Our third episode revolves around Industry City, a large shopping complex in Sunset Park, that is poised to increase its square footage from 5.3 to 6.6 million square feet as part of a comprehensive rezoning. Developers believe the rezoning will bring new jobs, while residents fear those new opportunities will attract wealthier households and displace a part of Brooklyn many hold dear. Do new jobs and commercial activity lead to gentrification and displacement?

Correction: This episode cites a statistic that 57 percent of current workers at Industry City are from Sunset Park. In fact, 57 percent are residents of Brooklyn, as reported by an HR&A Analysis in 2017.

Additional Reading:

• Making Sense of Incentives: Taming Business Incentives to Promote Prosperity (Tim Bartik, Upjohn Institute)
• Who’s to blame for high housing costs? It’s more complicated than you think. (Jenny Schuetz, Brookings Institution)
• Workforce Housing and Middle Income Housing Subsidies: A Primer (Jenny Schuetz, Brookings Institution)

The post Sunset Park-Industry City appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

The post The Evolution of the Big Apple Chorus appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

“I think many of us have experienced it in our own families, in our own lives, why it’s such a dangerous disease,” said DeBlasio. “This is not as easy to just walk away and leave us alone and go quietly into the night. No, we’re gonna have to fight it back if we want to rid ourselves of it.

De Blasio said that the first batch of 30,000 tests are expected to be delivered by Friday, May 8th. The city can then expect a weekly delivery of 50,000 tests by the week of May 17th.

“This seemingly simple piece of plastic actually proved to be a complex matter, because it has to be done just the right way, and it has to be kept sterile, in packaging like this until the point when it is actually going to be used on a patient,” said DeBlasio, holding up a 3D printed swab stick. “So getting this right proved to be actually a complex matter,””

The city has formed a coalition of multiple organizations to make the test kits, including  Print Parts and Albert Einstein College of Medicineto develop the tests, Viral Transport Medium (VTM) to deliver them to hospitals. DeBlasio acknowledged all lab workers on the frontlines of coronavirus.

“All of you are also heroes in this effort. I want to express my deep thanks to all of you. But I want to especially thank those who have worked in our public labs,” said DeBlasio. “ It’s been a big part of how we fight back to have the public health lab non stop getting results for New Yorkers who need them.

Governor Cuomo also stated in a press conference today that New York and seven other northeast states will collectively buy $5 billion worth of equipment and supplies for its healthcare workers. 

“New York State alone buys about $2 billion of medical supplies. And that’s one state.” said Cuomo. 

#BREAKING: NY, NJ, CT, PA, DE, RI and MA are launching a regional purchasing consortium to jointly procure PPE, tests, ventilators and other medical equipment.

This will increase our market power and help prevent price-gouging.

States are stronger when we work together.

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) May 3, 2020

The coalition, Cuomo said, which consists of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, will hopefully increase the states’ market value and avoid faulty vendors.

“Why should they do business with one state right when they can do business with an entire country?This consortium I think will help us get the equipment and get it at a better price,”he said.

The coalition is a result of President Trump expecting governors to obtain their own supplies.

“There was competition among states, there was competition among private entities to get this equipment,” Cuomo said. “We just drove up prices by our own competition.”

Cuomo also mandated that all hospitals are required to have a 90 day supply of equipment.

NEW: New York State will require all hospitals to have on hand a 90-day supply of PPE at quantities sufficient to meet the rate of use during the worst of this crisis.

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) May 3, 2020

The announcements of these newly formed partnerships comes as the weather gets warmer, and large numbers of people take to the streets. As of yesterday, NYPD issued a total of 51 summonses, including 43 in parks, according to Police Commissioner Dermot Shea. Six motorcycles were also seized in Astoria Park. 

“We expected this and prepared for this. NYPD is out in force,” said De Blasio. “If you want to go out for a while, get some exercise, get some fresh air, that’s totally understandable. Don’t linger too long. Get back home while you’re out there, keep that face covering on, keep that social distance.”

DeBlasio also said that while going to parks was okay at a distance, large purposeful gatherings were unacceptable. He gave examples of places such as Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, which eased restrictions early on and are now experiencing a second wave of coronavirus. 

