City & State New York 112519 by City & State

NEW YORK’S MASS TRANSIT: DELAYED, DESERTED, DERAILED

OK Bloomer Just what the 2020 race needs ...

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November 25–December 2, 2019

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SUBSCRIPTIONS INCLUDE 48 ISSUES CONVENIENTLY MAILED TO YOUR HOME OR OFFICE CITY & STATE MAGAZINE is a premier weekly publication that dedicates its coverage to everything politics in New York. Profiles of leading political figures In-depth updates on campaigns and elections Analysis of policy and legislation Special sections on key industries and sectors *Free subscriptions are offered to New York City and New York State government employees, staff of nonprofit organizations, and staff, faculty and students of academic institutions. $99 per year for all other subscribers.

November 25–December 2, 2019

City & State New York

EDITOR’S NOTE

JON LENTZ Editor-in-chief

A DEFINING FEATURE of Michael Bloomberg’s tenure as mayor of New York City was his independent streak. He championed a ban on smoking in bars and raised taxes on cigarettes, touting the public health benefits while dismissing concerns that the policies could hurt him politically. He was ahead of the curve in launching PlaNYC, a forward-looking initiative to embed sustainability into every facet of city government. And thanks to a campaign financed by his own vast wealth, he had few of the debts and constraints that hinder other politicians. “I’ve run for office three times and won each time, in no small part because I’ve never stuck my finger in the wind to decide what I should believe,” Bloomberg wrote in a March editorial explaining his decision not to run for president. “It’s not who I am, nor do I think it’s what voters want in a leader.” Now that he’s changed his mind about running for president, he seems to be changing his approach as well. In a pivotal November speech, Bloomberg reversed himself on the New York City Police Department’s use of stop and frisk – a tactic he had stubbornly defended, even up until early this year. In this week’s magazine, we take a closer look at Bloomberg’s record at City Hall – and whether it will be enough to propel the former mayor to the White House.

CONTENTS

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG … 8 Does he really stand a chance? INFRASTRUCTURE … 14

The projects bringing New York transit into the 21st century

TRANSIT DESERTS … 18

The parts of NYC cut off from subways and commuter rail

EAST SIDE ACCESS … 22 CELESTE SLOMAN; SPENCER T TUCKER/NYC MAYOR’S OFFICE

After half a century, will it finally happen?

WINNERS & LOSERS … 30

Who was up and who was down last week

CityAndStateNY.com

November 25–December 2, 2019

puts her in charge of one of the other two committees that are deeply involved in the inquiry. The third, the House Judiciary Committee, is led by fellow New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler, giving the Empire State an outsized voice in the proceedings.

BLOOMBERG FILES FOR PRESIDENT

CAROLYN MALONEY VS. THE WHITE HOUSE Rep. Carolyn Maloney is the latest New Yorker to take on a prominent role in the impeachment inquiry. Following the death of Rep. Elijah Cummings in October, House Democrats voted to make Maloney the

new chairwoman of the Oversight and Reform Committee, of which she was the most senior member. Maloney, the first woman to hold the position, had been serving as its temporary chairwoman. Although the House Intelligence Committee has taken the lead on impeachment, Maloney’s new role

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has all but officially declared his entry in the Democratic presidential primary by filing with the Federal Election Commission. The move comes after Bloomberg filed to put his name on the ballot in five early deadline states, which he had characterized as keeping his options open while he continued to deliberate – which technically, his spokespeople say he’s still doing. Bloomberg started the week by apologizing for his support of stop-

and-frisk policing, which targeted minority New Yorkers. The apology was interpreted as an attempt to mend fences with black voters. He also issued a mea culpa through a surrogate for past sexist statements.

“We have to – well, we’re not allowed to put a stake through someone’s heart.”

– New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, on felon and former state Sen. Hiram Monserrate’s run for Assembly, after comparing him to a vampire, via the New York Post

SHARPIE IMAGE While Reps. Elise Stefanik and Sean Patrick Maloney made headlines in the impeachment inquiry news cycle, the New York Post’s Thursday cover reverted its gaze back on the New Yorker at the center of it all: President Donald Trump and his comically large handwritten notes insisting that he wanted “no quid pro quo,” despite Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s testimony that he followed Trump’s orders in pressuring Ukraine to investigate the president’s political rivals.

