Mayor Announces $6 Million Investment to Rehabilitate City’s Newest Landmark

On May 23, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams announced a $6 million investment to rehabilitate the former Colored School No. 4, the city’s newest landmark which was designated earlier that day. The school building, located at 128 West 17th Street in Chelsea, is the last remaining school building that exclusively served African American students. For CityLand’s coverage of the Landmarks vote and to learn more about the building’s history, click here


Mayor Appoints City’s First “Rat Czar” to Handle Rodent Mitigation

On April 12, 2023, New York City Mayor Eric Adams appointed Kathleen Corradi as the City’s first-ever citywide Director of Rodent Mitigation, also known as the “Rat Czar.” Corradi is tasked with working and coordinating with multiple city agencies, community organizations, and private entities to achieve the City’s goal of reducing the rat population and improving the health issues related to rodents.


HPD Announces Start of Community Visioning Process for Affordable Housing Site in St. George

On March 21, 2023, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development announced the start of a community visioning process for the development of affordable housing and neighborhood amenities at 539 Jersey Street in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island. The 115,000 square foot site, currently a garage for the Department of Sanitation, will be transformed to better serve the neighborhood. 


Parks Adds “Second Shift” Dedicated Staff to Address Park Cleanliness on Evenings and Weekends

On March 20, 2023, the Parks Department announced that 240 new “second shift” employees had been recently hired to address park cleanliness issues on evenings and weekends. The new deployment of workers will operate on Thursdays through Sundays during evening hours to address trash, litter and graffiti at certain hotspots around the city. The staff’s efforts to clean up trash and litter will also serve as part of the city’s efforts to push back against <Read More>


City Celebrates Groundbreaking for Gowanus Canal Overflow Protection Project

On March 15, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 2 Administrator Lisa F. Garcia celebrated the groundbreaking for the first of two underground storage tanks that will protect the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn. The two tanks will collect sewer overflow during storms and prevent that overflow from entering the Gowanus Canal. The project will also include the creation of 3.6 <Read More>