A 2010 state law allowing conversions of Brooklyn and Queens industrial spaces runs into court challenges
Mayor Michael Bloomberg will introduce a bill that would require residential building owners to come up with rules for where people can or cannot smoke and to disclose such information to future tenants. While it does not ban smoking in residential buildings, groups on both sides of the issue see the proposal as a move towards […]
Today, the Siena Research Institute released a poll showing that Gov. Cuomo’s favorability rating is at an all-time high, with more than 70 percent of New Yorkers approving of his performance. These polls are often the way politicians gauge their relationship with voters and a powerful tool for the public to voice its views on […]
Using details on recent real estate sales, we calculate the value to developers of the public plazas on their property
Earlier this month, the New York State Senate and Assembly reached a deal with Gov. Andrew Cuomo in which they pledged to introduce a constitutional amendment that would create an independent commission to draw future legislative districts. Gov. Cuomo declared, “This agreement will permanently reform the redistricting process in New York to once and for […]
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced last week it will launch a rebate program next year to encourage New Yorkers to replace about 800,000 toilets and replace them with basins that use significantly less water per flush. For each toilet replaced, the city will pay a $125 incentive. The city is […]
A Swedish company may install a system of vacuum-operated tubes to collect garbage in certain areas of the city, according to Forbes. Private developers, neighborhood groups and other agencies have expressed an interest in using these garbage vacuums near Chelsea, in Manhattan, and underneath the Coney Island boardwalk or the High Line. The vacuum system […]
Yesterday the City Council held its first in its annual series of hearings about the preliminary budget for New York City. These meetings are a chance for council members to question agency heads and allow community members to comment. While the Mayor is ultimately the one who approves the city’s budget, he needs the support […]
Last week, North Brooklyn parents and community leaders filed a lawsuit against Success Charter Network and the city Department of Education, alleging that the organization had conducted insufficient community outreach for a proposed charter school in Williamsburg in violation of state law. Officials from the charter school network said they gathered 1,400 signatures of parents […]
How many New York City workers earn minimum wage? A bill backed by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver would increase the minimum wage in New York from $7.25 to $8.50, The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reports this morning. The state last hiked the minimum wage hike in 2009. Since then, the number of minimum wage […]
