Dear New Yorkers,
For the past several months, on almost every weeknight — including on his 53rd birthday — you could find Paul Graziano at one of the city’s community boards, civic associations or Democratic and Republican clubs in Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island and The Bronx.
He’s there not to spread the good news, but to foretell of end times: out-of-touch bureaucrats want to destroy your neighborhood, he’ll say. They’re coming to tear down your houses and replace them with apartments. Get ready for an “apocalypse,” an “extinction event,” or a “nuclear bomb.”
The reasoning behind those grave threats is Mayor Eric Adams’ “City of Yes” housing proposal that aims to change land use rules citywide in order to clear the path for scaled-up housing development. Amid a severe housing shortage, the administration hopes to spur the creation of more homes.
Housing policy leaders who support Adams’ growth agenda charge that Graziano is fear-mongering and sowing misinformation. But Graziano — an urban planning and historic preservation consultant who makes low-fi indie rock in his spare time — is having none of it.
“I’m not someone who’s full of bombast, and I don’t go around telling people the sky is falling, but the sky is definitely falling in this case,” he said.
This fight is not Graziano’s first. He was a chief figure in successful efforts to restrict development in certain Queens neighborhoods in the early 2000s, and took credit for vanquishing Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed statewide housing compact.
Read more here about how he is now using a similar playbook to try to block the Adams plan.
Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather
Thursday’s Weather Rating: 8/10. Partly sunny for the vast majority of the day and much warmer with high temperatures in the mid- to upper- 80s. Thankfully we’ve got a breeze keeping things in check for now. Still, the vibes are getting summery out there!
Our Other Top Stories
- Is Gov. Kathy Hochul’s about-face on congestion pricing legal? That question may be answered by a stack of potential lawsuits from a coalition of environmental groups, disability rights advocates and businesses in the so-called congestion zone. They rallied in Lower Manhattan yesterday to put the governor on notice.
- A bill that would ban forced broker fees in New York City is one supporter away from a veto-proof majority in the City Council. A raucous hearing on the legislation yesterday brought out hundreds to testify, with some waiting as long as two hours to enter the hearing room.
- The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has dropped felony burglary charges against seven CUNY students and faculty stemming from a pro-Palestinian encampment at City College. But another 10 cases linked to the college are proceeding.
- Juneteenth is around the corner. Way before it became a national holiday, Brenda Brunson-Bey and Spring McClendon were celebrating the day in style. Here’s how the founders of the Brooklyn Juneteenth Arts Festival have kept the event going for more than 20 years — and are now expanding.
Sign up here to get THE CITY’s free summer newsletter.
Reporter’s Notebook
Adams Donor Hotel Shut Down by Buildings Dept.
The Department of Buildings slapped a Midtown hotel project by a donor to Mayor Eric Adams with a full stop work order Wednesday — weeks after THE CITY reported on the property’s owner.
The DOB’s Manhattan borough commissioner issued the developers an “intent to revoke approvals and permit stop all work immediately,” according to online records. The enforcement work order came from an “inter-agency referral.”
In another violation, the inspector wrote that the developer had to “stop all work immediately and make the site safe.”
The hotel, at 319 West 35th Street, is owned and being developed by Weihong Hu, a donor to Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign. THE CITY reported last month that Hu retained the help of friends and allies of the mayor, including Rev. Al Cockfield III, to help with her projects, like the one at West 35th.
Spokespeople for the DOB and the mayor’s office didn’t return requests for comment Wednesday evening.
At his Tuesday weekly press briefing, Adams declined to elaborate on his relationship with Cockfield, saying “All reverends are my friends” — because they pray for him — in response to questions from THE CITY.
“Reverend Cockfield, if you’re out there, continue to pray for me because you see this is why your prayers work?” he said.
— Katie Honan
City Inflation Outpaces Nation
Since the beginning of the pandemic, prices have risen less in the New York area than the country as a whole, good news for a place with the highest living costs in the country. Now that trend seems to be coming to an end.
Nationally, prices rose 3.3% in the last 12 months, the smallest year-over-year increase since 2021 and inflation was unchanged from April. But in the New York area, the increase was 3.9% and prices rose 0.4% from the previous month for the third consecutive month.
The culprit in New York will be no surprise. Housing costs increased 1.2%, with the component used to calculate rental costs showing the largest monthly increase since 1994.
One potentially good piece of news: lower inflation nationally could lead the Federal Reserve Board to start reducing interest rates. That will be important in New York since high interest rates are keeping people who want to buy homes stuck in their apartments, a key factor in the incessant increase in market-rate apartment rents.
— Greg David
Things To Do
Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.
- Friday, June 14: A show by Circus Amok, a queer and justice-oriented troupe that has been performing since 1989. Free from 6 to 7 p.m. at McGolrick Park in Greenpoint.
- Saturday, June 15: Free rides, arts and crafts, music and more at the Forest Park Carousel 100th anniversary party. Free from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Woodhaven Boulevard and Forest Park Drive in Queens.
- Saturday, June 15: Eats, live performances and music at the Juneteenth Food Festival. Free with an RSVP from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Weeksville Heritage Center, 158 Buffalo Ave. in Crown Heights.
THE KICKER: The lavender field on Governors Island is in bloom. Jump on the ferry and breathe it in.
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.
Want to view Scoop in your web browser? Click 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 © 2024 THE CITY, All rights reserved.