“I was wrong. And I am sorry.” – Michael Bloomberg, apologizing for his support of stop-and-frisk policing during his time as mayor of New York City, via The New York Times

CUOMO’S JCOPE HEADACHE

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has found himself entangled in a new scandal having to do with Joseph Percoco. Early this year, the state Joint Commission on Public Ethics held a confidential vote on whether it would investigate the former Cuomo aide. According to state law, those deliberations were meant to be kept private. However, someone reportedly provided Cuomo with information about the closed-door vote. According to the Times Union, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie’s executive counsel, Howard Vargas, reached out to one of the commissioners, informing her that Cuomo was aware of how she voted. The state inspector general’s office investigated the alleged leak, but could not confirm whether it had occurred. JCOPE has since decided not to release the letter from the state inspector general’s office regarding its probe. The entire affair has led to some lawmakers renewing their calls to revamp the state’s ethics agency.

LEV RADIN, STOCKLIGHT, ROBERT CICCHETTI/SHUTTERSTOCK; MICHAEL APPLETON/MAYORAL PHOTOGRAPHY OFFICE

November 25–December 2, 2019

NYC’S BAN ON FLAVORED E-CIGARETTES

After New York recorded its second vaping illness-related death, the New York City Council reached an agreement to pass a ban on flavored e-cigarettes, including those that are mentholflavored. The body is expected to pass the legislation on Tuesday, after which Mayor Bill de Blasio is expected to sign it into law. Once it becomes official, New York City will become the most populous municipality to impose such a ban. The council will not, however, vote on a related measure to prohibit regular menthol cigarettes, amid concerns from some advocates that such a move would criminalize the black community and lead to more police harassment.

THE

WEEK AHEAD

City & State New York

HOUSING DISCRIMINATION ON LONG ISLAND

A three-year investigation by Newsday revealed widespread discrimination in the real estate industry on Long Island, one of the most segregated suburbs in the country. Reporters found a significant number of agents working for major brokerages engaged in discriminatory practices, including directing prospective buyers to certain neighborhoods based on race. The report led to swift calls for action by a variety of lawmakers. State Attorney General Letitia James said she would investigate the alleged practices, while the state Senate announced it would hold a hearing on the matter. Gov. Andrew Cuomo also directed state agencies to launch a joint probe.

Rep. Elise Stefanik’s pro-Trump turn backfires Rep. Elise Stefanik has suddenly become a national Republican star because of her performance in recent impeachment hearings. Previously known as a mainstream upstate Republican, Stefanik is being seen in a new light because of her aggressive questioning of Marie Yovanovitch and her performative clash with House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, aligning herself more strongly with the pro-Trump faction of the party. But her increasingly partisan stance also has steered support to her opponent in next year’s congressional race. Democrat Tedra Cobb earned a whopping $1 million in donations from across the country in two days, even getting celebrity shoutouts from Chrissy Teigen and “Star Wars” actor Mark Hamill. This far surpassed the approximately $656,000 Cobb had raised this year by the end of September, raising questions about how much Stefanik’s approach may be a liability for her reelection prospects. Experts on local politics say it’s unlikely, but not impossible, that Stefanik could lose her seat in 2020 – especially if it shapes up to be another Democratic wave in response to President Donald Trump’s unpopular administration. Representing a North Country district that Trump carried by 13.7 percentage points, Stefanik has clear advantages as an incumbent Republican. In fact, until her Democratic predecessor Bill Owens took office in 2009, the seat had been held by Republicans since the 1870s. Still, some of the

WEDNESDAY 11/27

TUESDAY 12/3

The New York City Council Committee on Women and Gender Equity holds a hearing on resources for trans and gender-nonconforming New Yorkers, starting at 10 a.m. at City Hall.

The state Senate holds a hearing to examine the Foundation Aid public school funding formula. The hearing begins at 10 a.m. at 250 Broadway in Manhattan.

