WORLD WORLDWIDE USA New York NY New York City NYC the city THE CITY News Journal Update - Search for cause of Bronx building collapse, THE CITY’s guide to reporting structural issues, DC37 sues Adams over budget

 

Dear New Yorkers,

There is still no official cause for the collapse of 1915 Billingsley Terrace, a building in Morris Heights, on Monday.

The FDNY announced on Tuesday that after a thorough search of the rubble, it had determined that somehow no one had been killed or seriously injured. Two people had minor injuries.

It’s not clear what triggered the collapse of the northeast corner column of the seven-story apartment building, whose facade had been deemed “unsafe” in 2020.

Hours before the incident, a contractor hired by the city was performing below-ground water main work across the street, THE CITY has learned.

But a city Department of Design & Construction spokesperson said DDC engineers inspected the site on Tuesday and “believe that the collapse was not related to the (water main) construction.”

Read more about the search for the cause of the building collapse here.

Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Thursday's Weather Rating: 4/10. Sunshine returns once again, but it's even colder out there today with high temperatures barely scraping 40° F and wind chill values closer to 30° F thanks to a breeze. Grab your winter coat — the vibes are chilly out there today!

Our Other Top Stories

The city was stunned after the collapse of a Bronx building this week, and some were left with questions about the safety of their own structures. What rises to the level of making a report, and what’s just a symptom of an old building settling on its bones? THE CITY spoke with inspection experts to untangle the question. Here’s our guide on how to spot a problem, and where to ring the alarm if you do. In July, a federal judge ordered the city’s Education Department to begin implementing reforms to more quickly provide special education services, such as speech therapy or payments to families for private school. But facing budget cuts and a hiring freeze, the department has failed to do so — and a court-appointed monitor is now urging City Council, Mayor Eric Adams and other education officials to find “near-term/interim emergency funding” to meet the order’s requirements, reports Chalkbeat.

Reporter’s Notebook

DC37 Sues Adams Over Job-Training Cuts

One of the city’s largest unions is suing Mayor Eric Adams and agency commissioners over recent cuts to the budget that slashed a job-training program whose demise was first reported by THE CITY.

A new lawsuit from District Council 37, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court on Wednesday and first reported by POLITICO, alleges City Hall didn’t notify the municipal labor organization about the plan to cut about 2,300 union-represented staffers from job-training programs within the Parks and Sanitation departments.

The Parks program connected New Yorkers to jobs and other training opportunities, with many graduates working in the department doing cleaning and maintenance at city green spaces.

Slashing the programs was part of the mayor’s most recent efforts to close a $7 billion budget gap — with more cuts expected in January.

— Katie Honan

The Rent Is Less Damn High

The cost of leasing an apartment in Manhattan fell for the third consecutive month in November as rents retreat from the records set over the summer, according to the latest report from real estate giant Douglas Elliman, released Thursday. But the news isn’t as good for Brooklyn.

Median rent in Manhattan dropped by more than 4% last month to $4,000. It marks the first time in more than two years that rents were lower than the same month in the previous year.

Brooklyn’s median rental price was essentially unchanged in November at $3,495, which is lower than the July record but still almost 6% higher than a year ago. While leasing slowed in Manhattan it continued at a feverish pace in Brooklyn, according to the report.

Experts had expected rents in the city to finally peak this fall as pandemic-related population shifts petered out and because the rents have fairly outpaced people’s willingness to pay them.

— Greg David

Things To Do

Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.

Thursday, Dec. 14: Cocktails & Culture at the Museum of the City of New York, an evening event for adults with music from DJ tres dos and food by La Fonda NYC. Free with museum admission at 6 p.m.  Friday, Dec. 15: “A Lot of People,” an interactive exhibition of work by the Thai artist Rirkrit Tiravanija, including “untitled 1992-1995 (free/still)” a participatory play being performed on Fridays and Saturdays that involves serving two versions of green curry. Free from 12:30 p.m. at MoMA PS1 in Queens. Friday, Dec. 15: Library After Hours: Uncensored, a New York Public Library event billed as “the city’s most cerebral happy hour” and a “love letter” to books censored through history. Limited door tickets available, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building in Manhattan.

Recently, we asked you to tell us your questions about the inner workings of THE CITY’s award-winning, non-profit newsroom. And you delivered! Full questions and answers are on our website, but for now, here’s a quick sneak peek for Scoop subscribers. Q: How do reporters verify information from anonymous sources? A: Very carefully! It depends on the situation, but often THE CITY is backing up tips and information from anonymous sources the way we would with on-the-record sources: through public records, secondary documentation, other sources who may know about the same thing and by reaching out to whoever is involved to understand the full picture. Bringing news to New Yorkers takes time and hard work from the whole team. Support our team by donating to THE CITY today!

THE KICKER: The mayor’s budget cuts were set to cut composting at NYC’s greenmarkets. But, as Gothamist reports, an anonymous donor has stepped up to fund it for six more months.

Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Thursday.

Love,

THE CITY

PS. Love THE CITY? Our nonprofit newsroom runs on support from readers like you. Donate here.

THE CITY's work is made possible, in part, through the support of our sponsors. Interested in becoming a sponsor of THE CITY? Contact us here.  Copyright © 2023 THE CITY, All rights reserved.