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	<title>The Wonkster &#187; Land Use</title>
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	<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster</link>
	<description>Gotham Gazette&#039;s blog about New York policy and politics</description>
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		<title>DiNapoli: MTA tipped Apple bid on Grand Central space</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/07/30/dinapoli-mta-tipped-apple-big-on-grand-central-space/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/07/30/dinapoli-mta-tipped-apple-big-on-grand-central-space/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jul 2012 16:30:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[andrew cuomo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Apple]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eric Schneiderman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jay Lhota]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tom DiNapoli]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=11071</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Apple store&#8217;s arrival in Grand Central Station was greeted with much ballyhoo, its unveiling like something out of a science fiction novel — appearing out of nowhere to stun the masses.
Well, according to State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, there was something extraordinary about the Apple store&#8217;s arrival in Grand Central.
He says Apple had an unfair [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Apple store&#8217;s arrival in Grand Central Station was greeted with much ballyhoo, its unveiling like something out of a science fiction novel — appearing out of nowhere to stun the masses.</p>
<p>Well, according to State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, there was something extraordinary about the Apple store&#8217;s arrival in Grand Central.</p>
<p>He says Apple had an unfair advantage in the bidding process for the space thanks to help from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. According an <a href="http://www.osc.state.ny.us/osdc/mta_apple_lease.pdf">audit</a> by DiNapoli, the MTA worked with Apple for a year before issuing an RFP for the bidding on the space.</p>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow: hidden;">“While Apple may turn out to be a good tenant, the MTA set a troubling</div>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow: hidden;">precedent when it played favorites and gave Apple a competitive edge over</div>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow: hidden;">others for the Grand Central space,” DiNapoli said. “Apple was directly</div>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow: hidden;">involved in setting the terms of the lease and given exclusive access to</div>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow: hidden;">information more than a year before any other vendor knew the Grand Central</div>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow: hidden;">location was available. The company even signed a $2 million agreement with</div>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow: hidden;">the current tenant to vacate its space five days before the MTA issued the</div>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow: hidden;">RFP.</div>
<p>“While Apple may turn out to be a good tenant, the MTA set a troubling precedent when it played favorites and gave Apple a competitive edge over others for the Grand Central space,” DiNapoli said. “Apple was directly involved in setting the terms of the lease and given exclusive access to information more than a year before any other vendor knew the Grand Central location was available. The company even signed a $2 million agreement with the current tenant to vacate its space five days before the MTA issued the RFP.&#8221;</p>
<p>DiNapoli is recommending changes to the Public Authorities Law to allow for a more transparent bidding process.</p>
<p>The current law only calls for certain contracts to be reviewed by the state Comptroller&#8217;s office. DiNapoli&#8217;s proposed change would make all contracts over one million dollars eligible for review. DiNapoli&#8217;s office was not allow to review the process that led to the Apple lease before it was finalized because it was allegedly a competitive process.</p>
<p>MTA chairman Jay Lhota is a Cuomo ally and DiNapoli has a contentious relationship with the governor.</p>
<p>Cuomo never endorsed DiNapoli in 2010 and DiNapoli has been working with another one of Cuomo&#8217;s rumored political rivals Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.</p>
<p>Here is a timeline of events provided by DiNapoli&#8217;s office: <span id="more-11071"></span></p>
<p>A general timeline of how the process unfolded:</p>
<p>·    November 2008 &#8211; Discussions began between MTA’s RED and Apple</p>
<p>regarding the potential to lease space in GCT.</p>
<p>·    April 2009 &#8211; MTA approached Metrazur, occupants of the space on the</p>
<p>East Balcony of GCT, about a buy-out for the term of its lease, which</p>
<p>had ten and one half years remaining.</p>
<p>·    July 2009 &#8211; Metrazur approached Apple about the buy-out. Negotiations</p>
<p>between pairs of parties among the MTA, Apple and Metrazur commenced,</p>
<p>with an eventual $5 million buy-out agreement reached between Apple</p>
<p>and Metrazur. This amount later became the required upfront payment</p>
<p>amount in the RFP process.</p>
<p>·    May 18, 2011 &#8211; Five days before the RFP was issued, Apple and</p>
<p>Metrazur entered into a separate agreement in which Apple would</p>
<p>advance $2 million of the buy-out amount to spur Metrazur to vacate</p>
<p>the premises early. MTA solicited a letter from Apple stating that</p>
<p>the agreement did not bind them and that the lease would be pursuant</p>
<p>to a competitive RFP.</p>
<p>·    May 19, 2011 &#8211; MTA signed an agreement with Metrazur to terminate its</p>
<p>lease for $5 million.</p>
<p>·    May 23, 2011 &#8211; MTA advertised the RFP for the GCT space. Among the</p>
<p>RFP requirements were an upfront payment of $5 million as prepayment</p>
<p>of rent to fund the Metrazur termination agreement. On the same day</p>
<p>that the MTA publicly released its competitive RFP for bidders to</p>
<p>apply, Apple paid $2 million to Metrazur.</p>
<p>·    June 27, 2011 &#8211; Responses for the RFP were due; only Apple responded.</p>
<p>·    August 10, 2011 &#8211; MTA and Apple signed a lease for the GCT space and</p>
<p>Apple wired the remaining $3 million to a closing agent.</p>
<p>·    March 19, 2012 &#8211; The lease provided for Apple to make infrastructure</p>
<p>improvements. MTA indicated these improvements would cost about $2.5</p>
<p>million.  However, about $1.6 million of the improvements were not</p>
<p>yet completed and it is uncertain when they will be done. In</p>
<p>addition, by this date, Apple had not yet paid $414,142 for work done</p>
<p>by MTA to enable the infrastructure improvements.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Developers Chosen for Brooklyn Bridge Park Hotel Complex</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/06/19/developers-chosen-for-brooklyn-bridge-park-hotel-complex/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/06/19/developers-chosen-for-brooklyn-bridge-park-hotel-complex/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 19 Jun 2012 20:25:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nina Goldman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Community Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waterfront]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brooklyn bridge park]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hotel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mayor Michael Bloomberg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york city]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pier 1]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10839</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The board of Brooklyn Bridge Park announced today the final plan for construction of a hotel and residency complex by the park&#8217;s Pier 1.
Toll Brothers City Living and Starwood Capital Group will collaborate on the approximately 550,000-square-foot complex, slated for completion in the fall of 2015, according to a press release from the mayor&#8217;s office.
“Brooklyn [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The board of <a href="www.brooklynbridgepark.org">Brooklyn Bridge Park</a> announced today the final plan for construction of a hotel and residency complex by the park&#8217;s Pier 1.</p>
<p>Toll Brothers City Living and Starwood Capital Group will collaborate on the approximately 550,000-square-foot complex, slated for completion in the fall of 2015, according to a press release from the mayor&#8217;s office.</p>
<p>“Brooklyn  Bridge Park has quickly become one of the most loved public spaces  along our city’s waterfront,” Mayor Bloomberg said in the release. “The major private investment is a vote of  confidence in Brooklyn and its future as a great place to live, work and  visit.”</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/15/nyregion/brooklyn-bridge-park-expected-to-announce-developers-of-a-new-hotel-complex.html">$295 million project</a> is set to break ground next summer, generating as many as 510 jobs, both permanent and temporary. The board&#8217;s aim is to keep the park financially sustainable with a series of hotels along the piers – when completed, it will cost $16 million a year to run the park. They expect to take in $3.3 million yearly in rent and other payments, adding up to an expected $119.7 million net revenue by the end of the 97-year ground leases on the hotel and residential sites.</p>
<p>The mayor&#8217;s office also released <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nycmayorsoffice/7401572662/in/photostream">four renderings of the proposed  complex</a>, showing its stone-and-glass facade and surrounding green space. Rogers Marvel Architects designed the 10-story hotel, called 1 Hotel, which will include 200 rooms, 18,000 square feet of banquet, meeting and retail space and a 6,000 square foot spa. There will also be a five-story building with 159 residential units.</p>
<p>“Today’s vote helps to ensure Brooklyn Bridge Park’s future,” NYC Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe said in the press release.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Cuomo Gives Legislature Late Heads Up on Convention Center</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/01/10/cuomo-gives-legislature-late-heads-up-on-convention-center/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/01/10/cuomo-gives-legislature-late-heads-up-on-convention-center/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:35:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[andrew cuomo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aqueduct]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Genting]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10443</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Gov. Andrew Cuomo sent a letter to legislative leaders today to tell them about that um&#8230;you know&#8230;that massive convention center he mentioned he wants to build during his State of the State speech last week. Cuomo has been criticized for seemingly avoiding any of the steps mandated by state law for a project involving gaming [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Gov. Andrew Cuomo sent a letter to legislative leaders today to tell them about that um&#8230;you know&#8230;that massive convention center he mentioned he wants to build during his State of the State speech last week. Cuomo has been criticized for <a href="http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Cuomo-skips-franchise-board-in-making-Aqueduct-2444786.php">seemingly avoiding any of the steps mandated by state law</a> for a project involving gaming in the state. He addresses the point in the letter stating:</p>