“I want you to look at that image of the boomerang, get it in your mind and think about that’s the thing you do not want,” said DeBlasio.  “We cannot afford a boomerang with this disease in this city. ”

The post NYC now producing its own coronavirus test kits appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

At his press conference today, President Donald Trump announced an initiative called “Opening Up America Again”, granting state governors  the okay to re-open their states as early as May 1st.

“Healthy Americans will now be able to return to work as conditions on the ground allow instead of a blanket shut down,” said Trump.  “We will pursue it. Focus on sheltering, the highest risk individuals, so important, we’re establishing clear scientific metric and benchmarks on testing new case growth and hospital “

While Trump stated that some states were more ready for a remission plan than others, he said that the decision to reopen was solely up to its governor.

This is a distinct change in rhetoric from three days ago  when he stated that as president of the United States only he was the one who “called the shots” and stopped all funding towards the World Health Organization. Earlier today the president also weakened regulations on the release of mercury and other toxic metals from oil and coal fired plants. 

The country has seen a total of 662,441 positive cases and a total of 30,365 coronavirus related deaths. Vulnerable individuals are still facing the affects of the virus. In Sussex County, New Jersey, 17 dead bodies were found in a nursing home, all related to the coronavirus, while 68 recent deaths were linked to the facility.

The administration’s guidelines also counter dozens of states that have extended their shelter-in-place orders as of today, such as New York, New Jersey.

According to the guidelines, states would have to follow a three-phase remission plan before all of its businesses, schools and non essential workforce end shelter-in-place regulations. Each phase must proceed only if the state sees 14 days of decreasing evidence of illness, such as flu-like symptoms. Dr. Deborah Birx said the administration would also work with the CDC to set up sentinel surveillance sites to distinguish and find asymptomatic individuals.

“We want every state to have a plan for the health and safety of its workers and critical industries,” said Birx, “and to protect the health and safety of those living in high risk facilities including senior care facilities.”

In Phase One, Birx said if schools and non essential business are already closed, they should remain closed. Businesses such as gyms and large venues may reopen as long as they enforce strict social distancing, such as keeping a six feet distance between people. Nursing homes would still prohibit visitors. Elective surgeries would only occur on an outpatient basis.

Phase Two would allow non-essential travel to resume and for schools and day camps to reopen. Large venues would only encourage moderate social distancing, and elective surgeries could serve both an inpatient and outpatient basis. Vulnerable populations would still be encouraged to stay at home. 

“If a vulnerable population needs to return to work and cannot be teleworking, there should be special accommodations for all vulnerable populations, as well as options for teleworking,” said Birx about Phase Two. “We believe every employee should encourage work return in phases, from 20% or 25% to 40% to 50%.”

In Phase Three, vulnerable individuals would be allowed to be in public places as long as they practice physical distancing. Non essential employees would no longer have to work from home. Low risk populations would still be encouraged to minimize time spent in crowded environments.

Birx said that there is no specific timeline the states must follow. If the state can prove it is already in a specific phase, then it may start the remission plan ahead of other states.There is also no maximum time limit a state must stay in a phase.

Dr. Anthony Fauci encouraged states to take their time when following these guidelines.

“But even if you are in phase 1,2., or 3, it’s not okay,  game over,” said Faruci. “It may very well be as we go the cycle around that there’ll be this virus that wants to come back. I think we’re going to be able to handle that.

The post Trump’s plan to reopen America is announced appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today that there will be up to $2 billion in cuts for the upcoming fiscal year.

“We hoped this day would never come, but it has,” said DeBlasio. “If ever there was a time to draw on reserves, it’s now.”

The cuts would close outdoor pools and beaches, suspend up to 1000 one thousand summer camp slots, suspend the Summer Youth Employment program, and cut training, overtime, materials and professional development in the school system. The department of education would lose up to $827 million in cost saving measures, according to the proposed budget. 

The budget, which was originally intended to be $95 billion, is now approximately $89.3 billion dollars. De Blasio said  that New York City is predicted to lose $7.4. billion in tax revenue in the next fiscal year, due to the pandemic.

