BAHADORIFAR also structured cash deposits totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.  In total, BAHADORIFAR structured at least approximately $476,100 in more than 120 individual deposits.  All but two of the deposits were less than $10,000. 

In addition to the prison term, BAHADORIFAR, 48, of Irvine, California, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (“FBI”) New York Field Office Counterintelligence-Cyber Division and the New York FBI Iran Threat Task Force.  Mr. Williams also thanked the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) and the NYPD Intelligence Bureau, the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office Orange County Resident Agency, and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section for their assistance.

Bronx Chamber of Commerce - Bronx Business News You Can Use

 

Upcoming Events, Legislative News, Grant Opportunities, & More

(Friday) Extra, Extra Click here for this week's video: Happy Easter, Passover and Ramadan The Bronx Chamber Office will operate remotely on Friday, 4/7/2023 Celebrating Bronx business with the NY Yankees Cannabis Licenses Update Legislative & Advocacy Updates Bronx Chamber Sign On Letter in Support of Criminal Justice Reform Department of Consumer Affairs Updates NYS Policy Updates Member Spotlight AARP Free Shredding Event, Friday, May 5, 2023 | Bronx, NY: 11am - 2pm Upcoming Events From Seed to Mainstream: Impact of Cannabis on Health, Business, and the Economy, 4/20/2023 at 5:00pm

CELEBRATING BRONX GAMECHANGERS WITH THE NY YANKEES

The Bronx Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the NY Yankees celebrated Bronx small businesses and community leaders during the 2023 Bronx Gamechangers Night at Yankee Stadium. The evening celebrated the Spring season as the New York Yankees took on the Phillies! Businesses enjoyed access to the Judges Chamber and an all-inclusive luxury suite, while networking with industry leaders, thought partners and supporters working to make the Bronx thrive. The Bronx Chamber team was thrilled to welcome Bronx businesses and leaders to the Stadium and grateful to the entire team of the Yankees organization for their generosity and hospitality. For more info on how to engage with the Bronx Chamber,email membership@bronxchamber.org

CANNABIS LICENSING UPDATE

On Monday, the New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) awarded 99 more recreational cannabis dispensary licenses, including three in Brooklyn, nine in the Bronx, 21 in Manhattan, 17 in Queens and three in Staten Island. According to OCM, in order to be eligible for a license, each applicant had to either have had a cannabis conviction or be the family member of someone who has and has owned a profitable business. Nonprofits were eligible if they had a history of serving current or formerly incarcerated individuals; have at least one justice-involved board member; at least five full-time employees; and have operated a social enterprise that had net assets or profit for at least two years. In late 2022, OCM issued just 36 licenses across the state. The first in NYC to be awarded licenses were The Housing Works Cannabis Co., Union Square Travel Agency and Smacked. The Bronx Chamber of Commerce congratulates Chamber members and Board members for their license approval, especially ConBUD NY for their tireless and method based work to bring their vision to reality. Read more about ConBUDNY in this Forbes article. To learn more register for the Bronx Chamber's Industry Insight event: From Seed to Mainstream: The Impact of Cannabis on the Economy, 4/20/2023 at 5:00pm at The Bronx Museum of the Arts.

LEGISLATIVE & ADVOCACY UPDATES

Bronx Chamber of Commerce Releases Business Sign-on Letter in Support of Governor Hochul's Criminal Justice Reform Package. The Bronx Chamber of Commerce is soliciting business sign on in support of Governor Kathy Hochul's Criminal Justice Reform component of the NYS budget. This includes bail reform, additional funding for training, discovery, and gun violence prevention. If you would like to sign on to this Memorandum of Support, please email, mbrady@bronxchamber.org.

NYC Department of Consumer Affairs Updates Notice of Hearing attached for proposed rules relating to proposed penalties for second-hand catalytic converters and the notification of security breaches. The hearing for this rule will be held at 11:00am on Monday, May 8. Notice of Adoption to add rules to implement Local Law 144 of 2021, which requires anyone who wants to use an automated employment decision tool to first conduct a bias audit and notify job candidates.   This rule will be effective and DCWP will begin enforcement on July 5, 2023.