<p>&#8220;In the past selection of gaming operators, race track issues, VLT  designations have raised serious ethical and legal issues for the state.  To be sure, the state’s current gaming arrangements are varied and  controversial. I look forward to the opportunity to bring a logic and  strategy to gaming operations in the state over the next two years  through development of casino legislation and regulations.</p>
<p>In the interim, any transaction that the state makes with Genting or any  modifications to the current state agreement will be submitted to the  legislature for full review and action before becoming binding. Given  the past history, while I may have the legal authority to proceed  unilaterally, I choose to only proceed in full public view and with  support of the legislature in a spirit of cooperation.&#8221;</p>
<p>Dear Majority Leader Skelos and Speaker Silver:<span id="more-10443"></span></p>
<p>In my State of the State message last week, I spoke about a comprehensive program to foster economic development across the state. As the state’s resources are limited, our task will be to leverage private sector activity without significant funding from the state; no small challenge. Two projects I discussed were development of a convention center complex at the Aqueduct site in Southeastern Queens and the redevelopment of the Javits Center. As you will recall Genting New York LLC was granted in September 2010, the only franchise in New York City to operate a video lottery terminal (VLT) facility under a 30 year lease on 67 acres at Aqueduct. Genting has proceeded with the project, which from all perspectives, has gone exceedingly well.</p>
<p>In the past selection of gaming operators, race track issues, VLT designations have raised serious ethical and legal issues for the state. To be sure, the state’s current gaming arrangements are varied and controversial. I look forward to the opportunity to bring a logic and strategy to gaming operations in the state over the next two years through development of casino legislation and regulations.</p>
<p>In the interim, any transaction that the state makes with Genting or any modifications to the current state agreement will be submitted to the legislature for full review and action before becoming binding. Given the past history, while I may have the legal authority to proceed unilaterally, I choose to only proceed in full public view and with support of the legislature in a spirit of cooperation.</p>
<p>Genting has proposed further development of the site which includes the creation of a destination location of international potential. The destination location will include gaming, hotel rooms, entertainment, exhibition and convention center facilities. The economic impact of the project would be enormous, estimated to create thousands of construction and private sector jobs. The state investment would be minimal with potentially the greatest number of jobs produced in the state in many, many years. As you know, in each of the VLT racinos across the state, the state has, through legislation, negotiated a revenue sharing agreement and such an agreement would need to be negotiated here. Importantly, the new agreement would be binding only upon the new VLT terminal revenue which would be granted to the Aqueduct facility; while the terms and conditions of our original agreement remain in place. Hence, there is only the possibility of additional revenue for the state as our current revenue stream would be untouched.</p>
<p>While the discussions are preliminary and conceptual, at this point the first phase would include construction of 1,000 hotel rooms, theater and entertainment components, approximately 3 million square feet of convention and exhibition space, expansion of VLT gaming space and a parking facility. Importantly, Genting has the exclusive lease on all the land anticipated to be used in phase one and is the only legislatively approved VLT operator in New York City.</p>
<p>The second phase would require additional land beyond the 67 acres currently under lease to Genting. The Port Authority controls an adjoining 22 acres which Genting is considering for an additional 2,000 hotel rooms and approximately a half million more square feet of convention and meeting space.</p>
<p>Genting is prepared to work with the relevant labor unions and execute a project labor agreement. They will also work with the local communities and local governments on zoning, and meet or exceed all state MWBE requirements.</p>
<p>Transportation to the site is an issue that needs to be addressed and we have been discussing the feasibility of MTA service from Manhattan to Aqueduct, with Genting paying the cost of such service.</p>
<p>There is also an issue as to how this racino expansion at Aqueduct would affect operations at the nearby Belmont race track.</p>
<p>The Aqueduct project is linked to the Javits Center redevelopment as the New York Metropolitan area needs a convention site and if we do not plan to develop one as an alternative to Javits, then Javits would need to continue to operate. As I stated in my State of the State message, the Javits Convention Center is too small to be a competitive exhibition facility, and redevelopment of the current Javits site has exciting possibilities for the West Side of Manhattan and beyond. I also believe the redevelopment of Javits will render significant economic benefit to the State of New York which is essential during these challenging fiscal times.</p>
<p>I will also ask the legislature to consider passing language authorizing a Constitutional Amendment to allow casino gaming in the State of New York. That referendum would be at best two years from now – if ever – and should be considered as a separate issue from these current proposals. We would hope that the Aqueduct project could be finalized within one year on an expedited time frame.</p>
<p>Opponents to the project point out that many conventions centers lose money. That is a true point. Most governments weigh the issue of building a convention center with public money as a “loss leader” for the net economic gain of additional tourism dollars, etc. That is a debatable proposition. However, that is not the case here. The state is not building anything. We are not spending public money on a convention center. Genting, a private entity, will take the risk of economic success. I have never been a casino or racino proponent, but we are here now and the question is how to best maximize the economics and protect our citizens.</p>
<p>As you know, we are working aggressively to attract business investment to New York State. It would be ironic to say the least if New York did not seize an opportunity of this scale when presented with it.</p>
<p>The bottom line is that this is a low risk, high reward business opportunity for the state. The Genting organization already controls the land under phase one and already is the only legislatively approved operator for VLTs in New York City. Our only “cost” is noneconomic: the issuance of additional gaming machines at a preexisting gaming facility. The reward is approximately 10,000 construction jobs, 10,000 permanent jobs and $4 billion investment in the state. This investment would be one of the largest in the state’s history at no cost to the state.</p>
<p>A new convention center also frees the Javits site for redevelopment. I think the merits are clear.</p>
<p>I would appreciate your respective staff’s attention to engage in these conversations on a joint basis to see if they can be brought to fruition.</p>
<p>I also think it would be advisable for us to meet together with Genting officials in the coming weeks to discuss the proposal in person.</p>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<p>Governor Andrew M. Cuomo</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Bronx Business Incubator Opens</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/01/09/bronx-business-incubator/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/01/09/bronx-business-incubator/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:13:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Work and Labor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christine Quinn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mayor Michael Bloomberg]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10435</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Mayor Michael Bloomberg unveiled a city-backed business incubator in the Bronx earlier today. The Sunshine Bronx Business Incubator at 890 Garrison Ave. in Hunts Point is set up to house 400 entrepreneurs. The New York City Economic Development Corporation helped started the incubator with a $250,000 grant. The incubator is the 8th to open [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Mayor Michael Bloomberg unveiled a city-backed business incubator in the Bronx earlier today. The Sunshine Bronx Business Incubator at 890 Garrison Ave. in Hunts Point is set up to house 400 entrepreneurs. The New York City Economic Development Corporation helped started the incubator with a $250,000 grant. The incubator is the 8th to open as part of the city&#8217;s network of incubators.<br />
Here is the release from the Mayor&#8217;s office:<span id="more-10435"></span></p>
<p>Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced the opening of the Sunshine Bronx Business Incubator, the first City-sponsored business incubator to be located in the Bronx. The Sunshine Bronx Business Incubator, which is housed in the historic BankNote Building at 890 Garrison Avenue in Hunts Point, will ultimately accommodate up to 400 entrepreneurs from the Bronx and across New York City over the next three years, and will further the City’s efforts to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation across a variety of sectors. The nearly 11,000-square-foot space will provide approximately 180 workspaces – comprised of virtual offices, and physical on-demand co-working spaces, dedicated individual or team spaces, conference rooms, classrooms and common spaces &#8211; all wired to support the latest digital and video technology, and will assist startup businesses and entrepreneurs across various industries including finance, new media, technology, green finance and technology, biomedicine, and healthcare. The New York City Economic Development Corporation provided a $250,000 grant in order to establish the incubator, which is the eighth to open as part of the City’s growing network of incubators. Mayor Bloomberg was joined at the announcement, held at the new incubator, by City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, New York City Economic Development Corporation President Seth W. Pinsky, Council Member Diana Reyna, Sunshine Realty Management Co-Founder Cheni Yerushalmi, Dan Allen, Founder of SuperMango Media, Matt Weir, Vice President of Taconic Investment Partners, Paul Wolf, Co-President of Denham Wolf Real Estate, Stuart Schulman, Executive Director of the Institute of Virtual Enterprise, and Rolando Franco, IBM Executive IT Architect and University Ambassador to CUNY.</p>
<p>“Over the past three years, we’ve worked with the private sector to establish eight business incubators that provide low-cost office space to new businesses in growing fields – and the Bank Note building is the perfect place to foster this type of innovation in the Bronx,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Allowing entrepreneurs to rub shoulders and share ideas, in an environment that’s affordable enough to let them turn those ideas into action, is a key part of what we’re doing to create jobs and diversify New York City’s economy.”</p>