The city has seen 123,146 positive coronavirus cases and over 11,477 deaths. Although statewide hospitalizations have gone down, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo coronavirus hospitalizations have gone up by 386 cases. 

In order to overcome this emergency phase, the mayor said that the city would tap into its fiscal reserves.

The mayor said that this financial decision is a reflection on the lack of federal aid needed for the state of New York. He also criticized FEMA, mentioning that the city is expected to pay 25% of FEMA aid. 

“We have been the epicenter,” he said.“When you look at the impact here, anybody with a heart would recognize that the federal government has to come to the rescue.” 

He claimed that the city should receive at least $7.5 billion in federal aid, but the federal government has prioritized helping large companies instead.

“We got 1.4, billion. We’re the epicenter of the crisis, 8.6 million people, the airline industry got $58 billion,” said DeBlasio. “But a bailout for the place that needs it most has been minimal.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the House is working on an additional relief package. It would largely mirror the CARES Act passed last month, which provided $2.2 trillion to fund individual stipends and financial support to local and state governments, corporations, small businesses and hospitals , providing New York state with about $3 billion. Congressional leaders are also constructing a smaller package which would aid $250 billion for small businesses. But since both the House and Congress have extended their recess until May 4, the wait time for these additional legislations is uncertain.

“President Trump, here’s my appeal to you. Help us back up. Tell Mitch McConnell, that we need stimulus 3.5, and we need it directly to New York City, directly to New York State, so we can keep providing the help that people need,” said De Blasio. “If you lead, the Senate will follow. If you are silent they will not. It’s on you, Mr President.”

In an effort to further flatten the curve, Governor Andrew Cuomo extended the NY Pause rule until May 15. 

“I remind you, the federal government was very quick to bail out the banks, a decade ago, no questions asked,” said DeBlasio. “That is what our federal government should do for every reason morally. practically as any question of fairness is any question of how we move forward. And we’re still waiting. 

The post New York City’s budget becomes the latest victim of the pandemic appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

“We did activate [the Defense Production Act] with respect to General Motors and hopefully maybe we won’t even need the full activation,” he said.

Later in his daily press conference, Trump urged General Motors to build ventilators in their Lordstown facility, but that plant was closed  and sold in November. Trump had applauded the sale in May on Twitter.

GREAT NEWS FOR OHIO! Just spoke to Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, who informed me that, subject to a UAW agreement etc., GM will be selling their beautiful Lordstown Plant to Workhorse, where they plan to build Electric Trucks. GM will also be spending $700,000,000 in Ohio…

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 8, 2019

Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown  of Ohio, took to Twitter to respond.

General Motors sold Lordstown. If the President cared about its former workers, he would know that.

Instead of throwing a tantrum on Twitter, why don’t you just invoke the DPA? https://t.co/YXdl5kKBbg

— Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) March 27, 2020

It was a day full of firsts.

More than 100,000 people have been infected with the coronavirus and  the national death toll has exceeded 1,500. The country has more coronavirus cases than any other country,

For days New York has ranked  as the number one  state with coronavirus cases, New York City being the ultimate epicenter.  New York has 44,635 positive cases, its numbers more than five times the number of other states. And the death toll jumped to 519, making up about 40  percent of the nation’s toll. 

The New York Times predicts that if the rate of growth in coronavirus cases continues, the New York City area will suffer a more severe outbreak than those experienced in Wuhan, China, or the Lombardy region of Italy. With 25,573 confirmed cases and 366 deaths, New York City makes over half of the state’s total cases and the majority of its death toll Just two days ago, 13 people died of coronavirus within a 24-hour period at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens.  The virus is spreading quickly in other metro areas like Detroit, Miami, Chicago and New Orleans.

I applaud the President for invoking the Defense Protection Act but I urge him to go much further to mobilize whole industries across America to make ventilators and other supplies.

The federal government has sent us 2,500 ventilators, which helps a lot. But we need 15,000.

— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) March 28, 2020

Trump also signed a massive $2 trillion stimulus bill today, the largest economic stimulus package in modern U.S. history. The CARES Act includes direct payments of $1,200 to many individual Americans, including those who earn up to $75,000, and an additional $500 per child. 

