WORLD WORLDWIDE USA New York NY New York City NYC the city THE CITY News Journal Update - Whistleblower on fire safety at Manhattan Criminal Court, Torres warns of GOP NYCHA funding cuts, Red Hook’s resiliency plan

 

Dear New Yorkers,

On Wednesday, a blaze at the state Supreme Court building at 60 Centre St. — by a person burning records — minorly injured 17 people, with two taken to a nearby hospital. The man who allegedly started the fire, Paul Nesbitt, was charged with attempted arson, according to court records.

Just one day before, a whistleblower fire safety inspector told THE CITY that his supervisor transferred him to Brooklyn after he voiced a series of serious safety concerns about Manhattan Criminal Court at 100 Centre St., which is right next door.

The whistleblower says that the fire panel system inside the courthouse hasn’t been properly serviced since it was installed over a decade ago. (The whistleblower works for a contractor under the Department of Citywide Administrative Services and asked that his name not be used for fear of further retaliation.)

“I’ve been complaining over and over again about various very serious lapses in safety and the lack of maintenance on the system overall,” said the whistleblower, who has worked at the location for approximately five years. “I mean, if a building like this in the private sector were to be in this kind of state, they would be shut down immediately by the FDNY.”

The concerns over fire safety at the historic courthouse built in 1938 come as Mayor Eric Adams’ administration faces scrutiny over how it conducts fire safety inspections.

THE CITY has detailed multiple examples of how the FDNY has canceled a dozen inspections, including at a Brooklyn public school, to fast track City Hall VIPs and favored developers.

Fire chiefs raised alarms about favoritism for well-connected developers at the start of the Adams administration in 2022, according to internal emails.

Read more about the whistleblower’s allegations here.

Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Friday's Weather Rating: 7/10. Sunshine rules the day yet again, and high temperatures are much warmer — in the mid 50s! A noticeable breeze continues throughout the day, but this is a really nice December afternoon. The vibes are pretty dang good out there!

Our Other Top Stories

NYCHA, the city’s largest landlord, has increasingly relied on transitioning its complexes to Section 8 vouchers to help pay for much-needed upgrades. But Rep. Ritchie Torres (D - The Bronx) is sounding the alarm that the current Republican-controlled House is “unlikely” to sign off on the billions of dollars the authority says it needs to address problems like toxic mold. The issue is that Section 8 funding requires congressional approval each year — a potential vulnerability given what Torres called a “uniquely radicalized Republican Party,” which is driven by an ideological hostility to funding housing programs. More than a decade after Hurricane Sandy flooded nearly all of Red Hook, the Brooklyn neighborhood is finally closer to getting some coastal protection: The $100 million Red Hook Coastal Resiliency Project began the city's monthslong land use review process this week. It is the first of its kind to be designed for a mixed-use neighborhood in the city. The Red Hook coastal protections include flood walls and gates that can be flipped up or slid across streets to block storm water; and some streets that will be raised, and parts of the Brooklyn Greenway to be expanded. Plus, Todd Triangle, a small park on Halleck Street, will also get bigger. Mayor Eric Adams wants to clear bureaucratic hurdles for those looking to set up casinos in New York City. But locals aren’t having it. Earlier this week, members of Manhattan Community Board 4’s land use committee unanimously voted down an amendment put forth by the city’s Planning Department to allow casinos to set up in certain commercial or industrial zoning districts — including CB4, which encompasses Hell’s Kitchen and Chelsea — while bypassing the city’s zoning process. But the department says the city’s review process is similar to the state’s. And proponents say a casino in NYC would bring in big money: potentially up to $5.3 billion per year, by one state-commissioned study.

Reporter’s Notebook

Contempt for Correction The city Correction Department was found guilty of contempt after top jail officials secretly opened a so-called arson unit for detainees with a history of starting blazes behind bars without consulting a court-appointed monitor, a federal judge ruled Thursday.

“The department's latest failure to communicate here is unacceptable, and in a word, contemptuous,” said Laura Taylor Swain, the chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

As a result, Swain said jail officials gave her “no choice” but to find the DOC in contempt after opening the Arson Reduction Housing Unit last month.

She ordered the department to comply with three new orders: “elevate the role” of a top federal monitor staffer; develop a “high-profile communication program” to ensure they are collaborating with the monitor; and develop a set of data and metrics for use of force cases to identify violent trends and patterns.

She also threatened the DOC with daily monetary fees.

“If the contempt is not purged with these measures, the court will not hesitate to consider, very seriously, the imposition of a daily fine for each violation,” she cautioned. “In at least four figures. A day. I urge the department not to put me in a position.”

Swain also ruled that the city could delay its response to a possible takeover by a court-appointed receiver by two months. The next court hearing on that possibly transformative issue is now set for April.

— Reuven Blau

Delivery Workers Promised $22,000 in DoorDash Wage Theft Case

DoorDash agreed to pay $22,000 it owed to 13 workers who alleged the company did not pay their final paychecks. The move comes after the workers filed a formal complaint against the company under a 2022 local law that guarantees app-based food delivery companies pay workers at least weekly. The city Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, which is tasked with enforcing the law, investigated the workers’ claims.

A majority of those workers were longtime users of the platform and were locked out after what they claim were misunderstandings in verifying their identities — and failed to receive paychecks for their final week on the job.

“DoorDash takes any issue with Dasher payment extremely seriously, and we will always pay for legitimate work done on our platform,” said company spokesperson Eli Scheinholtz.

— Claudia Irizarry Aponte

Things To Do

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

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. Saturday, Dec. 16: Made in The Bronx, a portrait exhibition that features elder Bronx neighbors through photography and audio. Free from 2 to 7 p.m. at Andrew Freedman Home in The Bronx.

TODAY ONLY: Shop our flash sale and rep THE CITY in style! Make a one-time gift of $30 or more and you’ll get one of our comfy T-shirts. Or set up a new monthly donation of at least $10/month to get the shirt AND be entered into a raffle for one of our beloved baseball caps. While supplies last —  donate early to make sure you get yours!

THE KICKER: Allow a momentary trip outside the five boroughs for a rodeo across the river: A bull named Ricardo livened up the commute yesterday at Newark Penn Station, wandering down the tracks of a NJ Transit line as bemused passengers looked on. (We guess he didn’t want to be Penn'd in.) He was safely tranquilized and taken to an animal sanctuary.

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

Love,

THE CITY

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