<p>“Creating the conditions for the City’s entrepreneurs to write the next great New York success story is at the heart of Mayor Bloomberg’s economic development strategy,” Deputy Mayor Steel said. “By expanding our network of incubators to the Bronx we will help hundreds more entrepreneurs open businesses that will create jobs and attract private investment to the Bronx.”</p>
<p>“The opening of the Sunshine Bronx Incubator is a ray of hope for aspiring businesses in the Bronx and for the future of New York City,” said Speaker Christine C. Quinn. “Just like our kitchen incubator, La Marqueta, in East Harlem and the City’s seven other up-and-running Business Incubators, I am confident the Sunshine Bronx Incubator will help spur job and business growth.  I want to thank Mayor Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor Steel, and EDC President Seth Pinsky, and my Council colleagues for their continued dedication to these efforts.”</p>
<p>“The opening of the Sunshine Bronx Business Incubator is a significant milestone in the Bloomberg Administration’s ongoing commitment to foster entrepreneurship and innovation across the city,” said NYCEDC President Seth W. Pinsky. “As the first City-sponsored incubator to open in the Bronx, Sunshine Bronx will play a particularly important role within the community, facilitating the growth of more Bronx-based startups and ensuring a bright future for the borough and its economy.”</p>
<p>“This new business incubator will offer start-ups and entrepreneurs in our borough the opportunity to grow at a reasonable pace, creating jobs without heavy overhead costs that can often stunt a new businesses early growth. I thank Mayor Bloomberg and the NYCEDC for opening this new amenity right here in the Bronx, and I look forward to seeing new businesses flourish thanks to the time they spent as part of this critical program,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.</p>
<p>“In over a decade of running office communities, we have found that entrepreneurs and independent professionals work better, smarter and more efficiently in a collaborative community than they do alone,” says Cheni Yerushalmi, co-founder and managing partner of Sunshine Suites, which also operates cooperative office communities in NoHo and Tribeca. “When you bring a diverse group of businesses together and provide the tools to support and nurture them, relationships develop, connections are fostered and opportunities result that get companies farther faster.”</p>
<p>“From soup to nuts, the incubator provides shared workspace and technical assistance for small businesses making the transition from working at home to using professional facilities,” said Council Member Diana Reyna, Chair of the Committee on Small Business. “The collaboration with NYCEDC, will help the inventor, innovator, or entrepreneur by providing assistance with writing a business plan, marketing, label design, and manufacturing. The Sunshine Bronx Incubator is an essential project that will get people working, keep communities growing and our neighborhoods healthy.”</p>
<p>“The opening of the Sunshine Bronx Business Incubator continues the city’s commitment to working hand in hand with startup entrepreneurs as they grow their businesses and creative ideas,” said Council Member Karen Koslowitz, Chair of the Council Committee on Economic Development. “I have visited incubators in Queens and Manhattan and know firsthand how important they are to the city&#8217;s economic recovery and future.”</p>
<p>“Across the City, small business incubators have given entrepreneurs the space and resources they need to grow their businesses. They are a wonderful example of a working partnership between government and business,” said Council Member Annabel Palma. “I’m excited that this model is now being expanded and I’m confident that Bronxites will take advantage of the exciting opportunity to be a part of the Sunshine Bronx Business Incubator.  Thank you to Mayor Bloomberg, Speaker Quinn, the New York City Economic Development Corporation and everyone who made this possible.”</p>
<p>Sunshine Suites, which was selected to operate the incubator through an RFP issued in Fall 2009,  has a long track record of supporting start-up companies and entrepreneurs, and since 2001 more than 2,000 companies and over 6,000 entrepreneurs have launched enterprises from their two existing Manhattan locations. The new Bronx incubator, for which Sunshine signed a ten-year lease with Taconic Investment partners, will become the third in the growing Sunshine network. Tenants will be able to license space on a month-to-month basis, providing them with the flexibility required of a growing business, and  rates will start as low as $99 per month for a virtual office, while desks at the incubator will initially rent for $275 per month, and co-working stations at $195 per month. There is also a mix of on-demand co-working spaces, dedicated individual or team spaces, conference rooms and common spaces, all wired to support the latest digital and video technology.</p>
<p>Presently, there are 15 companies in the Sunshine Bronx community, which officially began accepting applicants this past fall. Following today’s grand opening, Sunshine Bronx expects to have an additional 30 community members using the incubator within the next three months. In order to attract top-flight entrepreneurs the Sunshine Bronx Business Incubator offers an innovative application and review process, with candidates being required to submit an online application and undergo a one-on-one interview with a seasoned coach from the Sunshine management team. In order to be accepted, candidates must have an full-developed action plan and a three-month timeline for achieving their goals.</p>
<p>“We’re different from a traditional incubator because we won’t accept you if we don’t think we can help you succeed,” adds Co-founder and Managing Partner Joe Raby, Yerushalmi’s best friend and long-time business partner.  “We try to understand your business objective, and create the bridges and opportunities that will help you achieve and measure it.”</p>
<p>“Before I came to the Sunshine community in August of 2009, SuperMango Media was only an idea,” said Dan Allen, current Shiner, and founder of SuperMango Media. “With the help of Sunshine and their partners at NYCEDC, Baruch College and The Levin Institue, I was able to convert the idea into an actual business.”</p>
<p>“We are thrilled to welcome the Sunshine community to the Banknote” said Paul Wolf, President of Denham Wolf Real Estate.  “This partnership is a testament to what is possible when a developer, the public sector, and the private sector join hands to create a platform for innovation and economic growth.”</p>
<p>“Creating a climate where small businesses and entrepreneurs thrive is essential to innovation and growth,” said Jim Corgel, general manager startups and academic programs, IBM.<br />
“IBM is excited to help university students from the New York City region develop their skills and innovations to improve our cities and communities as part of the SmartPitch competition.”</p>
<p>In addition to workspaces, the incubator will offer conference rooms, bi-weekly networking events with “Shiners” from all Sunshine locations in New York City, and support services including mentoring, coaching, and business training. Sunshine is also partnering with Monroe College School of Business and Accounting and Baruch College’s Lawrence N. Field Center for Entrepreneurship and its associated Baruch Small Business Development Center to provide Shiners with assorted business services. Among them: developing business and marketing plans; evaluating and selecting funding alternatives, accounting systems and technology; supervising employees; and studying the implications of business decisions for all of its incubator tenants.</p>
<p>The Sunshine Bronx Business Incubator space was designed by architect Harel Edery, who is a member of the Sunshine community. Additional amenities for incubator tenants include:</p>
<p>High-speed wireless internet.<br />
Multimedia conference rooms/meeting areas.<br />
Access to printers, copiers and scanners.<br />
Mail boxes and business addresses are available.<br />
Mentoring and consulting with successful entrepreneurs.</p>
<p>At the event, the launch of the inaugural SmartPitch Challenge, a partnership of the CUNY Institute for Virtual Enterprise (IVE), the Lawrence N. Field Center for Entrepreneurship at Baruch College, IBM and the Sunshine Bronx Business Incubator, was also announced. SmartPitch Challenge invites student entrepreneurs to develop, pitch, validate, and launch business concepts with an emphasis on plans that incorporate social business principals, and that celebrate New York City as a center for innovation and new business development. The challenge is open to all CUNY students as well as students from other New York City Colleges and Universities. The challenge will culminate with five winners earning the opportunity to participate in a summer-long business incubator ending with the launch of their concepts. The summer-long business incubator will include: an entrepreneurship boot camp in Vermont, space at Sunshine Bronx, expert IBM Mentorships, and summer stipends. Winners will present their new businesses in the fall 2012 and be recognized as IVE Fellows in a continuing support network. Students can enter the challenge and learn more by going to smartpitch.org.</p>
<p>“We have always encouraged students to come up with innovative ideas and concepts,” said Stuart Schulman, Executive Director of the Institute of Virtual Enterprise. “Now we will have the ability to nurture these ideas, operationalize them and bring them to life as actual businesses.&#8221;</p>
<p>Originally launched in 2009, the City’s network of incubators is part of the Bloomberg Administration’s efforts to encourage entrepreneurship within a variety of economic sectors. Through the incubators, the Administration is providing low-cost office space – more than 120,000 square feet to date &#8211; as well as training and networking opportunities to hundreds of start-ups and small businesses. Approximately 550 startup businesses are currently located at the City-sponsored incubators, and companies have raised more than $67 million in investor funding. The number of employees currently working at the incubators is more than 850. Some of these tenants have already graduated into market-rate space and continue to expand. The City’s network of incubators include, among others, 160 Varick Street; the City’s first incubator; the Hive at 55, a co-working facility for freelancers in Manhattan; and General Assembly, a technology and design campus in Flatiron. As an added piece of the Bloomberg Administration’s efforts to increase entrepreneurialism in 2010 the City launched the New York City Entrepreneurial Fund, the first City-sponsored seed and early-stage investment fund located outside of Silicon Valley. The fund makes up to $22 million available to New York City-based technology startups.</p>
<p>Entrepreneurs interested in obtaining space at the Sunshine Bronx Business Incubator should call 311 or visit www.nyc.gov.</p>
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		<title>Closing Public Spaces</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/31/closing-public-spaces/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/31/closing-public-spaces/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:06:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jerome kayden]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york city zoning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Occupy Wall Street]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[zuccotti park]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10250</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[(Gotham Gazette parks reporter Anne Schwartz filed this post.)