INSIDE DOPE

district’s characteristics lend hope for a strong Democratic challenger. Former President Barack Obama carried the district twice. And Stefanik’s margin of victory went down by 9.2 percentage points last year compared with the 2016 election, when Cobb initially challenged her. Stefanik has built her reputation as a moderate, voting against the 2017 tax bill and backing compromise legislation on children illegally brought to the United States as minors. Prior to the impeachment hearings, her most noteworthy national action was creating a political action committee to raise money and provide mentorship for women running for Congress as Republicans – the subject of last week’s City & State cover story. But in the past year, her campaign has taken on an increasingly Trump-like tone, more frequently name-calling her opponent as “Taxin’ Tedra” and making misleading or inaccurate claims about Cobb’s record. Exactly how the tide will turn depends in part on how the impeachment hearings unfold for the president, and how Democrats energize around that in the coming months. This is particularly pertinent given that the race overlaps with the heated presidential race, which is likely to draw increased turnout. “In general terms, if you’re running for reelection, you don’t want the leader of your party being impeached or removed from office,” said Luke Perry, professor of government at Utica College. - Kay Dervishi

Democratic lawmakers’ efforts to shake up school funding will likely face resistance from Gov. Andrew Cuomo. But he might be inclined to cut a deal this year, on his terms.

MONDAY 12/9 City & State hosts a reception for The Power of Color: Black 100 issue starting at 6:30 p.m. at Ginny’s Supper Club at the Red Rooster Harlem. Rep. Gregory Meeks keynotes.

EXES 6

CityAndStateNY.com

THE

November 25–December 2, 2019

IT’S BETTER TO HAVE LOVED AND LOST – EXCEPT FOR ELECTIONS.

BY AMANDA LUZ HENNING SANTIAGO TRISH BERGIN WEICHBRODT, Billy Joel’s exgirlfriend and current member of the Islip Town Council, appears to be in a New York state of mind, as she just announced her bid for Rep. Pete King’s seat. The Republican councilwoman and the legendary singer-songwriter dated in the late 1990s – back when she was a local newscaster – until she turned down his marriage proposal in 2000. Her freshly launched congressional campaign got us thinking about other New York politicos’ famous exes, from television personalities to acclaimed authors.

GOV. ANDREW CUOMO AND SANDRA LEE

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and celebrity chef Sandra Lee broke up this summer after more than a decade together. Rumors of their split began to swirl when the pair put their Westchester County home up for sale in May.

FORMER REP. ANTHONY WEINER AND HUMA ABEDIN

Top Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin stuck by her husband, disgraced former Rep. Anthony Weiner, throughout numerous sexting scandals until he was caught sexting with a 15-year-old. Weiner pleaded guilty to the charges in May 2017 and Abedin filed for divorce that same month.

JUNOT DIAZ AND ELIZABETH DE LEÓN – AND MARISOL ALCANTARA

Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Junot Diaz is the ex of not one but two New York politicos! It’s rumored that Elizabeth de León, then-New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito’s first deputy chief of staff, was the inspiration for Diaz’s short story collection “This Is How You Lose Her” – but broke off their engagement in 2012. Former state Sen. Marisol Alcantara was also engaged to the writer, with whom she was involved from the late 1990s until shortly after Diaz won his Pulitzer in 2008.

QUEENS DISTRICT ATTORNEY-ELECT MELINDA KATZ AND CURTIS SLIWA

One created a tough-on-crime vigilante group, the other just ran as a progressive criminal justice reformer. Queens District Attorney-elect Melinda Katz and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa share two sons. The former couple say they were romantically involved from 2011 until 2014 and though Katz and Sliwa say he was her sperm donor, Sliwa’s exwife alleges that the two had a decadelong affair and conceived au naturale.

GOV. ANDREW CUOMO AND KERRY KENNEDY

Cuomo married Kerry Kennedy, the daughter of Robert and Ethel Kennedy, in 1990. Their relationship, which had reportedly been rocky due to Cuomo’s controlling habits, began to dissolve after Kennedy had a highly publicized affair with New York businessman Bruce Colley in 2003. The pair officially divorced in 2005.

FORMER GOV. ELIOT SPITZER AND LIS SMITH

News of disgraced former Gov. Eliot Spitzer and Lis Smith’s relationship was revealed in 2013, after photos were leaked of Smith – then New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s spokeswoman – and the thenmarried Spitzer entering her apartment building together. The couple split in 2015. Now Smith is working as a senior adviser to presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg.

