Latest news with #Gothamist
Daily Mail
42 minutes ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
One of America's most iconic beach towns welcomes 1,100 new homes
Affordable housing units are set to break ground close to one of America's most iconic beaches. New York City officials are touting a new housing project just blocks away from Coney Island's boardwalk entrances. The neighborhood, which hangs on the southern tip of Brooklyn, offers a dose of chaos and nostalgia. A scent of fried dough hangs in the air, wooden roller coasters rattle overhead, and sunburned crowds shuffle between jam-packed beaches and hot dog stands. But not everyone is excited about the development. 'People say, "Don't get a heart attack on Fourth of July because it'll take two hours for ambulance to come to your house,"' Angela Kravtchenko, a vice chair of the local land use committee, told Gothamist. Nevertheless, city officials are touting the upcoming construction site as a win for affordability in a city battling a housing price crisis. The development will include 1,100 units of housing, including 720 affordable apartments. In one building, the average price for a one-bedroom will be around $1,800 a month, a steep discount compared to the rest of Brooklyn. In July, new renters in the borough signed leases that pushed the median rent over $2,800 a month for a 545-square-foot apartment. Nearby Coney Island homes are even pricier, with average monthly rent hovering above $3,200. Coney Island's newest housing is part of Mayor Eric Adams' sweeping plan to rewire New York's outdated zoning laws called 'City of Yes.' The city's top politician has been sifting through bureaucratic red tape to build housing, open small businesses, and install green tech like solar panels. For years, housing advocates have warned that demand keeps climbing while new apartment construction lags behind. The Adams administration says it's answering that call — with what it touts as two straight years of record-breaking homebuilding. Still, not everyone's convinced. The boardwalk is another popular tourist destination - nearby residents worry that increasing population density and tourism could be a toxic mix Drivers worry that the new development will clog streets in a neighborhood already buckling under traffic. It's the kind of issue the city has tried to tackle with tolling initiatives — most famously, congestion pricing in lower Manhattan. That plan slaps a $9 toll on cars entering below Central Park during peak hours. Officials say it's raising funds for public transit, reducing pollution, and clearing a path for emergency vehicles. But the system doesn't extend to Brooklyn. Also, environmental activists are worried that the area is increasingly at risk for sea-level rise. Hofstra University conducted a land survey that found most of Coney Island is expected to flood more frequently in the coming decade. Despite the backlash, the Mayor's office is charging ahead with the Coney Island project. Housing projects like this one are expected to feature prominently in Adams' re-election pitch. In the meantime, hot dog–loving future residents might want to prep their stomachs. They could soon be living steps away from Nathan's — and might compete in the chain's famous hot dog eating contest.
Politico
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Politico
NYC leaders reach deal on $116 billion city budget
NEW YORK — New York City will boost funding for immigrant legal services by $41.9 million amid President Donald Trump's crackdown on noncitizens, as Mayor Eric Adams' administration and the City Council struck a final deal on a roughly $116 billion dollar budget days before the deadline. The fiscal year 2026 budget also includes $12.5 million in funding to create a new mayor's office for pro bono legal services, which will focus on providing representation for unaccompanied minors in immigration hearings, Adams' office announced Friday evening. And $10 million will go to a pilot program for free child care for kids two-years-old and younger, expected to cover hundreds of low-income families. That pilot, first reported by Gothamist, comes as presumptive Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani has made free universal child care a central tenet of his affordability-focused platform. 'There are no perfect budgets. But we have come a long way, and this one gets pretty close,' City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said at a press conference announcing the deal. She and the mayor shook hands in the City Hall rotunda Friday afternoon as is tradition. While the two leaders have had an increasingly tense relationship, this year's budget process was relatively free of the drama and public fights that preceded previous deals. 