City “Leading the Charge” to Update Schools to More Efficient Heating and Lighting

Cutting-edge improvements to environmental consciousness and efficiency come only 20 years after New York schools stop burning coal. On October 28, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams announced a $4 billion investment in school upgrades, conversions, and retrofits to phase out the use of No. 4 heating oil in more than 200 schools across the five boroughs. The plan, dubbed “Leading the Charge,” will contribute significantly to the City’s goals of 50 percent carbon emission reduction by … <Read More>


La Guardia Playground Renovation Brings New Green Space to Brooklyn

On August 19, 2022, NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue cut the ribbon on a $6.74 million renovation of La Guardia Playground, at 252 S 4th St., in South Williamsburg. She was joined by Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez, and community members and representatives from the North Brooklyn Parks Alliance and El Puente. The new developments are funded by NYC Parks’ Community Parks Initiative (CPI), which targets high-density, low-income spaces for green … <Read More>


COMPLETE VIDEO: 182nd CityLaw Breakfast with Brendan McGuire, Chief Counsel to Mayor Adams

Today, Friday November 4, 2022, Brendan McGuire, Chief Counsel to Mayor Eric Adams, spoke at the 182nd CityLaw Breakfast. Mr. McGuire spoke on “Meeting the Needs of Asylum Seekers and the Homeless Population in New York City.” Professor Ross Sandler, Director of the Center for New York City Law, provided opening remarks. Dean Anthony W. Crowell joined for a colloquy. This Breakfast was sponsored by ConEdison, Greenberg Traurig, and Verizon, and co-sponsored by the Wilf … <Read More>


Parks Department to Build Playgrounds, Open Space at Six NYCHA Developments

The Mayor’s office has invested $23 million across three acres of NYCHA open space. On September 14, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams, the Parks Department, and the NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA) announced a pilot program to invest in nearly three acres of NYCHA open spaces, including playgrounds, across six housing developments. Three of these developments are located in Queens, two in the Bronx, and one in Brooklyn.


Milestone Reached in City’s Zombie Home Initiative

On September 30, 2022, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the New York City Law Department announced that the City’s Zombie Homes Initiative reached a significant milestone: the Initiative has officially recouped over $1 million in penalties from mortgage holders of vacant properties who failed to comply with New York State’s Zombie Property and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2016, commonly referred to as the “Zombie Law.”


Tenant Harassment Task Force Reaches Settlement Requiring Landlord to Correct Significant Violations

On October 12, 2022, the Tenant Harassment Prevention Task Force announced a settlement with landlord Greg Fournier and his real estate company, Greenbrook Holdings, LLC over harassing tenants and keeping unsafe building conditions. The task force is composed of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), the Department of Buildings, the Law Department, the State Attorney General, and the Tenant Protection Unit of the New York State Department of Homes and Community Renewal Trust.