LINDA ROSENTHAL AND SCOTT STRINGER

New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer and Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal dated over three decades ago, a spokesperson for Stringer told New York magazine in 2006.

November 25–December 2, 2019

City & State New York

A Q&A with congressional candidate

Frankly, this is a woman’s seat.

ALLISON FINE

LEV RADIN/SHUTTERSTOCK; ALLISON FINE 2020

You’ve included abortion rights as a major priority in your campaign for Rep. Nita Lowey’s seat, now that she’s not running for reelection. Like Nita, I will be the No. 1 advocate in Congress for supporting women’s autonomy and women’s health. There’s no question that this administration is trying to take away a woman’s right to an abortion. And they’re packing the courts with judges to do just that. But they’re not done with that. Then they move on to making it difficult to access contraception and making it difficult for Planned Parenthood to do its work. At a very fundamental

level right now, we have a struggling democracy because we have a struggling middle class. They go hand in hand with one another. And we can never have a robust middle class again if women don’t have equal access to economic opportunities and health care. You have also made data privacy a pillar of your campaign – something we don’t see a lot of candidates doing. What might federal data privacy legislation look like? Right now, data regulations and data privacy – both within the federal government and

in corporations – favor those institutions over people. So we need to flip that over. We need to give consumers much more responsibility and power in controlling their own data and controlling their own privacy. What’s your impression of the other candidates in the race for the 17th Congressional District? Frankly, this is a woman’s seat. And I don’t think a Congress that is 23% female has any women’s seats to waste. Would you call yourself a progressive Democrat? A moderate?

Where do you fall on that spectrum? I think that’s kind of a false dichotomy. I’m not sure the continuum still holds up. I am strongly, strongly in favor of creating job security for people, for jobs that don’t look like what they used to look like. This is just a huge issue, that so many people are freelancing or are contract or gig economy workers. And we need to make sure they have the benefits and the security that they deserve as employees. Finally, we’re in the thick of impeachment proceedings right now. What’s your impression so far?

I think (House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi did exactly the right thing. There was no question that for the good of democracy and the good of the country the president has to be held accountable for basically trying to shake down Ukraine for personal political purposes. The impeachment hearings are doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing, which is holding the administration fully accountable for their actions. And it doesn’t matter where it goes from there. The point is, nobody’s above the law and we have separation of powers in the federal government for just this reason.

CityAndStateNY.com

November 25–December 2, 2019

The City Hall

New York City mayors never go on to higher office. Can Michael Bloomberg break a centurylong losing streak?

Curse by B E N A D L E R

HAT DO JOHN LINDSAY, Rudy Giuliani and Bill de Blasio have in common besides having been mayor of New York City? Hint: This will likely soon be true of Michael Bloomberg too. All were failed presidential candidates. That’s probably not a coincidence, like the fact that Bill Clinton and Mike Huckabee were both born in Hope, Arkansas. Rather, it suggests that becoming mayor of New York City is the surest way to guarantee one will never be elected president. In fact, if recent history is any guide, New York City mayors stand no chance of winning any presidential primaries or statewide offices either. Even Bloomberg’s billions are unlikely to overpower the gravitational pull of a record in City Hall. Like speaking at NYPD graduation ceremonies and marching in ethnic pride parades, it’s inherent to the office. In each case, one can point to specific flaws in the candidate’s political profile: These men haven’t all exuded charisma,

lived the cleanest lives – or even been considered successful mayors. “I don’t think New York has been putting its best foot forward,” as Kenneth T. Jackson, the Columbia University historian and editor of The Encyclopedia of New York City, ruefully put it. “I think Mike Bloomberg’s easily the best mayor New York has ever had, so (his campaign) will be interesting to watch.” The history of political careers ending at city hall is comprehensive. No recent New York City mayor has gone on to higher office. None of the 20th century’s most iconic leaders of Gotham – Fiorello La Guardia, Robert F. Wagner Jr., Lindsay, Ed Koch and Giuliani – went on to win another race. Wagner lost a 1956 U.S. Senate bid, despite having the Democratic and Liberal Party lines in left-leaning New York. Koch lost in the 1982 Democratic gubernatorial primary to Mario Cuomo, whom he had bested in the mayoral primary five years earlier. Giuliani aborted a rocky 2000 U.S. Senate campaign. These, it bears repeating, are the mayors who were sufficiently