Last week, Crain&#8217;s   reported that landlords, taking action in response to Occupy Wall Street’s weeks-long occupancy of Zuccotti Park, want the city to revamp its laws covering the city’s privately owned public parks to set hours of operation and prohibit large gatherings. Crain&#8217;s has a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><b><i>(Gotham Gazette parks reporter Anne Schwartz filed this post.)</i></b></p>
<p>Last week, Crain&#8217;s <a href="http://mycrains.crainsnewyork.com/blogs/polls/2011/10/should-private-parks-be-allowed-to-set-their-own-hours/">  reported</a> that landlords, taking action in response to Occupy Wall Street’s weeks-long occupancy of Zuccotti Park, want the city to revamp its laws covering the city’s privately owned public parks to set hours of operation and prohibit large gatherings. Crain&#8217;s has a survey asking readers whether they think &#8220;private parks&#8221; should be allowed to set their own hours. As of today, the 201 people who bothered to respond said yes by a margin of almost two to one.</p>
<p>The business paper, however, did not note that these spaces are actually public places that developers were required to create &#8212; and keep open &#8212; in return for the right to build taller buildings under city zoning laws. Having already received the financial benefits of the added floor space, the landlords now  are seeking to restrict some of the public benefit.</p>
<p>A study conducted in 2001 by Jerold Hayden, a Harvard professor of urban planning and design, with the Department of City Planning and the Municipal Art Society, found that 40 percent of these parks &#8220;were and are practically useless, with austere designs, no amenities and little or no direct sunlight. Roughly half of the buildings surveyed had spaces that were illegally closed or otherwise privatized.&#8221; (For Gotham Gazette&#8217;s report on that study, go <a href=" http://www.gothamgazette.com/article//20010205/997/232http://www.gothamgazette.com/article//20010205/997/232">here</a>.) </p>
<p>The results still hold today, Kayden wrote in a recent <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/20/opinion/zuccotti-park-and-the-private-plaza-problem.html"> New York Times piece</a>.<br />
Kayden said he welcomes the attention the protesters have called to the city&#8217;s privately owned public spaces, but calls for a much broader discussion on how they can contribute meaningfully to city life. &#8220;They need a champion, an independent steward or curator who actively promotes their use, not only by assuring that spaces are provided as legally promised but also by encouraging improvements, activities and public educational opportunities,&#8221; Kayden said.</p>
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		<title>Judge Orders Another Look at Atlantic Yards</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/07/13/judge-orders-another-look-at-atlantic-yards/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/07/13/judge-orders-another-look-at-atlantic-yards/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Jul 2011 20:49:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Law]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9873</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Opponents of the massive Atlantic Yards project in downtown Brooklyn have filed suit after suit to try to block the arena and residential complex -– largely without much success. Meanwhile Bruce Ratner has moved ahead on his project, reaping government help, razing buildings and building much of a basketball arena for the still New Jersey [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Opponents of the massive Atlantic Yards project in downtown Brooklyn have filed suit after suit to try to block the arena and residential complex -– largely without much success. Meanwhile Bruce Ratner has moved ahead on his project, reaping government help, razing buildings and building much of a basketball arena for the still New Jersey Nets.</p>
<p>Now, though, Ratner&#8217;s rivals have won a victory. Today Develop Don&#8217;t Destroy Brooklyn announced that state Supreme Court Judge Marcy Friedman has ordered the Empire State Development Corp. to conduct additional environmental review of the project, including a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. (The ruling is available <a href=http://www.dddb.net/AYremand.pdf>here</a>.)<br />
<span id="more-9873"></span></p>
<p>In her decision, the judge found that the state development corporation was &#8220;arbitrary and capricious&#8221; when it based its approval of plans on a 10-year construction timetable. That timetable – probably never realistic – was smashed by Ratner&#8217;s various woes and the recession. But the judge said, the state made no effort to evaluate what effect lengthy delays – and perhaps 25 years of construction – could have. Opponents have said this extended schedule could litter the heart of Brooklyn with vacant spaces, construction sites and parking lots for decades. Ratner has repeatedly altered the project but the state has not subjected his changes to any evaluation.</p>
<p>The judge did not halt construction of the arena – although that has morphed too &#8212; from a Frank Gehry landmark to a generic box. And  Norman Oder <a href="http://atlanticyardsreport.blogspot.com/">writes</a> in Atlantic Yards report, the judge did give the state and the developer, &#8220;significant breathing room&#8221; by not issuing a stay to top Phase II. </p>
<p>But the ruling – if it stands up on appeal &#8212; does require more hearings, inquiry and study, and opponents hope, could open the way for a re-evaluation of Atlantic Yards by the Cuomo administration.</p>
<p>&#8220;Now, because of a Supreme Court ruling, there is a way out of this debacle and a golden opportunity for Gov. Cuomo and his Empire State Development Corp. (ESDC) to fix the big Atlantic Yards mess,&#8221; Develop don’t Destroy said in a <a href=" http://www.dddb.net/php/latestnews_Linked.php?id=2910">press release</a>.</p>
<p>In a <a href=" http://www.nolandgrab.org/archives/2011/07/atlantic_yards_747.html">statement</a> issued by BrooklynSpeaks, local Democratic Party leader JoAnn Simon assailed the state agency for violating the law. &#8221; “We expect an investigation into how this was allowed and call on Gov. Cuomo to now take decisive action in reforming oversight of Atlantic Yards, ESDC’s largest project.”</p>
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		<title>Koppell Would Consider Motion to Discharge for Living Wage</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/05/11/koppell-would-consider-motion-to-discharge-for-living-wage/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/05/11/koppell-would-consider-motion-to-discharge-for-living-wage/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 May 2011 19:51:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye Opener]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Measuring UP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Work and Labor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christine Quinn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[living wage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mayor Michael Bloomberg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york city]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york city council]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oliver Koppell]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9511</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Councilmember Oliver Koppell told Gotham Gazette today he would consider triggering a rare council rule to bring his living wage bill to the floor should Council Speaker Christine Quinn choose to oppose it. 
&#8220;I would consider it, yes,&#8221; said Koppell at the Emigrant Savings Bank. &#8220;I&#8217;m hoping it doesn&#8217;t come to that. I&#8217;m hoping to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://council.nyc.gov/d11/html/members/home.shtml">Councilmember Oliver Koppell</a> told Gotham Gazette today he would consider triggering a rare council rule to bring his <a href="http://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=664291&#038;GUID=A83A5A5B-9589-4589-AAD7-5B2C6884610F&#038;Options=&#038;Search=">living wage bill</a> to the floor should Council Speaker Christine Quinn choose to oppose it. </p>
<p>&#8220;I would consider it, yes,&#8221; said Koppell at the Emigrant Savings Bank. &#8220;I&#8217;m hoping it doesn&#8217;t come to that. I&#8217;m hoping to convince the speaker to support this or some version of this.&#8221;</p>
<p>Typically legislation does not move at the City Council unless it has earned the support of the speaker. Quinn <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/05/11/quinn-mum-on-living-wage-decision/">refused to say</a> this afternoon whether she would bring the legislation to the floor or when she would decide whether or not to support it. </p>
<p>The bill, which has strong backing from many of the city&#8217;s unions, would require city subsidized developers pay a living wage. The Bloomberg adminsitration does not support the measure. On Monday, the city Economic Development Corp. <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/05/09/living-wage-study-says-policy-costs-jobs/">released a study</a> claiming a wage mandate would stall development and reduce jobs in the five boroughs. </p>
<p>Koppell said today, &#8220;The assumptions of the mayor are more than questionable.&#8221; </p>
<p>Koppell&#8217;s bill has been <a href="http://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=664291&#038;GUID=A83A5A5B-9589-4589-AAD7-5B2C6884610F&#038;Options=&#038;Search=">stalled in committee</a> for nearly a year, despite the fact it has garnered 30 sponsors. </p>
<p>At the beginning of Quinn&#8217;s tenure &#8212; and in the <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20100208/203/3165">name of transparency</a> &#8212; Quinn revised the council rules to make it easier to bring a bill to the floor if it was stalled in committee. A council member must get <a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2780/4149998185_aecea8a3bf_o.jpg">seven members to sign a memo</a> to bring the bill to the floor. The full council then determines whether the legislation should have a formal vote.  </p>
<p>This procedure is rarely ever used and is considered an affront to the speaker&#8217;s leadership. </p>
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		<title>Quinn Mum on Living Wage Decision</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/05/11/quinn-mum-on-living-wage-decision/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/05/11/quinn-mum-on-living-wage-decision/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 May 2011 18:42:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye Opener]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Measuring UP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Work and Labor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9502</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Council Speaker Christine Quinn refused to take a position on legislation to require a living wage this afternoon, but instead said she would review a recently released study and forthcoming testimony on the matter. 
The Economic Development Corp. released a study Monday which found requiring a living wage mandate at city subsidized developments would result [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Council Speaker Christine Quinn refused to take a position on legislation to require a living wage this afternoon, but instead said she would review a <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/05/10/clash-at-ida-board-over-study/">recently released study</a> and forthcoming testimony on the matter. </p>
<p>The Economic Development Corp. <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/05/09/living-wage-study-says-policy-costs-jobs/">released a study Monday</a> which found requiring a living wage mandate at city subsidized developments would result in job losses. <a href="http://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=664291&#038;GUID=A83A5A5B-9589-4589-AAD7-5B2C6884610F&#038;Options=&#038;Search=">Legislation to require such wage mandates</a> has been pending at the council for more than a year. </p>
<p>The bill will get its first hearing tomorrow, and both opponents and supporters are scheduled to make a strong showing. Quinn said today she would not attend the hearing. </p>
<p>&#8220;We are looking forward to a robust hearing,&#8221; Quinn said. &#8220;I&#8217;m looking forward to seeing the testimony from both the proponents and the opponents. Having the portions of the EDC report that are out there will make the hearing a more informed and interesting hearing.&#8221;</p>
<p>When asked if she knew when she would make a decision on whether to bring the bill to a vote, Quinn said: &#8220;When I have one.&#8221;</p>
<p>Quinn would not say whether the bill would eventually get to the floor.</p>
<p>Already 30 council members have signed on to the legislation. The lead sponsors of the bill, council members Oliver Koppell and Annabal Palma, could file a motion to discharge &#8212; which would send the bill to the floor if it had enough support outside of the speaker&#8217;s office. The move has only occurred once during Quinn&#8217;s tenure. </p>
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		<title>Clash at IDA Board Over Study</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/05/10/clash-at-ida-board-over-study/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/05/10/clash-at-ida-board-over-study/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 May 2011 16:26:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye Opener]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Work and Labor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bloomberg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bloomberg adminsitration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[City Council]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Council Speaker Christine Quinn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[economic development corp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mayor Michael Bloomberg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york city]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seth pinsky]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9475</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A small spat erupted at this morning&#8217;s Industrial Development Agency board meeting, when Bronx borough president appointee Albert Rodriguez questioned the legitimacy and release of the city&#8217;s living wage study. 
