WORLD WORLDWIDE USA New York NY New York City NYC the city THE CITY News Journal Update - Atlantic Yards auction, NYCHA’s 5-year pact, tax season THE CITY SCOOP

 

Dear New Yorkers,

It has been two decades since New York State launched the Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn..

But last fall, Greenland USA — a Shanghai-based developer that took over the project in 2018 — defaulted on loans totaling nearly $350 million.

That means the rights to develop its six high-rise sites near the Barclays Center may soon be up for grabs, putting a question mark on hundreds of affordable apartments there.

Greenland’s agreement with the state obligates it to complete a total of 2,250 affordable apartments by May 2025. Of that, 876 have yet to be constructed.

And now, its subsidiaries are set to go to a private auction on Feb. 12.

Local leaders are pressing state officials for a game plan. But so far, they say they are getting few answers about what will happen.

Gib Veconi, a board member and chair of the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council, described the state as too passive — a position he said is becoming less and less tenable.

“They're still treating Greenland as the developer of record for the project, and they're expecting them to work things out,” Veconi said. “I just don't know how reasonable that expectation is. Greenland is in a fairly distressed financial condition right now.”

Read more about the slated auction, and the future of Atlantic Yards, here.

Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Friday's Weather Rating: 4/10. Cloudy again to start with a few scattered showers and high temps in the mid-40s. In shocking news, we may actually see the bright yellow orb in the sky before sunset. The vibes might be slowly improving...

Our Other Top Stories

Five years ago this week, New York City’s public housing authority signed an unprecedented agreement committing itself to fix decades of mismanagement and neglect. The deal raised eyebrows at the time: the federal government had previously sued NYCHA for lying about lead paint and other hazards, but both parties agreed on deadlines to clear apartments of lead paint and toxic mold, upgrade failing elevators and heating systems, and reduce vermin. The deal also installed an independent monitor for accountability. At the five-year mark, which hit Wednesday, NYCHA could have requested to end the oversight. But while there has been some progress, much of what NYCHA promised back in 2019 is nowhere near complete. It’s tax season again, and this year’s filing deadline is April 15. Don’t stress! There are a lot of ways to get help locally, without spending a cent. Here’s THE CITY’s guide to filing your taxes for free in New York.

Reporter’s Notebook

Bin-ge Worthy

Some Bronx neighborhoods will be the first in the city to have all of its trash containerized, the latest attack in Mayor Adams’ self-described war against trash.

The new plastic bins — and a new truck that picks them up, hands-free — were unveiled Thursday in SoHo and will appear in residential buildings with 31 or more units in Castle Hill, Clason Point, Parkchester and Soundview.

The trucks are made to service the “European-style” bins, picking them up from the side to dump on top, which will make it easier on sanitation workers who are often injured on the job, Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.

The program will begin by the spring of 2025 and fully rolled out by the summer of 2026, the city said.

City Councilmember Shaun Abreu, who represents the neighborhoods and chairs the council’s sanitation committee, was disinvited to the announcement over his vote to override the mayor’s veto of the “How Many Stops” act but still shared his excitement for getting trash bags off the street.

In a statement, he told THE CITY: “Stay focused, no distractions, and grind,” borrowing a line from the mayor.

— Katie Honan

A sanitation worker stands by a special truck designed to pick up containerized trash in SoHo, Feb. 1, 2024. Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY

Things To Do

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

Saturday, Feb. 3: Hands-on History: Victorian Valentines, an arts-and-crafts event for all ages that uses reproductions of historic patterns in Valentine’s Day card-making. Free from 1 to 4 p.m. at King Manor Museum in Rufus King Park in Queens. Saturday, Feb. 3: An in-person book giveaway for anyone over the age of 10. Free (pre-registration required) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Brooklyn Book Bodega. Sunday, Feb. 4: Rituals & Altars, a community workshop for the Lunar New Year that delves into “the practices and etiquette of altars.” Sliding scale ($20-35), tickets required; from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at Think!Chinatown in Manhattan.

THE KICKER: Justice for Charlotte.

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

Love,

THE CITY

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