Search Results for: COVID-19

Landmarks Holds Public Hearings for Holyrood Church, Educational Building

Support for landmarking included a push for further preservation of the area south of Union Square. On March 23, 2021, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held public hearings on two proposed landmarks located in Manhattan. The Holyrood Episcopal Church-Iglesia Santa Cruz at 715 West 179th Street in Washington Heights and the Educational Building at 70 Fifth Avenue in Greenwich Village were two landmarks originally calendared as part of the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s new Equity Framework. The … <Read More>

The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway: Time is Running Out

One year ago, in January 2020, the Expert Panel assigned by Mayor Bill de Blasio to study the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway issued its Final Report. Mayor de Blasio in 2019 appointed the seventeen-person Expert Panel* of which I was a member, following the angry rejection of New York City DOT’s plan for reconstructing the section of the BQE adjacent to Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo and Downtown Brooklyn. City DOT presented its plan publicly September 2019. The … <Read More>

HPD Releases New Design Guidelines for Affordable Housing

The newly revised design guidelines will promote equity, health, and sustainability for affordable housing. On March 4, 2021, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development released newly revised design guidelines for affordable housing. The COVID-19 pandemic led the Department of Housing Preservation and Development to have stronger requirements to improve the standard of living, promote public health, and reduce the carbon footprint of New York City.

Mayor Announces John Scrivani as Expected Commissioner of Emergency Management

Scrivani is a 14-year veteran of the NYPD with extensive experience in emergency management. On March 17, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the expected appointment of John Scrivani as the Commissioner of New York City Emergency Management. The expected appointment follows the pending approval of current Emergency Management Commissioner Deanne Criswell as Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) by the U.S. Senate. 

City Launches Training Program for Digital Platforms for Small Businesses

A new training recourse is available to small businesses and their employees and offers free classes on digital platforms like Zoom, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and more. On February 4, 2021, Major Bill De Blasio and NYC Department of Small Business Services Commissioner Jonnel Doris announced the launch of “Training for Your Employees.” The program provides business owners and their employees with no-cost training courses in digital literacy, marketing tools, online security, and COVID-19 safety.