Rodriguez chastised the Economic Development Corp., which is the parent agency to the Industrial Development Agency, for hastily releasing the study&#8217;s executive summary to the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A small spat erupted at this morning&#8217;s <a href="http://www.nycedc.com/FinancingIncentives/NYCIDA/Pages/NYCIDA.aspx">Industrial Development Agency board meeting</a>, when <a href="http://www.nycedc.com/AboutUs/WhoWeAre/BoardOfDirectors/Pages/NYCIDAandNYCCRCDirectorBiographies.aspx">Bronx borough president appointee Albert Rodriguez</a> questioned the legitimacy and release of the city&#8217;s living wage study. </p>
<p>Rodriguez chastised the Economic Development Corp., which is the parent agency to the Industrial Development Agency, for hastily releasing the study&#8217;s executive summary to the press before giving a copy to the board on Monday. He also seriously questioned the report&#8217;s findings, which suggest a living wage mandate for city subsidized developments would result in job losses. <a href="http://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=664291&#038;GUID=A83A5A5B-9589-4589-AAD7-5B2C6884610F&#038;Options=&#038;Search=">Legislation</a> to require similar wage standards is currently ruminating at the City Council. </p>
<p>Rodriguez called the study &#8220;political football for the interest of the Bloomberg adminsitration&#8221; and &#8220;very flawed.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;This was a waste of money,&#8221; Rodriguez said. &#8220;We could have hired nine more teachers.&#8221; </p>
<p>The IDA board authorized the agency to spend $1 million on the study, which was conducted by Boston-based consulting firm, <a href="http://www.crai.com/">Charles River Associates</a>. </p>
<p>The study&#8217;s executive summary was released yesterday afternoon in anticipation of a City Council hearing scheduled for Thursday, said <a href="http://www.nycedc.com/AboutUs/WhoWeAre/PresidentBio/Pages/PresidentsBio.aspx">EDC President Seth Pinsky</a>. The City Council had asked the agency to accelerate the study&#8217;s release so it could discuss the findings at the hearing. The full report will be released in the &#8220;coming weeks,&#8221; Pinsky said. </p>
<p>In defense of the study, Pinsky said it was &#8220;disappointing&#8221; officials would allege the agency was playing politics. </p>
<p>&#8220;I think [the study] is very similar, in fact, to the approach that&#8217;s been taken on many of the studies that have been cited by proponents of wage mandates,&#8221; Pinsky said. &#8220;What the study found was the legislation that has been proposed in the City Council here in New York is dramatically different from wage mandate legislation that has been proposed across the country. The additional requirements that are put into this particular legislation&#8230; they would make it extremely difficult and unlikely that people would continue to take the benefits.&#8221; </p>
<p>Pinsky said there are other ways to create better &#8220;living standards,&#8221; including expanding the benefits of the <a href="http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96406,00.html">earned income tax credit.</a> Any change in that tax credit would need federal, state and city approval. Pinsky also said the agency is conducting an internal study on how it can expand jobs in various middle income sectors, like construction or health care. </p>
<p>&#8220;There is nobody on either side of this debate who doesn&#8217;t want to figure out a way to raise the living standards of the least fortunate members of society,&#8221; Pinsky said. &#8220;The question is: Is this the right way to do it?&#8221;</p>
<p>The study found living wage policies would increase the standard wage at city subsidized developments, but could result in substantial job losses &#8212; anywhere from 33,000 to 100,000. Immediately after the executive summary was released, a Bloomberg spokesperson reiterated the <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/05/09/living-wage-study-says-policy-costs-jobs/">administration&#8217;s opposition to the bill</a>. </p>
<p>Rodriguez too is not without political motives. His boss, <a href="http://bronxboropres.nyc.gov/">Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.</a>, proposed the living wage legislation after the City Council <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20091215/203/3126">rejected a proposal to develop</a> the Kingsbridge Armory in the borough. The proposal was defeated because the developer would not promise to force tenants to pay a living wage.<br />
<span id="more-9475"></span><br />
When asked whether the study would hurt the bill&#8217;s chances, Rodriguez told Gotham Gazette this morning: &#8220;It&#8217;s the council that will make this decision&#8230; We&#8217;re hopeful that the legislation will get passed and it will go to the floor. And if the mayor wants to veto it, we&#8217;ll have enough votes.&#8221;</p>
<p>Currently, the bill has 30 sponsors, but Council Speaker Christine Quinn has yet to take a position. Quinn controls the council&#8217;s agenda. </p>
<p>Both Quinn and Diaz are prospective mayoral candidates in 2013. You can bet that race will factor into Quinn&#8217;s decision to support or oppose the bill. </p>
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		<title>Living Wage Study Says Policy Costs Jobs</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/05/09/living-wage-study-says-policy-costs-jobs/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/05/09/living-wage-study-says-policy-costs-jobs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 May 2011 22:11:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye Opener]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Measuring UP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Work and Labor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[City Council]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[living wage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mayor Michael Bloomberg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[national employment law projec]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york city]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nycedc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[paul sonn]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9471</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After much anticipation, the city Economic Development Corp. released a $1 million study on living wage policy today, which finds implementing higher pay standards at city subsidized developments would cost jobs. 
The study examines legislation at the City Council to require any entity who recieves more than $100,000 in financial assistance from the city to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>After much anticipation, the city Economic Development Corp. released a $1 million study on living wage policy today, which finds implementing higher pay standards at city subsidized developments would cost jobs. </p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/08/12/firm-selected-for-living-wage-study/">study</a> examines legislation at the City Council to require any entity who recieves more than $100,000 in financial assistance from the city to pay a living wage. Thirty council members have signed on in support of the measure. Council Speaker Christine Quinn has not revealed her position. Although the speaker has Ok&#8217;d a hearing on the bill, which is scheduled for Thursday. </p>
<p>The adminsitration <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/08/12/firm-selected-for-living-wage-study/">called for the study</a>, which was conducted by Boston-based consulting firm <a href="http://www.crai.com/">Charles River Associates</a>, last year after the City Council <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/work/20100115/22/3147">defeated a controversial development</a> at the Kingsbridge Armory. The developer refused to guarantee tenants of the proposal would pay a living wage. </p>
<p>The study found certain development projects would no longer be &#8220;financially feasible&#8221; if the city adopted a living wage mandate. As a result, it argues, the city would lose jobs. </p>
<p>In response to the study, Andrew Brent, a mayoral spokesperson, released the following statement: </p>
<blockquote><p>“The study is clear: the legislation would result in major job losses at all income levels and particularly among low-income New Yorkers. The biggest job losses would occur in the areas with the highest unemployment at a time when too many New Yorkers are without jobs as it is. The legislation would have a very harmful effect on growth opportunities of small businesses and the creation of affordable housing, and it would reduce overall private investment in New York City by an estimated $7 billion. Aggregate wages among low-skilled workers would not change because any gains among some workers would be more than offset by families losing employment opportunities entirely. The goal of increasing wages among New Yorkers of course is a good one, but this type of approach in other cities hasn’t just failed, it’s done so with severe consequences for job-seekers and businesses.”</p></blockquote>
<p>But not everyone was thrilled with the results. In response to the study, Comptroller John Liu (a frequent critic of the Economic Development Corp.) released the following statement: </p>
<blockquote><p>“The EDC’s claim that a living wage kills jobs shows just how distorted the agency’s operations have become.  The proposed living wage would be a requirement on new projects that are heavily subsidized by taxpayers.  It may curtail the number of new minimum wage jobs, with the hope that these new jobs would then pay a decent wage.  The claim of job losses is rhetoric at its worst.”</p></blockquote>
<p>Asked what he thinks the <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/06/08/living-wage-study-gets-approved-with-skepticism/">study means for the living wage legislation</a> currently under consideration at the City Council, <a href="http://www.nelp.org/site/about_us/legal_co_director2">Paul Sonn</a>, legal co-director of the National Employment Law Project, still seemed optimistic. </p>
<p>&#8220;The council I&#8217;m sure will give it careful consideration,&#8221; Sonn said. &#8220;We expect them to look at more rigorous research, which includes other studies and hearing the real world experiences of other cities.&#8221;</p>
<p>And for your reading pleasure: </p>
<p><a title="View Living Wage Exec Summary_2011 05 09 on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/55044056/Living-Wage-Exec-Summary-2011-05-09" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">Living Wage Exec Summary_2011 05 09</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/55044056/content?start_page=1&#038;view_mode=list&#038;access_key=key-10muu8v3360uh719kp8p" data-auto-height="true" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" scrolling="no" id="doc_52795" width="100%" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();</script></p>
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		<title>Advocates Protest SWMP Delays (UPDATE)</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/04/12/advocates-protest-swmp-delays/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/04/12/advocates-protest-swmp-delays/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 12 Apr 2011 18:22:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crime & Safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waterfront]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eddie bautista]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eric goldstein]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fair share]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[laura haight]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york city]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[solid waste management plan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[swmp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waste transfer stations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waste-to-energy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9375</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Five years after the City Council and Mayor Michael Bloomberg agreed to a solid waste management plan for the five boroughs &#8211; one that spread out the city&#8217;s garbage burden &#8212; council members and environmental justice advocates say the adminsitration is backpedaling. 