popular to win reelection. One-term wonders Abraham Beame and David Dinkins didn’t get sent on to Albany or Washington, D.C., either. Nor is the phenomenon limited to New York City. A 2017 study from Boston University examined mayors of 196 of America’s largest cities – nearly 700 American mayors – elected or appointed from 1992 to 2015. Fewer than one-fifth of the mayors ran for higher office and fewer than 15% won a primary. Only 5% actually won a general election. No American mayor has ever gone directly to the White House. The only three ex-mayors who became president – Andrew Johnson, Grover Cleveland and Calvin Coolidge – later became governors before stepping into the Oval Office. And, except for Cleveland, who was mayor of Buffalo, the other two didn’t even lead large cities. This suggests a broader truth about the mayoralty as a job category: It becomes a political liability. Running a city is a messy endeavor and doing it gets one’s hands

RBLFMR/SHUTTERSTOCK

City & State New York

dirty. Competing interests must be balanced, often leaving no one fully satisfied. No one wants to run for president, or even governor, as an enemy of the teachers, police officers and firefighters unions – but no one wants to be viewed as their tool either. Keeping these public employees happy while also mollifying their counterparts, such as civil rights activists, communities of color or education reformers, may be unachievable. Also, stuff happens – and the bigger the city, the more stuff happens. Mayors get blamed for budget deficits created by recessions, crime waves caused by national social conditions and – in the case of New York City’s tabloids and de Blasio – summertime blackouts. “Being mayor of New York City is an extremely difficult proposition,” Jackson said. “So many different ethnic and religious groups and neighborhoods – to make everybody happy is impossible.” Bloomberg’s record of encouraging aggressive policing tactics like stop and frisk is going to impede his appeal to black and

“First he had the Garner people following him, and then he had both.” Policing is not the only key issue on which the mayor’s hands are tied: The city’s power to shape the housing market, set tax rates and integrate its schools are limited by the state and affected by the actions of Mayors get blamed suburban towns. The refor budget deficits sult is a mayor vulnerable to created by recessions, crime waves caused by charges that he failed to renational social condiduce homelessness or traftions and summertime fic, and failed to improve blackouts caused by affordability or mass tranCon Edison. sit. Take New York City’s epidemic of homelessness, which is a byproduct of its imbalance between booming demand for – and dwindling supply of – reasonably priced housing. Lindsay had the misfortune of being mayor during the tumultuous late 1960s. Rising crime and strikes by transit workers and sanitation workers made him look like an incompetent manager. U.S. Sen. George McGovern of South Dakota, who bested him in the 1972 Democratic presidential primary, did not have this problem. The contrast between McGovern and Lindsay speaks to another particular disadvantage for New York City mayors: being closely associated with a huge city during a presidential race. “You have some fundamental divisions in national politics, which historically play against New York City mayors – around race, around the Latino voters. Just take a look at de Bla- rural/suburban/urban divide and around sio – who was heckled during a Democrat- regions,” Fuchs said. Partly, that’s structural: The early priic presidential debate in July because the cop who asphyxiated Eric Garner was still maries are held in small, mostly rural states, employed by the New York City Police De- such as Iowa and New Hampshire, which partment – and you’ll see that it might be puts urban candidates at a disadvantage, impossible for any New York City mayor to as does the Electoral College’s overreprekeep his policing record clean enough for sentation of less-populated states. And, of Democratic voters. De Blasio was elected course, some of it is sociocultural. New York as a progressive criminal justice reform- City’s diversity, liberal politics, high densier, but the mayor operates within struc- ty and agglomeration of media, finance and tural constraints. In his first term, after technology can make the city the embodirank-and-file NYPD officers protested de ment of foreign or coastal cosmopolitanism. Blasio’s anti-police brutality rhetoric with “New York mayors are viewed as part of the a costly work slowdown, he backed off of governing elite rather than the ‘real Amerhis push for police accountability. None- icans,’” Fuchs said. “Post-1960s, New York theless, New York’s police unions were is seen as ‘not America.’” Even at the state level, upstate and subenraged that Officer Daniel Pantaleo was eventually fired, and their anger haunted urban voters can resent the city, a phenomde Blasio’s abortive presidential bid. “De enon that famously harmed Koch in his Blasio had the police unions following him 1982 gubernatorial bid. In fairness, these around (on the campaign trail) because of voters didn’t just imagine Koch’s snobthe Eric Garner thing,” said Ester Fuchs, bery: He dismissed residing in the suburbs a public affairs professor at Columbia Uni- as “wasting your life” and mocked country versity and a former adviser to Bloomberg. living as “wasting time in a pickup truck

