Category: News from Gale Brewer

Announcing our fourth annual holiday diaper drive!

By on
For many low-income working parents, getting diapers for their children is a struggle. Day care centers often require parents to supply diapers when they drop of their kids, so if the parents don’t have diapers to bring every day, they can’t work. That’s why my office, the Food Bank for New York City, and the Girl Scouts of Greater New York are launching our fourth annual holiday diaper drive to… Read more

Making Manhattan more age-friendly

By on
Hundreds of people braved the rain to attend “Make Manhattan Mine,” my special event focused on how we can make Manhattan more age-friendly, as NYC’s senior population is projected to grow by close to 500,000 people by 2040. We kicked the afternoon off with a brain-storm session on initiatives that would help seniors in their day-to-day lives, and then held workshops on transportation, open space, and accessibility; a streetscape design… Read more

Find senior-friendly supermarkets in your neighborhood!

By on
My office surveyed more than 200 supermarkets across the borough to identify each store’s senior-friendly policies and infrastructure. With our mobile-friendly database, you can find out which stores in your neighborhood offer amenities like wheelchair accessibility, delivery, public restrooms, escalators or elevators (for stores not at ground-level), senior discounts, and acceptance of SNAP/EBT. You can also download a PDF of the guide, organized by Manhattan’s 12 Community Board districts: Click … Read more

East Side Coastal Resiliency independent review report finalized

By on
Public Hearing on East Side Coastal Resiliency Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer and Council Member Carlina Rivera announced today the publication of the final report by independent consultant Deltares, hired for the review of the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project (ESCR) last month. In her Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP) recommendation, Brewer requested an independent environmental expert to review the ESCR Project and prepare comments regarding the City’s Preferred Alternative 4 proposal and the… Read more

Joint Statement by Brewer and Council Member Rivera on the Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency program announced by the EDC

By on
“We’ve heard concerns expressed about the contract issued to Arcadis by the EDC to plan the Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency (LMCR) program. Arcadis is subcontracting work to 17 companies including Deltares, the consulting firm we’ve commissioned which is completing a review of the East Side Resiliency Plan (ESCR) that is now undergoing ULURP. Deltares’ work on LMCR is limited to hydrological analysis of tides and currents for the project. “While… Read more

Dr. Rob Snyder appointed Borough Historian

By on
I’ve appointed Dr. Rob Snyder to be our brand new Borough Historian! Dr. Snyder is a professor of journalism and American Studies in the Department of Arts, Culture and Media at Rutgers University-Newark. He’s written widely on New York City history and media issues. He is the author of Crossing Broadway: Washington Heights and the Promise of New York City (Cornell University Press), The Voice of the City: Vaudeville and… Read more

IBO study: How homeless facilities impact property values

By on
A New York City Independent Budget Office study I requested shows how housing property values are affected by certain types of homeless facilities within 1,000 feet. Transitional shelters appear to drop property values only modestly, while permanent supportive housing doesn’t affect values at all. Facts unearthed by solid research like this are what public policy should be based on, and permanent shelters are clearly what the de Blasio administration should… Read more

“Make Manhattan Count” 2020 Census funding awards announced

By on
Gale Brewer talks to a seated crowd I can’t say it enough: there’s a lot at stake for New York City in the 2020 Census, from federal funding to our representation in Congress, so we have to make sure all Manhattan residents are counted. That’s why I created the “Make Manhattan Count” project, which awarded a total of $52,000 to 12 community-based organizations that came up with creative solutions to reach historically under-counted communities such… Read more

Announcing the Winners of the Seaport Community Mural Project!

By on
My office and the New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM) are pleased to announce the winning designs in our Seaport Community Mural Project. These designs will be applied to structures that are part of the Interim Flood Protection Measures (IFPM) program, which will be installed along South Street in Manhattan’s South Street Seaport neighborhood. Below are the winners. Andrea Bass, New York, NY: Brenda Berkman, New York, NY: Ebony Bolt,… Read more

Illegal ticket hawkers at Battery Park

By on
Staten Island Borough President James Oddo and I convened a meeting with the Mayor’s Office, city agencies, and community stakeholders to address the illegal ticket vending issue that has been plaguing the Battery, Peter Minuit Plaza, and the southern portion of Battery Park City for several years. Individual vendors, frequently using harassment and occasionally force, have continued to peddle ferry and boat tour tickets to Liberty Island, Ellis Island, and… Read more