In its preliminary capital budget, the adminsitration has delayed the construction of four [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Five years after the City Council and Mayor Michael Bloomberg <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20100504/203/3257">agreed to a solid waste management plan for the five boroughs </a>&#8211; one that spread out the city&#8217;s garbage burden &#8212; council members and environmental justice advocates say the adminsitration is backpedaling. </p>
<p>In its <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/omb/html/publications/finplan02_11.shtml">preliminary capital budget</a>, the adminsitration has delayed the construction of four waste transfer stations, three of which are in Manhattan. The cut, said <a href="http://www.nrdc.org/about/staff.asp">Eric Goldstein of the Natural Resources Defense Council</a>, could delay funding for these facilities between five and eight years. Advocates fear the stations will never occur. Five years from now, there will be a new occupant in City Hall &#8212; one perhaps with different priorities. </p>
<p>&#8220;We are very troubled,&#8221; said Goldstein. </p>
<p>The waste transfer stations are a crucial part of the <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/iotw/20071113/200/2343">2006 solid waste management plan</a>, which attempts to get garbage off of diesel-spewing trucks and onto rail cars and barges instead. The plan was also meant to spread stations throughout the five boroughs to ease the burden on communities inundated with city waste &#8212; like the South Bronx, Greenpoint and Williamsburg. The delayed stations in Manhattan are the only ones slated for the borough, which currently sends the vast majority of its trash to New Jersey. </p>
<p>We are waiting for a response from the Department of Sanitation. </p>
<p>Advocates also decried the administration&#8217;s recent exploration of <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20110323/203/3494">waste-to-energy</a> &#8212; a controversial technology that typically involves burning or heating trash to create electricity (We reported on it <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20110323/203/3494">here two weeks ago</a>). <a href="http://www.nypirg.org/enviro/bottlebill/">Laura Haight of the New York Public Interest Research Group</a> decried the move. </p>
<p>&#8220;The types of technology they want to pilot have not been proven successful commercially anywhere in the country,&#8221; said Haight. &#8220;We believe this is a waste of energy.&#8221;</p>
<p>A conversation on the equal distribution of these types of facilities is occurring right now at a hearing of the Landmarks, Public Siting and Maritime Uses Subcommittee. Councilmember Brad Lander, the committee&#8217;s chair, blasted the adminsitration for refusing to testify (his letter appears below). </p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;ve concentrated those facilities in low-income communities, in communities of color,&#8221; Lander said this afternoon on the City Hall steps. </p>
<p>A spokesperson for the Bloomberg adminsitration said they would not send a representative, because &#8220;fair share,&#8221; as it&#8217;s commonly referred to, is currently the subject of litigation. </p>
<p>UPDATE: We just got this response from City Hall spokesperson Jason Post: </p>
<blockquote><p>
Because of the economy, the City has been forced to reduce all of its expenditures, including its capital program.</p>
<p>The preliminary capital budget for the Sanitation Department includes deferred spending on four Marine Transfer Stations. </p>
<p>The Administration remains fully committed to SWMP’s principles of borough equity, using rail and barge to transfer solid waste, relieving the burden of waste receiving from certain communities, strengthening our recycling infrastructure and piloting new technologies to derive clean energy from waste.</p>
<p>We have made great progress on SWMP already—long term rail contracts are in place and two marine transfer stations are under construction, as is the City’s new recycling facility—and we are exploring cost-effective alternatives to expedite the construction schedule outlined in the preliminary capital plan. We will make a decision before the Mayor’s executive budget presentation.</p></blockquote>
<p><a title="View CM Lander Letter to Mayor Bloomberg Re Fair Share Hearing(2) on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/52792105/CM-Lander-Letter-to-Mayor-Bloomberg-Re-Fair-Share-Hearing-2" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">CM Lander Letter to Mayor Bloomberg Re Fair Share Hearing(2)</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/52792105/content?start_page=1&#038;view_mode=list&#038;access_key=key-1a4vvgiv5deufoyq40h4" data-auto-height="true" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" scrolling="no" id="doc_86211" width="100%" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();</script></p>
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		<title>Vote Breakdown for Koch Queensboro</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/03/24/vote-breakdown-for-koch-queensboro/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/03/24/vote-breakdown-for-koch-queensboro/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Mar 2011 15:08:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye Opener]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transportation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ed Koch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ed koch queensboro bridge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mayor Michael Bloomberg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york city]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[queensboro bridge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vote]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9322</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We have had a number of requests for a breakdown of yesterday&#8217;s vote on the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge. 
(We cover the debate this morning here.)
So, without further ado, here you go: 
Maria Del Carmen Arroyo &#8212; absent
Charles Barron &#8212; no
Gale A. Brewer &#8212; yes
Fernando Cabrera &#8212; yes
Margaret S. Chin &#8212; no
Leroy G. Comrie, Jr. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We have had a number of requests for a breakdown of <a href="http://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=824125&#038;GUID=EC42D52E-FB08-4A30-9BC6-8C49281FE074&#038;Options=&#038;Search=">yesterday&#8217;s vote</a> on the <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20110324/203/3495">Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge.</a> </p>
<p>(We cover the debate this <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20110324/203/3495">morning here</a>.)</p>
<p>So, without further ado, here you go: </p>
<p>Maria Del Carmen Arroyo &#8212; absent<br />
Charles Barron &#8212; no<br />
Gale A. Brewer &#8212; yes<br />
Fernando Cabrera &#8212; yes<br />
Margaret S. Chin &#8212; no<br />
Leroy G. Comrie, Jr. &#8212; no<br />
Elizabeth S. Crowley &#8212; yes<br />
Inez E. Dickens &#8212; yes<br />
Erik Martin Dilan &#8212; yes<br />
Daniel Dromm &#8212; yes<br />
Mathieu Eugene &#8212; yes<br />
Julissa Ferreras &#8212; yes<br />
Lewis A. Fidler  &#8212; yes<br />
Helen D. Foster &#8212; no<br />
Daniel R. Garodnick &#8212; no<br />
<span id="more-9322"></span><br />
James F. Gennaro &#8212; yes<br />
Vincent J. Gentile &#8212; yes<br />
Sara M. Gonzalez &#8212; yes<br />
David G. Greenfield &#8212; yes<br />
Daniel J. Halloran III &#8212; no<br />
Vincent M. Ignizio &#8212; yes<br />
Robert Jackson &#8212; yes<br />
Letitia James &#8212; no<br />
Peter A. Koo &#8212; yes<br />
G. Oliver Koppell &#8212; yes<br />
Karen Koslowitz &#8212; yes<br />
Brad S. Lander 	&#8211; yes<br />
Jessica S. Lappin &#8212; yes<br />
Stephen T. Levin &#8212; yes<br />
Melissa Mark-Viverito &#8212; yes<br />
Darlene Mealy &#8212; yes<br />
Rosie Mendez &#8212; yes<br />
Michael C. Nelson &#8212; yes<br />
James S. Oddo &#8212; yes<br />
Annabel Palma &#8212; yes<br />
Christine C. Quinn &#8212; yes<br />
Domenic M. Recchia, Jr. &#8212; yes<br />
Diana Reyna &#8212; yes<br />
Joel Rivera &#8212; yes<br />
Ydanis A. Rodriguez &#8212; yes<br />
Deborah L. Rose &#8212; no<br />
James Sanders, Jr. &#8212; yes<br />
Larry B. Seabrook &#8212; yes<br />
Eric A. Ulrich &#8212; yes<br />
James Vacca &#8212; yes<br />
Peter F. Vallone, Jr. &#8212; no<br />
James G. Van Bramer &#8212; no<br />
Albert Vann &#8212; no<br />
Mark S. Weprin &#8212; yes<br />
Thomas White, Jr. &#8212; yes<br />
Jumaane D. Williams &#8212; no</p>
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		<title>Replacing Indian Point</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/03/23/replacing-indian-point/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/03/23/replacing-indian-point/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Mar 2011 15:32:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye Opener]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mayor Michael Bloomberg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york city]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[planyc 2030]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[planyc 2939]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[steven cohen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waste-to-energy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9317</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today we cover the Bloomberg administration&#8217;s renewed interest in developing waste-to-energy facilities &#8212; or plants that burn or heat garbage to create energy. 
The administration&#8217;s interests are even more timely since Gov. Andrew Cuomo, experts and advocates have called for the closure of Indian Point. 
(It should be noted that Mayor Michael Bloomberg does not [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Today we cover the Bloomberg administration&#8217;s <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20110323/203/3494">renewed interest in developing</a> waste-to-energy facilities &#8212; or plants that burn or heat garbage to create energy. </p>
<p>The administration&#8217;s interests are even more timely since Gov. Andrew Cuomo, experts and advocates have <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/23/nyregion/23indian.html?partner=rss&#038;emc=rss">called for the closure</a> of Indian Point. </p>
<p>(It should be noted that Mayor Michael Bloomberg <a href="http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/03/18/skepticism-grows-about-safety-of-indian-point-nuclear-power-plant/">does not share their opinion</a>. He said last week: “We need energy in this city, and the first thing we have to do is take a very close look at what happened in Japan and see if there’s any lessons that we should learn from that and any improvements that we should learn and make at Indian Point.&#8221;)</p>
<p>Indian Point provides up to 30 percent of New York City&#8217;s electricity. Steven Cohen, the <a href="http://www.earth.columbia.edu/articles/view/2252">executive director of Columbia University&#8217;s Earth Institute</a>, estimates waste-to-energy could provide about 10 percent of the city&#8217;s <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/games/switch/games/index.php?game=switch">needed megawatt hours.  </a></p>
<p>&#8220;Particularly if you&#8217;d like to get rid of the Indian Point plant, generating 10 percent of the city&#8217;s energy from garbage would be feasible,&#8221; said Cohen. &#8220;What would you rather have? Would you rather have these trucks driving around the city polluting and a nuclear power plant, or would you rather close that down and have a bunch of waste to energy plants?&#8221;</p>
<p>Cohen supports the development of small-scale plants throughout the city. </p>
<p>For more on the debate, go <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20110323/203/3494">here</a>. </p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>New Yorkers Want Wal-Mart (UPDATE)</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/03/18/new-yorkers-want-wal-mart/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/03/18/new-yorkers-want-wal-mart/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Mar 2011 15:28:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Demographics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye Opener]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Measuring UP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[City Council]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york city]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[quinnipiac]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wal-Mart]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9289</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Photo (cc) Wal-Mart
Despite fierce opposition from the city&#8217;s unions and a majority of the City Council, New Yorkers favor bringing the world&#8217;s largest retailer to the five boroughs. 