CityAndStateNY.com

November 25–December 2, 2019

when you have to drive 20 miles to buy a gingham dress.” That campaign-killing quip demonstrates one possible reason New York City mayors can’t go far in politics: Typically, people who get the job have an arrogant, combative personality better suited to the hypercompetitive environment of the city that never sleeps than to connecting with farmers over corn dogs at the county fair. To be fair, being mayor of New York City is also the only reason that anyone would have thought of de Blasio, Giuliani or Bloomberg as potential presidential material in the first place. It’s not like they would necessarily have had a better political career had they never become mayor. But when rising stars in Congress, such as Reps. Hakeem Jeffries

whose total lack of political experience afforded him the freedom to campaign as an outsider and to invent whatever position best suited him at the moment. “Ironically, a record in government becomes an albatross for candidates,” Fuchs said. “And a lot more is known about New York City mayors than Arkansas governors. It’s easier to discredit them.” Perhaps that’s why the mayor who outlasted de Blasio in the primary is Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, the state’s fourth-largest city. Even he, though, has a police brutality and race relations problem. All that being said, Bloomberg may yet defy history. New York City is no longer the crime-ridden, chaotic embodiment of urban decay, and the media

“NEW YORK MAYORS ARE VIEWED AS PART OF THE GOVERNING ELITE RATHER THAN THE ‘REAL AMERICANS.’ POST-1960s NEW YORK IS SEEN AS ‘NOT AMERICA.’” – ESTER FUCHS, COLUMBIA UNIVERSIT Y PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROFESSOR AND FORMER BLOOMBERG ADVISER

and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, are rumored to be mulling a mayoral bid, it’s worth asking why they’d see that as a smart career move. Substantively, the job is arguably better preparation for the presidency than serving in Congress or a statehouse. New York City has a larger budget than all but a handful of states. “New York City mayors are the most important in the country, not just because it’s the biggest city, but because it has a strong mayor,” Jackson said. “In a lot of cities, they have a commission form of government. And now the job includes the schools, which is a gigantic responsibility.” But once they step into the presidential ring, they quickly get bloodied. The mayoral disadvantage may be a subset of the perverse fact that presidential aspirants seem to go farthest when they have the least political experience. Longtime senators such as John Kerry and Joe Biden have seen how having to cast votes and speak publicly on every major issue for decades can be used against them later, when the political winds have shifted. By contrast, recent presidents such as Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush and Barack Obama averaged around eight years in elected office before ascending to the White House. One can see the apotheosis of this trend in President Donald Trump,

mogul can claim his share of credit for the turnaround. As the parties have grown more polarized along racial and ideological lines, the dwindling number of rural white Democrats – who could be turned off by a big city mayor who hates guns – may no longer be an insurmountable force in the primaries. That’s especially true for a multibillionaire, who won’t rely on doing well in the early states to generate momentum, media coverage or donations. Bloomberg’s unusual strategy could be to skip some of the early states and spend heavily in places like Massachusetts and California before Super Tuesday. Bloomberg is known as the ultimate data-driven technocrat, and he repeatedly declined to run as a third-party or independent candidate because he recognized he had no chance of winning. That means his advisers must have shown him some plausible path to the Democratic nomination this time. “It’s a long shot that actually has a path to victory,” Fuchs said. “(Bloomberg) doesn’t just run a vanity race, that’s why he didn’t run as an independent. He will be a much more interesting, viable candidate than people realize at this point.” Maybe a former mayor with an infinite campaign budget will prove to be the exception – but, if history is any guide, he just may have the wrong résumé.