But lost in the coronavirus news storm was the The Environmental Protection Agency suspension of all  environmental laws during the coronavirus.

This caused an uproar with environmentalists, including former Vice President Al Gore.

This is a shameful abdication of responsibility by @EPA. President Trump is using a public health crisis to justify a free allowance to pollute our air & water. Pollution enforcement can proceed while protecting workers & the public from the #Coronavirus. https://t.co/tib3gXSxil

— Al Gore (@algore) March 27, 2020

Trump also told Vice President Mike Pence who leads the coronavirus task force, not to call governors who don’t appreciate the White House’s efforts.

“I think they should be appreciative. Because you know what? When they’re not appreciative to me, they’re not appreciative to the Army Corps [of Engineers], they’re not appreciative to FEMA. It’s not right,”he said.

Trump has been taking direct criticism from the governors of New York, Washington and Michigan, all Democrats in states that have been hard by the virus.

Governor Jay Inslee of Washington, has butted heads with the president. 

I’m not going to let personal attacks from the president distract me from what matters: beating this virus and keeping Washingtonians healthy.

— Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) March 28, 2020

And Governor Gretchen Whitman of Michigan, who he refereed to as “the woman” during his press conference,  tweeted we can not lose focus on the fight to beat the virus.

Right now, we all need to be focused on fighting the virus, not each other. I’m willing to work with anyone as long as we get the personal protective equipment we need for the people of Michigan. https://t.co/sVZry3weUw

— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) March 27, 2020

The post Stimulus package, ventilators, EPA and a war of words with the governors in today’s news appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

“Density controlled measures are working,” said the governor,  at a press conference this morning.“Yes, they are burdensome. But they are effective and necessary, and the evidence suggests at this point they have slowed the hospitalizations.”

On  Sunday hospitalizations were projected to double every two days. But on Monday, they projected to double every 3.4 days, and on Tuesday every 4.7 days. Out of 30,811 positive cases, in New York state, under 4,000 people currently are hospitalized. 

“Now, that is almost too good to be true,” said Cuomo. “But if you reduce the density, you can reduce the spread very quickly. . .This is a very good sign and a positive sign.”

However, long term effects such as serious economic downfall, still threaten the state. Cuomo criticized the Senate’s potential $2 trillion dollar stimulus package, which would provide New York state with $3 billion dollars and New York City with  $1 billion dollars. 

“It would really be terrible for the state of New York..We’re looking at a shortfall revenue shortfall of nine , 10, $15 billion dollars. This response to this virus has probably already cost us $1 billion,” said Cuomo. “That is a drop in the bucket that has to meet.” 

Cuomo also stressed that if New York does not receive enough ventilators, hospitals would not be able to cope. He said  New York needs 30,000 ventilators, but currently has 3,000. The federal government will send 4,000, but they withholding ventilators is not to blame for the shortage. This is a sudden switch in rhetoric for the governor, who lashed out at FEMA Tuesday morning, at the time promising to send only 400 ventilators to the state.

“What we’re working on is a common challenge. No one has these ventilators and no one ever anticipated a situation where you would need this number of ventilators to deal with a public health emergency,” said Cuomo “We have purchased everything that can be purchased.”

Cuomo pushed the need for production of ventilators, saying that in his recent discussion with President Trump, companies such as General Motors could be utilized to make this necessary equipment.

“The problem is our timeline is so short, we’re looking at an apex of 21 days in that range,” he said. “He suggested that instead of equally dividing equipment, the federal government should prioritize necessary material to the country’s biggest “hotspot”, first being New York City.

“As soon as we get past our critical moment, we will redeploy that equipment and personnel to the next hotspots,” he said “And I will personally guarantee it and personally manage it. We’re asking the country to help us. We will return the favor. And we are all in this together.”

The post Good News: Coronavirus spread may be slowing in New York appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

The post A Warm Winter Day in Tompkins Square Park appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

NYC Abortion Rights, a grassroots coalition which defends reproductive rights, claims that ever month over 200 church members heckle patients entering a nearby Planned Parenthood, located at 26 Bleecker Street.

Holding signs that read: “Time’s Up Tommy!” and “Abortion is Healthcare!”, the activists stood on either side of the sidewalk, shouting chants like: “Pro-life? That’s a lie, you don’t care if women die!” as pedestrians and tour-goers entered the catacombs. 

