WORLD WORLDWIDE USA New York NY New York City NYC the city THE CITY News Journal Update - Public school stiffed as FDNY cleared way for 50 Hudson Yards, city rejiggers migrant reticketing line, Santos out

 

Dear New Yorkers,

Pressure from Mayor Eric Adams’ team to fast-track an FDNY inspection of a luxury office tower at Hudson Yards triggered the cancellation of fire inspections for a dozen non-VIP New Yorkers — including an overcrowded, racially diverse public school in Brooklyn’s Dyker Heights, emails show.

In the spring of 2022, 50 Hudson Yards landed at the top of an internal City Hall list that pressed the fire department to expedite inspections for favored big developers.

Those included the Related Companies (which built Hudson Yards), Vornado and SL Green, as well as corporations such as Amazon and Meta opening up huge offices in New York City.

Some of these VIPs contributed tens of thousands of dollars to Adams’ 2021 campaign or financially supported programs championed by the mayor. Others heavily lobbied top mayoral officials to win favorable treatment.

The effort to speed up inspection of 50 Hudson Yards came from two prominent people: Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer and former Police Commissioner Dermot Shea, then an executive at The Related Companies, according to an internal FDNY email obtained by THE CITY.

The email is one of several obtained by THE CITY in which FDNY top brass express concern that, under Adams, City Hall’s favoritism towards well-connected developers and businesses had reached a new level.

The FBI and Manhattan federal prosecutors are examining the list. Meanwhile, Adams has repeatedly insisted no such list existed and that all applicants seeking inspections — big or small — were treated the same.

Read more here

Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Monday's Weather Rating: 6/10. Rain and dreary weather is finally gone...right on schedule for the work week to begin! High temperatures reach the lower 50s with partly sunny skies. A chilly breeze keeps us in check for most of the day. Still, the vibes are alright today!

Our Other Top Stories

City officials have rejiggered the way that adult migrants reapplying for another 30-day shelter stint are counted. It’s an attempt to reduce the number sleeping outside a “reticketing site” in the East Village, advocates say, after hundreds of people waited for hours outside the 7th Street site, with some camping outside the facility in the cold for nights on end and at least one needing to be hospitalized. According to the new system, people who apply for another 30-days in shelter are now being put on one master list that carries over for multiple days. If a person’s number is called while they’re not there to respond, they should still maintain their place at the front of the line.  George Santos has officially been expelled from Congress — and local party officials in Queens and Nassau County are hurrying to vet and get a candidate to represent the newly up-for-grabs swing district. The race to replace Santos is imminent: State law requires the governor to declare a special election within 10 days of the seat’s vacancy, and Gov. Kathy Hochul said Friday morning that she is “prepared to undertake the solemn responsibility of filling the vacancy in New York’s 3rd District.” Santos, meanwhile, currently faces a 23-count federal indictment for fraud, money laundering, aggravated identity theft; pleaded not guilty, but could face a lengthy prison sentence if convicted.  As Bronx Community Board 11 reels in the aftermath of its vice chair penning an offensive column in the Bronx Times back in April, the board last week voted to create a committee to consider the demotion of two leaders embroiled in controversy: Albert D’Angelo, the vice chair whose column disparaged Black people; and board chair Bernadette Ferrara, who drew the ire of the board after multiple members said she neglected board duties during a run for city council. On the latest episode of FAQ NYC, Politico’s new New York editor Sally Goldenberg visits the pod to talk about the state of the city now, what she saw in her months covering the Republican presidential campaign, and much more.

Things To Do

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

Tuesday, Dec. 5: A Dickens Christmas Tea Party, with afternoon tea and treats, book bingo, and more. Free (if you bring a book for the toy drive) at the Interchurch Center in Brooklyn, 12 to 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7: Holiday Wreath Making hosted by NYC Parks GreenThumb. All supplies are provided. Free with RSVP from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center in The Bronx. Friday, Dec. 8: Exhibit opening of Byzantine Bembé: New York by Manny Vega, a celebration of the mosaicist and muralist whose work also appears in local subways, street walls and businesses. Pay what you wish (at the museum’s in-person ticketing counter) at the Museum of the City of New York in Manhattan.

THE KICKER: We’re officially into December. Don’t forget to make the annual D train pilgrimage to Dyker Heights in Brooklyn, where blocks of houses go all-in with festive lights and displays.

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

Love,

THE CITY

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