'This has been, in my opinion, the easiest budget that we had to pass, because we knew what we expected from each other, and what we needed to deliver. And we were able to accomplish that,' Eric Adams said. But it wasn't just four years of experience that played a role — the mayor is seeking reelection on an independent ballot line this year and formally launched his campaign Thursday with a rally on the steps of City Hall. He's running on what he's been able to deliver in his first term and promoted his executive budget last month as 'the best budget ever' with a campaign-style event at his high school alma mater in Queens. Funding immigrant legal services could serve as a defense against a political vulnerability for Adams in the general election. The mayor has sought to increase cooperation with the Trump administration on immigration enforcement against noncitizens and moved to reopen a federal office on Rikers Island — a move that's been temporarily blocked following a legal challenge joined by the City Council. Between legal services and the pilot for universal child care, City Council Finance Chair Justin Brannan believes that Mamdani's win influenced the mayor to align with the council, which governs to his left. 'There was definitely some movement after Tuesday,' he said. 'Things that the council had been fighting for many years suddenly became more important.' Eric Adams got defensive when asked what changed his mind to add more funding to immigrant legal services. 'I'm the leading voice in the country of making sure people get justice,' he said. 'This is what I've done all my life. So there was no turning point.' Even before the results were final, the mayor showed little appetite for another round of belt-tightening and budget cuts, which in prior years earned him protests, denouncements and even a lawsuit from the city's largest municipal union. The mayor had defended those cuts as necessary to offset the massive, unexpected costs of housing and serving hundreds of thousands of asylum-seekers who had come to New York since the spring of 2022. But the number of migrants needing a high level of city services slowed to a trickle before Trump took office — a shift that took the city off its emergency footing and reduced spending in that area. Adrienne Adams and Brannan have also been busy running for higher office over the last several months, pulling them away from City Hall during a time period often dominated by budget talk. Both lost their primaries Tuesday — Adrienne Adams for mayor and Brannan for comptroller — but Brannan said the fiscal situation simply made for less contentious negotiation. 'We were able to focus this time on expanding, instead of what we normally had to do, which is restoring core services,' he said. 'That's what we would have liked to do with the last three budgets.' The City Council is expected to vote Monday to enact the final budget, just ahead of the new fiscal year, which begins July 1. Despite Democrats' concerns about Trump's impact on the economy, city bean counters expect the city to bring in about $116 billion in revenue in the upcoming year — up nearly $1 billion from the executive budget. The S&P 500 hit a record high Friday, a boon for the city's investments, and Adams jokingly took credit. 'Dropped by the Stock Exchange this morning, just saying,'he posted on X. The city is legally required to have a balanced budget and will also keep $8.5 billion in reserve, consistent with last year's spending plan. That wasn't enough for the Citizens Budget Commission, a fiscal watchdog that has consistently advocated for more conservative budgeting practices. 'The New York City fiscal year 2026 budget agreement is unaffordable, unprepared for federal cuts, and underinvests in the Rainy Day Fund despite strong current year revenues,' CBC President Andrew Reins said in a statement. 'Everyone knows that federal risks are real and substantial, yet they are shockingly ignored. Further, a typical recession would sap $11 billion of revenue over two years, which would swamp the City's reserves.' Brannan defended the balance of spending and savings at the press conference. 'Today, we are proving that we can Trump-proof a budget while still investing in what matters most,' he said. Eric Adams did not mention Trump in his remarks. He has maintained a cozy relationship with the president, whose administration pushed to drop the federal corruption charges brought against him earlier this year. Aside from the investments in immigrant legal services and early childcare, the new revenue allowed city leaders to pepper in other additional expenditures. The budget allocates $6.1 million to create a 'Division of Sustainable Delivery' under the Department of Transportation, focused on regulating e-bikes and mopeds — since reckless riders have become the subject of countless constituent complaints to elected officials. The city will also add $900,000 to the New York City Emergency Management agency to fund 10 new employees meant to enhance the city's disaster preparedness. The city has agreed to allocate $70 million to cover evaluations, services and classes for preschoolers with disabilities, fulfilling a request from over 80 organizations including the nonprofit Advocates for Children of New York. And where advocates for libraries led aggressive lobbying campaigns to restore proposed cuts in the last two budget cycles, book lovers are getting a slight boost this year: the budget allocates $2 million to allow an additional ten library branches to stay open on Sundays. Madina Touré contributed to this report.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ex-NYC Mayor Eric Adams campaign vendor accused of SoHo assault donated to him at ritzy fundraiser