NYS FY24 Budget - New York State missed its April 1st statutory deadline for an on-time budget, as the Governor Hochul Administration and New York State Senate and Assembly leaders and staff continued to negotiate toward an agreement on the State’s fiscal and policy priorities for 2023-24.  As the State begins its first week of the new fiscal year without a budget, the Governor delivered of a package of budget extender bills to the Legislature Monday afternoon that will provide the authority for the State to continue spending for its operations for a period of time while negotiations are ongoing. The package of bills delivered allows for state spending from April 1st through April 10th. CAPS Legislation - The Bronx Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the CAPS Coalition - 5,000 diverse small businesses from around New York City and New York State that have come together in an effort to address the lack of enforcement and accountability of the pervasive issue of retail theft, in particular, organized theft and repeat offenders which has negatively impacted our safety, our livelihoods and our communities - is urging Governor Hochul and the NYS Legislature to pass the following legislation. S5479 / A5260-A (Scarcella-Spanton / De Los Santos) legislation to make assaulting a retail employee or owner a class D felony such as the case with livery drivers, utility workers, and other essential workers.  S1644 / A1504 (Hoylman-Sigal / Rosenthal) - Creates the offense of fostering the sale of stolen goods.  S4448 / A4121 (Thomas / Dinowitz) - Raises a subsequent offense to grand larceny in the fourth degree. Package Tax – The Bronx Chamber has signed on to a Memo of Opposition to the Governor’s proposal for a new tax deemed the package tax . 911 Modernization Act – The Bronx Chamber has signed on to and issued a Memo of Support for the 911 Modernization Act. 5 Borough Jobs Coalition Update - The Bronx Chamber of Commerce is an active participant in the 5 Borough Jobs Coalition, a consortium of business organizations which advocate for business incentive programs which deeply impact New York City, notably, the Commercial Expansion Program (CEP), Energy Cost Savings Program (ECSP), Commercial Revitalization Program (CRP) / Commercial Rent Tax Special Reduction (CRT), Lower Manhattan Energy Program, and the Lower Manhattan State and Local Sales Tax Exemption. The aforementioned incentives have been included in both one-house budgets and the Governor's budget.

New Trash Set-Out Times Begin April 1 - Effective April 1, 2023, businesses that place waste at the curb* for collection have two setout options: If using a container with a secure lid, a business should place waste at the curb 1 hour before closing, or If putting bags directly on the curb, place waste out after 8:00 PM.   *This does not apply to businesses that have waste collected from a loading dock or other off-street location.   Send your questions to commercialprograms@dsny.nyc.gov. DSNY’s Commercial Engagement Team will provide additional free resources including information on the rules, educational site visits, trainings, and webinars.

UPCOMING EVENTS

April 12 from 11:30am to 1:00pm, Primer Paso para Comenzar un Negocio, virtual, El objetivo de este curso es ayudarlo a comprender lo que significa ser un empresario exitoso en la ciudad de Nueva York.ebrate. Resevar un lugar. April 13 from 11:00am to 1:00pm, Getting Money for Your Business: Grants & Loan Opportunities, virtual,This workshop explains how Google Search works and how you can improve a website's visibility with Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The session also introduces products like Google My Business, Google Trends, Search Console, Google Analytics, Google Ads, and more.  Reserve Your Spot - Click Here. April 19 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm, Building Your Business Reach Customers Online with Google Webinar, virtual, This webinar will provide guidance for businesses interested in applying for loans and grants. In addition to providing an overview of available financing options, we will share tips to consider before taking on debt, an overview of documents commonly required to apply for a loan, and a summary of other loans and grants that are currently available for NYC businesses. Reserve Your Spot - Click Here. April 20 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, From Seed to Mainstream: Impact of Cannabis on our Health, Businesses, and Economy Networking, in-person, Join the Bronx Chamber of Commerce, NYC Department of Small Business Services, the NYS Latino Cannabis Association, and a line up of experts in the field as we discuss cannabis and its impact on our health, businesses, and economy. The evening includes a fireside chat, networking, bites, and cocktails. Reserve Your Spot - Click Here. April 24 from 3:00pm to 5:00pm, Volunteer Day of Action - Jerome Avenue, in-person, Meeting Location: 1377 Jerome Avenue Bronx, NY.  Join the Bronx Chamber of Commerce, Councilmember Althea Stevens, Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts & community leaders for a Day of Action and Community Clean Streets including: Tree Bed Stewardship, paint light poles / streetscape maintenance and litter and graffiti removal. This event is sponsored by the Office of Councilmember Althea Stevens and supported with volunteers from Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts. Reserve Your Spot - Click Here April 28 from 12:00pm to 2:00pm, Developing a Marketing Strategy for Your Business, virtual, The goal of this course is to help entrepreneurs at any stage build a foundational marketing strategy that will inform every marketing tactic they use. Reserve Your Spot - Click Here June 20 at 7:30am, Joseph P. Kelleher Memorial Golf Tournament, Trump Links at Ferry Point, 500 Hutchinson River Parkway Bronx, NY.  Over 200 notable thought partners, colleagues in business, and influential New Yorkers will tee off for the 2023 Joseph P. Kelleher Memorial Golf Tournament at Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point. The 2023 Tournament features two (2) tee times, breakfast, lunch, cocktails, and the 2023 Awards Dinner honoring NYC Housing, Preservation, and Development Commissioner Adolfo Carrion, Jr. To purchase foursomes or to sponsor, Click HERE

For the complete Bronx Chamber Events Calendar, featuring educational workshops, networking events and other opportunities hosted by the Chamber, its members, & partners, please visit and bookmark our website events calendar link in your browser - new events are added weekly!