■

Why he has a chance by A M A N D A L U Z HEN NI NG SA NTI AG O

ormer New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg may have a hard time convincing the political party he recently joined that he’s worthy of its presidential nomination. His track record during his three terms as mayor is filled with liabilities in a Democratic primary – but it’s also full of progressive, innovative policies and results. Some of his accomplishments, such as presiding over a drop in crime and a growing economy, may be criticized by some as either good fortune or a double-edged sword that also demonstrates his more conservative leanings. But Bloomberg created groundbreaking public health and climate policies, and implemented new multimodal transportation initiatives. Here are some of Bloomberg’s actions as mayor that will be viewed as assets to Democratic voters. HE REVIVED NEW YORK CITY’S ECONOMY AND BUDGET When Bloomberg took office in 2002, the city’s economy was still damaged from the 9/11 terrorist attacks, leaving the incoming mayor with a $5 billion budget deficit. Bloomberg, who developed a fondness for numbers early in his career as a Wall Street executive – later making the bulk of his wealth as the founder of Bloomberg LP – took on the task of balancing the city’s budget. In his first year in office, the mayor focused on reducing government spending by cutting staff, scaling back on city services and eventually raising taxes and borrowing money. Raising property taxes by 18.5% in 2003 provided the city with a big boost in much-needed revenue, which

November 25–December 2, 2019

SPENCER T TUCKER/NYC MAYOR’S OFFICE

made it possible for the city to reduce the property tax rate by 7% in 2007 as its economic wounds began to heal. “He very deliberately, early on, made the choice that rather than really jamming down services, he was going to hold the service level and raise taxes,” Mark Page, Bloomberg’s budget director, told The

New York Times in 2007. After the Great Recession from 2007 to 2009, the city’s economy quickly rebounded. Private sector jobs increased by nearly 10% in Bloomberg’s last four years in office, well above the nationwide average, according to The New Yorker. Tourism increased under Bloomberg, with 50 million tourists visiting the city at the end of his third term, up from the roughly 35 million who visited when he first took office. About 40% of the city was rezoned under Bloomberg in order to create more housing and new job opportunities in transit-rich neighborhoods, such as Midtown West, Williamsburg, Long Island City and Downtown Brooklyn. Critics, however, point to the extremely high prices of all that luxury housing. On the other side, market-oriented urbanists complain that Bloomberg simultaneously quietly downzoned many neighborhoods – typically middle-class parts of the outer boroughs, such as Bay-

City & State New York

thing proposed in the mayor’s plan actually came to fruition, such as his proposed $8 daily congestion pricing charge for people who drive their personal vehicles below 86th Street in Manhattan – which died in the state Legislature. Still, the Bloomberg administration created new public parks, planted over 1 million trees, revived the wetlands, spent billions on cleaning up the city’s waterways and helped the city significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by swapping high-sulfur heating oil with cleaner alternatives. After Superstorm Sandy ravaged much of the city in 2012, including the Rockaways, Red Hook and lower Manhattan, Bloomberg created several plans to account for future natural disasters caused by climate change. The mayor released a lengthy report in 2013 that contained numerous proposals, including strengthening building codes to require critical building equipment to be raised above sea level (which is now Michael Bloomberg with Birdie, the city required), updating zoning mascot designed to regulations and rebuilding tout his sustainability damaged housing stock and initiatives, which was public housing. The mayor done away with by Bill de Blasio’s adminisalso recommended the contration. struction of flood walls, storm surge barriers and dune systems to lessen the impact of extreme flooding. Some sea walls have been constructed, while others are still in progress.

side, Queens – arguably worsening the city’s housing crisis. Bloomberg also made use of an abandoned elevated railroad track and transformed it into the High Line. Upzoning in Chelsea is part of what made the project financially viable. Now a major tourist attraction, it gets an average of 8 million visitors per year.