NEW YORK — Trent Pool, a conservative political consultant accused of assaulting his girlfriend in a Manhattan hotel, donated the legal max amount to Mayor Eric Adams' reelection effort as part of a fundraiser last year — and was months later hired by the campaign to do petitioning work, the Daily News has learned. The fundraiser itself may also have violated campaign finance rules as Adams' team failed to disclose cryptocurrency tycoon Brock Pierce's role in hosting the event. Pool, who's known for managing petitioning for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s failed 2024 presidential campaign, was arrested in April 2024 on charges alleging he strangled his partner at the SoHo Grand Hotel. As reported by Gothamist this week, Adams' campaign paid Pool some $175,000 this spring to do petitioning work to secure an independent line for the mayor on November's general election ballot. Pool's hire came as he was in the middle of fighting his assault case — which remains pending in Manhattan Criminal Court — and Adams' campaign responded to Gothamist's report by saying it'd cut ties with Pool, adding that the mayor was unaware of the charges against him and 'has never had contact with' him. Records obtained by The News via a Freedom of Information Law request nonetheless reveal that months before being hired, Pool contributed $2,100, the legal max, to Adams' reelection campaign as part of an exclusive fundraiser in Puerto Rico attended by the mayor. The Dec. 10, 2024 fundraiser, hosted at Pierce's San Juan mansion, raised a total of $13,404 from nine individuals, including Pool, the records show. As required, the records were submitted to the city Campaign Finance Board by Adams' team to disclose all fundraiser attendees who gave in connection with the event. Thomas Keniff, Pool's criminal lawyer, declined to comment Friday on his client's participation in the fundraiser, but said he 'has supported and donated to Eric Adams, along with many other common sense candidates nationwide.' 'As to his pending criminal charges, Mr. Pool maintains his innocence and looks forward to being fully exonerated,' Keniff added. Pool's case is slated to go to trial next month. 'Mayor Adams has no recollection of ever meeting Trent Pool in any setting, but the campaign sometimes acts independently on hiring independent contractors,' an Adams campaign spokesman said when asked about his interactions with Trent and reliance on his services. Pierce, a pro-Trump investor and billionaire, threw the fundraiser for Adams while the mayor was on the island for a cryptocurrency conference. The private event came as Adams was still under indictment on federal corruption charges that were months later dismissed at the request of President Donald Trump's Department of Justice as part of a deal many believe has left the mayor beholden to Trump's agenda. Given that Pierce's event raised more than $500, Adams' team under campaign finance law was required to either report Pierce as a so-called 'intermediary' or pay him for hosting the shindig. However, Adams' campaign didn't report Pierce as an intermediary and there is no record it paid Pierce for hosting, records show. A spokesman for the Campaign Finance Board declined to comment. Vito Pitta, Adams' campaign compliance attorney, didn't immediately return a request for comment. The revelations about Pool — who was reportedly spotted at the U.S. Capitol during the deadly pro-Trump Jan. 6, 2021 attack, though he denies participating in any violence — come as Adams is kickstarting his independent run for reelection amid various headwinds. Continuing to face political fallout from his indictment, Adams held a formal reelection campaign launch rally at City Hall Thursday, where he assailed the presumptive Democratic mayoral nominee, Zohran Mamdani, as unfit for office. Several of Adams' longtime supporters joined him at the event, including Sheikh Musa Drammeh, a Bronx community leader who called him the 'moral clarity mayor.' -------- —With Josephine Stratman
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ex-Adams campaign vendor accused of SoHo assault donated to him at ritzy fundraiser
Trent Pool, a conservative political consultant accused of assaulting his girlfriend in a Manhattan hotel, donated the legal max amount to Mayor Adams' reelection effort as part of a fundraiser last year — and was months later hired by the campaign to do petitioning work, the Daily News has learned. The fundraiser itself may also have violated campaign finance rules as Adams' team failed to disclose cryptocurrency tycoon Brock Pierce's role in hosting the event. Pool, who's known for managing petitioning for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s failed 2024 presidential campaign, was arrested in April 2024 on charges alleging he strangled his partner at the SoHo Grand Hotel. As reported by Gothamist this week, Adams' campaign paid Pool some $175,000 this spring to do petitioning work to secure an independent line for the mayor on November's general election ballot. Pool's hire came as he was in the middle of fighting his assault case — which remains pending in Manhattan Criminal Court — and Adams' campaign responded to Gothamist's report by saying