“They stand outside and pray in unison. They make it as as inaccessible as possible to people,” said Megan Lessard of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, a NYC Abortion Rights demonstrater. “They pass this behavior off as prayer,  but we say, no way. You’re assembling a large group of people on the sidewalk outside of a health clinic. It’s an intimidation tactic. “

Megan Lessard, a protestor with NYC Abortion Rights, says that The Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, masks their harassment of patients outside of Planned Parenthood as peaceful. Lessard wants community members to be aware of this harassment, and that reproductive rights still need to be protected. Photo by: Maureen Mullarkey

According to its website, Old St. Pat’s says the assemblage takes place after their “Witness For Life Mass”, which is held on the first Saturday of each month. 

NYC Abortion Rights said id that Saturday’s protest was not in opposition to St. Patrick’s, but to Tommy’s Tours, a privately owned company which holds walking tours of the church’s catacombs.. Tommy’s Tours is the exclusive tour company for the catacombs.

“We want Tommy’s Tours to speak out against this, the church’s behavior,” said Lessard. “ If they don’t, ideally Tommy’s Tours would, sort of decouple from Old St. Pat’s  and do their business elsewhere. We also want to raise awareness of what the Church.”

As some demonstrators chanted, others handed out flyers to pedestrians with information about the Old St. Pat’s harassment of Planned Parenthood. The flyer also suggests ways of how to speak up about Tommy’s Tours, including requesting a refund for a tour, making a complaint, and calling the church. 

As NYC Abortion Rights members chanted to ongoers, several pedestrians shouted back in opposition. Maxim Katz Nelson, 33, who identifies as pro-life, yelled “Pro life! Protect the babies, protect the children, abortion is wrong!”

He said Planned Parenthood use aborted fetus organs for dubious purposes.

“These people, not all of them are aware of what’s really going on to the babies. They think they just take the baby away and they don’t use the baby,” said Katz Nelson,  who is not a church member. “What they’re standing up for is for monsters. Life is the most precious thing. It’s God’s gift.”

Planned Parenthood, a non-profit organization which provides reduced or free reproductive health care, has been under national scrutiny in the past year, with the Trump administration blocking its federal aid. In 2019, 12 states enforced stricter abortion bans, such as Georgia and Kentucy’s fetal heartbeat law, and Alabama’s total ban law.

While New York state has been one of nine states to pass protected or expanded abortion laws, pro-life believers like Lessard feel like they still need to fight for these rights.

“I think that left-leaning people in New York take comfort in the fact that New York is a progressive city. They often don’t notice or consider the ways that the right is mobilizing here,” said Lessard. “And this is one good example.  So it’s not just in the middle of America where reproductive rights are under attack. It’s happening next door.”

The Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral , Tommy’s Tours and the 26 Bleecker Street Planned Parenthood declined to comment.

The post Pro-choice activists aim to shut down church’s tour business appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

Tensions are running high in Glendale, Queens, as the city moves forward with opening a homeless shelter at 78-16 Cooper Avenue.

Last month the Glendale-Middle Village Coalition, a local group created to fight the shelter, sued the city. According to the Department of Homeless Services (DHS), the shelter will occupy 200 single men and intends to open early 2020.

“You know, you put a building with 200 people, in the middle of that community, that’s like essentially like putting an entire block of people,” said Ryan Kelley, the communications director of City Councilman Bob Holden of District 30 and opposer of the shelter.

At an October 7 meeting between community members, DHS, Community Board 5, and Westhab, the organization that will run the shelter, residents aggressively yelled out of anger, one woman threatening to “burn the place down” if the shelter arises.

Elfrida Sauldinka, a resident of the area for over 50 years, attended the shelter meeting.

“Neighborhoods are changing, but this, this here is, it’s not fair. There’s problems with a lot of homeless shelters, so why not fix up the ones they have?” said Sauldinka.

“People should be allowed to, to make a decisions here, you know, they live here.”

The post Tensions Run High in Glendale, Queens Over Planned Homeless Shelter appeared first on Pavement Pieces.