According to a new poll from Quinnipiac University, 57 percent of New York City voters say officials should allow Wal-Mart to open up in the the city, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/5266815680_ec09e9d38f.jpg"><img src="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/5266815680_ec09e9d38f.jpg" alt="5266815680_ec09e9d38f" title="5266815680_ec09e9d38f" width="400" height="325" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-9292" /></a>
<div class="photocredit">Photo (cc) Wal-Mart</div>
<p>Despite fierce opposition from the city&#8217;s unions and a majority of the City Council, New Yorkers favor <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20110214/203/3463">bringing the world&#8217;s </a><a href="http://walmartstores.com/pressroom/factsheets/">largest retailer</a> to the five boroughs. </p>
<p>According to a <a href="http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1302.xml?ReleaseID=1569">new poll from Quinnipiac University</a>, 57 percent of New York City voters say officials should allow Wal-Mart to open up in the the city, while 36 percent say the retailer should be kept out. If Wal-Mart set up shop in the Big Apple, 68 percent of New York City voters would shop there if it was convenient. </p>
<p>In response to the poll, Steven Restivo, director of community affairs for Wal-Mart, sent over the following statement: </p>
<blockquote><p>The results affirm what we have been hearing for months: New Yorkers want Walmart.  Whether it&#8217;s physically leaving the city to shop our stores, responding favorably in polls or just voicing their opinion on Facebook and at neighborhood rallies, city residents show their support for Walmart every day.  With too many communities living with double-digit unemployment and limited access to affordable groceries, we continue to evaluate local opportunities that will allow us to do what we do best: open stores, create jobs, stimulate economic development and lower the cost of living for customers.</p></blockquote>
<p><a href="http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x2011.xml">Mickey Carroll</a>, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said in a statement: &#8220;Voters agree that Walmart can be tough on its employees and on its mom-and-pop competitors, but even voters in union households say 63 &#8211; 34 percent they&#8217;ll shop there anyway.&#8221; </p>
<p>For months &#8211;<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/24/nyregion/24walmart.html"> years actually </a>&#8211; city officials have been blocking Wal-Mart&#8217;s attempt to infiltrate the New York City market. They claim the retailer&#8217;s wages are below average, they have a poor record of providing health care and discriminate against certain employees, <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2010/12/supreme_court_to_decide_if_whe.html">specifically women</a>. Officials have also said Wal-Mart would drive out New York City&#8217;s mom and pop shops. </p>
<p>On the other hand, the five boroughs already is home to Target, Costco, Best Buy and other big-box retailers. We looked into whether there were stark differences between them. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20110214/203/3463">Here</a> is what we found. </p>
<p>UPDATE: Wal-Mart Free NYC sent over this response to today&#8217;s poll: </p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;New York didn&#8217;t become great because of Walmart, it became great because of the thousands of small businesses owners who worked hard to make our mom and pops the engine of our economy &#8212; the  same neighborhood mom and pops that New Yorkers agree Walmart would destroy,&#8221; said Eric Koch, a spokesman for Wal-Mart Free NYC
</p></blockquote>
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		<title>Regulation of Bus Companies Questioned</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/03/15/regulation-of-bus-companies-questioned/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/03/15/regulation-of-bus-companies-questioned/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Mar 2011 18:07:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community Development]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Transportation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bronx]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chinatown]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chrales schumer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chuck Schumer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crash]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[discount buses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york city]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Super Luxury Tours]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9269</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Just hours after officials called for stricter safety regulations for discount buses departing from Chinatown yesterday, another fatal accident took the lives of two more passengers. 
A Super Luxury Tours bus headed for Philadelphia slammed into a guardrail on the New Jersey Turnpike, killing the driver and another passenger. The crash came just three days [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Just hours after officials called for <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqiSssIbyEw">stricter safety regulations</a> for discount buses departing from Chinatown yesterday, another fatal accident took the lives of two more passengers. </p>
<p>A Super Luxury Tours bus headed for Philadelphia <a href="http://www.wpix.com/news/wpix-breaking-major-bus-crash-on-nj-turnpike-20110314,0,1770630.story">slammed into a guardrail </a>on the New Jersey Turnpike, killing the driver and another passenger. The crash came just three days after a <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/mar/15/ny-bus-drivers-trail-fatal-crash-probed/">brutal accident in the Bronx</a>, which killed 15 people.</p>
<p>“Saturday morning’s crash was a heartbreaking tragedy and requires us to look closely at the safety regulations in place for the discount tour bus industry,” said <a href="http://schumer.senate.gov/">Sen. Charles Schumer</a> in a <a href="http://schumer.senate.gov/new_website/record.cfm?id=331866">prepared statement yesterday</a>. “While it’s vital we get to the bottom of what caused Saturday’s crash, we must make sure that the regulations that govern the overall safety of this industry are effective and being followed by operators.”</p>
<p>Schumer wants to see the National Transportation Safety Board <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/03/14/2011-03-14_sen_chuck_schumer_demands_ntsb_oversight_of_discount_buses_after_fatal_bronx_cra.html">investigate</a> the entire industry. </p>
<p>According to the release, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver <a href="http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&#038;bn=A04578&#038;Summary=Y&#038;Text=Y">introduced legislation</a> last month that would require these discount bus companies, many of which operate from the curbside in Chinatown, to get permits from the city. They are now <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/nyregion/15bus.html?_r=1">regulated</a> exclusively by the <a href="http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/">Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration</a>. His bill would also designate where they can drop off and pick up passengers. </p>
<p>According to a <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/transportation/td_chinatown_bus.shtml">study</a> from the Department of City Planning, these companies conduct 2,000 trips from Chinatown every week. </p>
<p>We covered the issue last year. For an in-depth look at the controversy, go <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/transportation/20100512/16/3265">here</a>. </p>
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		<title>Sparks Fly at Walmart Hearing</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/02/03/sparks-fly-at-walmart-hearing/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/02/03/sparks-fly-at-walmart-hearing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Feb 2011 23:53:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Measuring UP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public Finance]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[charles barron]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[City Council]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Council Speaker Christine Quinn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[east new york]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york city]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[walmart]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9060</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If today&#8217;s hearing is any indication, Walmart will have a next to impossible chance of getting a New York City store approved by the City Council. 
Several dozen council members and a standing room only crowd gathered in Lower Manhattan this afternoon to debate how a Walmart store would affect small businesses and communities in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If today&#8217;s hearing is any indication, Walmart will have a next to impossible chance of<a href="http://www.walmartnyc.com/"> getting a New York City store</a> approved by the City Council. </p>
<p>Several dozen council members and a standing room only crowd gathered in Lower Manhattan this afternoon to debate how a Walmart store would affect small businesses and communities in the Big Apple. Last month, Walmart kicked off a <a href="http://www.observer.com/2011/politics/cusp-council-hearing-wal-mart-pushes-back?utm_medium=partial-text&#038;utm_campaign=politics">vigorous marketing campaign</a> to court New Yorkers and convince them to support a New York City store. </p>
<p>Officials from Walmart <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/02/01/walmart-declines-hearing-invitation-again/">refused to attend today&#8217;s council hearing</a>, arguing they were being unfairly targeted. </p>
<p>Council Speaker Christine Quinn blasted the corporation for not testifying. Their absence, she said, &#8220;sadly only leads me to be further skeptical.&#8221;</p>
<p>For more than four hours, council members tore into Walmart&#8217;s policies, including its <a href="http://www.pbs.org/itvs/storewars/stores3.html">labor practices</a>, which have been the subject of several <a href="http://consumerist.com/2010/12/supreme-court-to-hear-walmart-gender-discrimination-suit.html">lawsuits</a>. They heard from experts across the country who had <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&#038;source=web&#038;cd=4&#038;ved=0CC0QFjAD&#038;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.luc.edu%2Fcurl%2Fpdfs%2FProjects%2FWalMartReport2009122.doc&#038;rct=j&#038;q=univeristy%20o%20f%20illinois%20at%20chicago%20study%20on%20walmart&#038;ei=YT5LTZa4JJO_gQej4MXbDw&#038;usg=AFQjCNGiOxfMTdw-1EkirAhYOOqg-U51Yg&#038;sig2=eNMHFx3WRFZX4OxiC6uW1Q&#038;cad=rja">studies in hand</a> that argued Walmart would lead to small businesses boarding up.  </p>
<p>Not one council member voiced support for a New York City Walmart. </p>
<p>The Walmart issue encapsulates a <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/work/20100115/22/3147">familiar debate at the City Council </a>&#8211; one that last reared its head when the body <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20091215/203/3126">rejected the development of the Kingsbridge Armory</a>. As Walmart argues it will bring jobs to New York City, advocates and officials question the quality of those jobs, whether they will provide health insurance and whether they will pay a <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20100413/203/3240">living wage.</a>  </p>
<p>For some, the prospect of jobs is good enough. </p>
<p>&#8220;Everyone is waving this boogeyman around about how this corporation is going to come in,&#8221; said Tony Herbert, a community activist and Walmart supporter. &#8220;I will say to you directly, we need jobs for our community.&#8221;<br />
<span id="more-9060"></span><br />
Others think a store would end up with a net loss of retail positions. </p>
<p>&#8220;Wal-monster will drive the small businesses out of business,&#8221; said Mark Tanis, the general manager of Shoppers World in Brownsville, Brooklyn. </p>
<p>In the end, it&#8217;s unclear whether the council will even have any decision over whether Walmart comes to the Big Apple. The mega-store is rumored to be eying sites they could build &#8220;as-of-right,&#8221; including <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2010/05/21/2010-05-21_residents_furious_as_walmart_eyes_east_new_yorks_gateway_ii_mall_for_first_store.html">one area in East New York in Brooklyn</a>. Nonetheless, you can bet the council will be out in full force to try to put a stop to it. </p>
<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t even think about coming to East New York,&#8221; said Councilmember Charles Barron, who represents the neighborhood. &#8220;We will not be your slave workers on your plantation.&#8221;</p>
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		<title>Walmart Declines Hearing Invitation... Again</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/02/01/walmart-declines-hearing-invitation-again/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/02/01/walmart-declines-hearing-invitation-again/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Feb 2011 22:54:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[walmart]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9053</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This should come as no surprise, but Walmart once again will pass on testifying at a City Council hearing on Thursday.