it'd cut ties with Pool, adding that the mayor was unaware of the charges against him and 'has never had contact with' him. Records obtained by The News via a Freedom of Information Law request nonetheless reveal that months before being hired, Pool contributed $2,100, the legal max, to Adams' reelection campaign as part of an exclusive fundraiser in Puerto Rico attended by the mayor. The Dec. 10, 2024 fundraiser, hosted at Pierce's San Juan mansion, raised a total of $13,404 from nine individuals, including Pool, the records show. As required, the records were submitted to the city Campaign Finance Board by Adams' team to disclose all fundraiser attendees who gave in connection with the event. Thomas Keniff, Pool's criminal lawyer, declined to comment Friday on his client's participation in the fundraiser, but said he 'has supported and donated to Eric Adams, along with many other common sense candidates nationwide.' 'As to his pending criminal charges, Mr. Pool maintains his innocence and looks forward to being fully exonerated,' Keniff added. Pool's case is slated to go to trial next month. 'Mayor Adams has no recollection of ever meeting Trent Pool in any setting, but the campaign sometimes acts independently on hiring independent contractors,' an Adams campaign spokesman said when asked about his interactions with Trent and reliance on his services. Pierce, a pro-Trump investor and billionaire, threw the fundraiser for Adams while the mayor was on the island for a cryptocurrency conference. The private event came as Adams was still under indictment on federal corruption charges that were months later dismissed at the request of President Trump's Department of Justice as part of a deal many believe has left the mayor beholden to Trump's agenda. Given that Pierce's event raised more than $500, Adams' team under campaign finance law was required to either report Pierce as a so-called 'intermediary' or pay him for hosting the shindig. However, Adams' campaign didn't report Pierce as an intermediary and there is no record it paid Pierce for hosting, records show. A spokesman for the Campaign Finance Board declined to comment. Vito Pitta, Adams' campaign compliance attorney, didn't immediately return a request for comment. The revelations about Pool — who was reportedly spotted at the U.S. Capitol during the deadly pro-Trump Jan. 6, 2021 attack, though he denies participating in any violence — come as Adams is kickstarting his independent run for reelection amid various headwinds. Continuing to face political fallout from his indictment, Adams held a formal reelection campaign launch rally at City Hall Thursday, where he assailed the presumptive Democratic mayoral nominee, Zohran Mamdani, as unfit for office. Several of Adams' longtime supporters joined him at the event, including Sheikh Musa Drammeh, a Bronx community leader who called him the 'moral clarity mayor.' With Josephine Stratman
Time Out
20-06-2025
- Climate
- Time Out
New York City will be hot as balls this weekend—here's how to handle the heat
Summer starts Friday night, but New York City is already sweating through a preview. A heat wave is barreling in with highs expected to reach the 90s by Sunday and soar toward 100 degrees early next week. According to the National Weather Service, we're entering the city's first prolonged stretch of hot, humid weather this year—and it's going to be oppressive. While Friday offers a brief reprieve with slightly lower humidity and highs around 85, the cooldown won't last. Saturday brings the heat back in full force with temperatures nearing 90, and by Sunday, the real fun begins. Heat indices (the 'feels like' temperatures) could top 100 degrees in some parts of the city, NWS meteorologist Dave Radell told Gothamist. The combination of sweltering air, high humidity and intense sunshine will make even shady stoops feel like ovens. Forecasters expect highs in the mid-90s by Monday, with Tuesday shaping up to be the peak of possibly 95 degrees or more. Nights won't offer much relief either. Thanks to the heat dome parked over the region, temperatures are expected to hover in the 70s overnight, making it hard to cool down without air conditioning. City officials haven't activated the full heat emergency plan yet, but cooling centers will be open during regular hours across all five boroughs. Libraries, community centers and older adult centers offer air-conditioned relief, especially crucial for anyone who's "energy insecure," a term that applies to nearly one-third of New Yorkers, according to a recent report by City Comptroller Brad Lander. Don't wait for an emergency alert to take precautions. Health officials recommend staying indoors during the hottest part of the day—usually between noon and 6 pm—wearing light, loose clothing, drinking plenty of water and avoiding caffeine and alcohol. Symptoms of heat-related illness include heavy sweating, light-headedness, nausea, muscle cramps and fatigue. If it feels like too much, it probably is. Call 911 if someone seems disoriented or faint. And don't forget about the other living beings suffering through this: your pets. Keep them indoors, off the hot pavement and hydrated. If you wouldn't walk barefoot on the sidewalk, they shouldn't either.