In a letter dated today, Walmart&#8217;s Philip H. Serghini attempts to strike down anti-Walmart sentiments wafting through the City Council, arguing the retail giant is committed to healthy foods, diversity and jobs. But Serghini says [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This should come as no surprise, but Walmart <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/11/nyregion/11walmart.html">once again</a> will pass on testifying at a City Council <a href="http://legistar.council.nyc.gov/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=133139&#038;GUID=FCE986EB-29A9-46CF-85C1-9B458C7F89B8&#038;Search=">hearing on Thursday.<br />
</a><br />
In a letter dated today, <a href="http://www.walmart.com/">Walmart</a>&#8217;s Philip H. Serghini attempts to strike down anti-Walmart sentiments wafting through the City Council, arguing the retail giant is committed to <a href="http://www.wnyc.org/articles/wnyc-news/2011/jan/19/wal-mart-donates-nyc-food-bank-critics-throw-tomatoes/">healthy foods</a>, diversity and jobs. But Serghini says he could not commit to attending the hearing, because the council is only focused on Walmart and ignores the impact of other big-box stores in the city. You can see his explanation below. </p>
<blockquote><p>The joint hearing, however, does not appear to consider the impact of the hundreds of NYC stores operated by these companies; rather it focuses solely on Walmart.  Since we have not announced a store for New York City, I respectfully suggest the committee first conduct a thoughtful examination of the existing impact of large grocers and retailers on small businesses in New York City before embarking on a hypothetical exercise.</p>
<p>For these reasons and more, we respectfully decline participation in the February 3rd hearing.  </p>
<p>Should the committee decide to conduct the hearing in a more comprehensive manner, we would be happy to revisit our decision.  In the interim, we do feel a responsibility to better inform the planned discussion and share some facts about the company that the committee can share with participants.</p></blockquote>
<p>Earlier this year, Walmart kicked off a major marketing campaign to persuade New Yorkers to support a store within the five boroughs. They are sending out mailers, taking out radio ads and have launched a <a href="http://www.walmartnyc.com/">NYC-centric Web site</a> to corral support. </p>
<p>So far, no one at the <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2010/12/14/2010-12-14_quinn_stands_firm_against_walmart.html">council is budgeting.</a> </p>
<p>The full explanation from Walmart is below. </p>
<p><a title="View Final City Council Letter on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/47997683/Final-City-Council-Letter" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">Final City Council Letter</a> <object id="doc_851471996685034" name="doc_851471996685034" height="600" width="100%" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf" style="outline:none;" ><param name="movie" value="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf"></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque"></param><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><param name="FlashVars" value="document_id=47997683&#038;access_key=key-23d80pcci1c34bnga7is&#038;page=1&#038;viewMode=list"><embed id="doc_851471996685034" name="doc_851471996685034" src="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=47997683&#038;access_key=key-23d80pcci1c34bnga7is&#038;page=1&#038;viewMode=list" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="600" width="100%" wmode="opaque" bgcolor="#ffffff"></embed></param></object></p>
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		<title>Quinn Denies Member Item Unequal Distribution</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/01/05/quinn-denies-member-item-unequal-distribution/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/01/05/quinn-denies-member-item-unequal-distribution/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 05 Jan 2011 20:11:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=8949</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Are member items distributed equally at the City Council?
Council Speaker Christine Quinn says so.  
Refuting a report in the New York Times this week, Quinn said all of the council&#8217;s discretionary dollars, which come in the form of individual member items, capital funding and more, are spread throughout the five boroughs sans favoritism. 
&#8220;The [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Are member items <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20070625/203/2214">distributed equally</a> at the City Council?</p>
<p>Council Speaker Christine Quinn says so.  </p>
<p>Refuting a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/01/nyregion/01council.html?scp=2&#038;sq=new%20york%20city%20council%20christine%20quinn&#038;st=cse">report</a> in the New York Times this week, Quinn said all of the council&#8217;s <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20100630/203/3301">discretionary dollars</a>, which come in the form of individual member items, capital funding and more, are spread throughout the five boroughs sans favoritism. </p>
<p>&#8220;The report looked at one of the funding sources the council allocated in the budget,&#8221; Quinn said before today&#8217;s meeting. &#8220;There are numerous different funding sources: initiatives, member items, the speaker&#8217;s list.&#8221;</p>
<p>She continued: &#8220;If you looked at all of those collectively, I think you see a set of data that shows a diverse distribution through out the city.&#8221;</p>
<p>We started examining those <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20070625/203/2214">lists back in 2007 </a>(and have done it every year since). In other funding areas, <a href="http://live.gothamgazette.com/article/issueoftheweek/20080628/200/2573">take capital funding</a>, we have seen a similar pattern: those in <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20100630/203/3301">leadership get more cash.</a> </p>
<p>For our past coverage, go <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20100630/203/3301">here</a> and <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/iotw/20080616/200/2555">here</a> and <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/iotw/20090625/200/2951">here</a> and <a href="http://live.gothamgazette.com/article/issueoftheweek/20080628/200/2573">here</a> and <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20070625/203/2214">here</a>.  </p>
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		<title>Bloomberg Mulls Over ATM Bill</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/12/20/bloomberg-mulls-over-atm-bill/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/12/20/bloomberg-mulls-over-atm-bill/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Dec 2010 19:49:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Community Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crime & Safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[atm]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=8911</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Mayor Michael Bloomberg is mulling over whether to sign a bill that would drastically increase fines for property owners with illegal sidewalk ATMs after small business owners expressed concern over the bill&#8217;s impact this afternoon. 
According to a spokesperson, the mayor will take the next couple of days to consider the bill and announce his [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Mayor Michael Bloomberg is mulling over whether to sign a <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20101209/203/3426">bill that would drastically increase fines</a> for property owners with illegal sidewalk ATMs after small business owners expressed concern over the bill&#8217;s impact this afternoon. </p>
<p>According to a spokesperson, the mayor will take the next couple of days to consider the bill and announce his decision after Christmas. </p>
<p>&#8220;I don’t want to be the Grinch that stole Christmas,&#8221; the mayor said today. &#8220;On the other hand the city has requirements, where one of the issues here is the ability to pass on the sidewalk.&#8221;</p>
<p>Up until this morning, the mayor was expected to sign the measure, which the council <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20101209/203/3426">approved earlier this month</a>. At today&#8217;s bill signing, small business owners reportedly said the legislation would limit access to cash for neighborhoods without banks and hurt small businesses. </p>
<p>Under the current version of the bill, fines could increase from $250 to $5,000. These ATMs are already illegal, but there is barely any enforcement or regulation of them, council officials said. </p>
<p>If the mayor vetoes the measure, Council Speaker Christine Quinn said the council would move to override it. </p>
<p>&#8220;This will give the power for them to be taken off the street,&#8221; said Quinn. &#8220;It actually gives the city the power and the tools to make this illegal behavior end. That&#8217;s a good thing.&#8221; </p>
<p>Here is the mayor&#8217;s statement this morning courtesy of the City Hall press office:<br />
<span id="more-8911"></span></p>
<blockquote><p>I have enormous respect for both Councilwoman Reyna and Fernando Mateo, who I’ve known for a long time. I’m not sure that I’ve been convinced to go one way or another, but I will tell you I will take a few days to talk to some people. I had discussed this bill last week, and I’m not so sure that I got as comprehensive a review, although I’m not so sure that I didn’t. There are two sides to everything. But I will take a few days to think about it. I don’t want to be the Grinch that stole Christmas. On the other hand the City has requirements, where one of the issues here is the ability to pass on the sidewalk. These units tend to be right in the middle of the sidewalk, and there are plenty of people who don’t like them the same way there are plenty of people that do like them. I am particularly concerned about jobs in this city, particularly with small businesses. This country does not have enough jobs. New York City has created a disproportionate share of the private sector jobs, yet we still have plenty of people who are unemployed. And some of the things we have to do don’t encourage employment. In fact, they may be detrimental to employment, but the City needs to do to them regardless. So let me leave this, and I will probably by the beginning of next week after Christmas -– not an accident -– I will make a decision one way or another. But I wouldn’t want either side to get their hopes up. I really am, at this point, torn in two different directions. Maybe we can negotiate something that better addresses the concerns. On the other hand, as I will say, that I have enormous respect for the Councilwoman and her judgment, as well as for Fernando. The other speakers, other than Joseph, I don’t know.</p></blockquote>
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		<title>Council Set to Expand Housing Law</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/11/30/council-set-to-expand-housing-law/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/11/30/council-set-to-expand-housing-law/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 30 Nov 2010 17:04:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[asthma]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[City Council]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Council Speaker Christine Quinn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york city]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[safe housing act]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=8792</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For some New Yorkers, their apartments are far from welcoming.
Their one or two-bedroom abodes actually make them sick. 
Three years ago, the City Council approved legislation to target buildings with the worst housing code violations &#8212; those perennially without heat or hot water or collapsed floors and roofs. Together, the Department of Housing Preservation and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>For some New Yorkers, their apartments are far from welcoming.</p>
<p>Their one or two-bedroom abodes actually make them sick. </p>
<p>Three years ago, the City Council approved <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/print/2155">legislation</a> to <a href="http://www.maketheroad.org/article.php?ID=466">target buildings</a> with the worst housing code violations &#8212; those perennially without heat or hot water or collapsed floors and roofs. Together, the <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/home/home.shtml">Department of Housing Preservation and Development</a> and the City Council targeted 200 buildings a year and forced landlords to make the repairs.  </p>
<p>Now, Council Speaker Christine Quinn announced this morning, the council is set to consider legislation to expand the program to target larger buildings with hazardous conditions related specifically to asthma, such as vermin or mold. </p>
<p>&#8220;We are recognizing peoples&#8217; homes can actually make them sick,&#8221; said Quinn, surrounded by a crowd of officials and advocates on the steps of City Hall. </p>
<p>Hazardous building conditions have long been connected to the city&#8217;s<a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&#038;source=web&#038;cd=2&#038;ved=0CCAQFjAB&#038;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyc.gov%2Fhtml%2Fdoh%2Fdownloads%2Fpdf%2Fasthma%2Ffacts.pdf&#038;rct=j&#038;q=highest%20asthma%20rates%20nyc&#038;ei=GC31TPCRH4WClAfOrpnJBQ&#038;usg=AFQjCNF5uetTcRYoymLzHKlNxA-AGuYlgA&#038;sig2=MhrQkQ6XTqemL3s0cQ9zsg&#038;cad=rja"> concentrated asthma pockets</a>, which affect neighborhoods like Sunset Park, Corona or Bushwick. By using targeted enforcement of these violations, Quinn said the city could curtail asthma rates in these areas. </p>
<p>The legislation, she said, promises to more than double the amount of units in the program. The council will have its first hearing on the proposal on Dec. 14. </p>
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