By the end of Bloomberg’s third and final term, the city’s budget had grown by $28 billion over his mayoralty, rising from $42 billion in 2003 to $70 billion in 2014. ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES Well before Bloomberg pledged to invest $500 million of his own money to combat climate change, he was creating forward-looking climate policies in New York City. In his first term, Bloomberg pursued a land acquisition campaign in the Catskill Mountains in an effort to protect the city’s drinking water supply. (He did also briefly suspend glass and plastic recycling for budgetary reasons from 2002 through 2004, which might make environmentalists squirm.) In 2007, he introduced the sweeping sustainability plan PlaNYC, which contained 127 projects, regulations and innovations aimed at reducing the city’s greenhouse gas emissions. Not every-

MAYORAL CONTROL OF SCHOOLS One of the first things Bloomberg did upon taking office in 2002 was lobby the state Legislature for mayoral control over the city’s public school system, which he was ultimately granted. This gave him greater control over the city’s schools, including the ability to appoint and fire the city’s schools chancellor, place people on the New York City Board of Education and close schools. Shortly after gaining control, he closed dozens of struggling schools and replaced them with smaller schools, which was highly controversial at the time. Under Bloomberg, test scores improved and graduation rates rose, many new schools were opened and school choice dramatically expanded, although critics suggest the Bloomberg administration’s test score data may not have been entirely credible. PUBLIC HEALTH INITIATIVES Before vaping became popular with teens and then unpopular with politicians,

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Bloomberg was trying to get New York to kiss nicotine goodbye. In 2002, Bloomberg signed a law that banned smoking in most bars and restaurants – cigar bars for his fellow plutocrats being one of the few exceptions. That same year, both the city and state increased taxes on cigarettes, raising the price of a pack by 32%, from $5.20 to $6.85 – creating the highest combined city and state tax in the United States at the time. In 2011, Bloomberg banned smoking in public spaces, including parks, beaches, pools, recreation centers and pedestrian plazas. He was also a trailblazer in banning artificial trans fats in 2005, when he forced restaurants and food vendors to phase them out due to their artery-clogging attributes. In 2008, Bloomberg required calorie counts to be listed on chain restaurant menus. Bloomberg also backed a state tax on sugary sodas in 2010, which didn’t pass. His subsequent ban on large sodas was blocked in court, but he did help bring attention to the risks associated with excessive sugar consumption. NEW TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES Along with ensuring that the Second Avenue subway line would be completed, Bloomberg also created a fleet of taxis to specifically cater to the outer boroughs. The green-colored cabs were meant to help even out the heavy concentration of yellow taxis in Manhattan. They made their debut in 2013, just as Bloomberg’s reign was coming to an end. The city’s short-term bicycle rental program, Citi Bike, is also the work of Bloomberg and debuted in 2013, much to the delight of many New Yorkers sick of unreliable buses and trains. Bloomberg appointed Janette Sadik-Khan as transportation commissioner, and she began to reorient city policy away from favoring drivers by adding bike lanes and creating new pedestrian plazas. A REDUCTION IN CRIME During his 12 years in office, homicide rates fell by 65%, shootings dropped by 53% and the city’s overall crime rate was reduced by 32%. Despite the city’s progress, critics continue to take issue with Bloomberg’s encouragement of rigid policing tactics while mayor, such as the widespread use of stop and frisk, which led to black and Latino residents being disproportionately targeted by the New York City Police Department.

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November 25–December 2, 2019

Why he doesn’t by A M A N D A L U Z HEN NI NG SA NTI AG O

ICHAEL BLOOMBERG’S innovative successes as mayor of New York City may be small potatoes compared with the liabilities in his governing record. Many of his actions during his three terms as mayor will undoubtedly be viewed negatively in a race for the Democratic presidential nomination, and could be used to paint the portrait of a mayor who cared more about reducing crime and encouraging growth than protecting civil rights or alleviating poverty – a bad look in a party that increasingly leans left and includes a large number of minority voters. Here are a few of Bloomberg’s mayoral actions that are most likely to give Democrats pause. MARIJUANA ARRESTS Bloomberg oversaw a steep rise in low-level marijuana arrests, particularly for possession of small amounts of marijuana. Between 2002 and 2008, 261,151 people were arrested for marijuana possession, or roughly 100 arrests per day. In 2008, there were 40,383 low-level marijuana arrests, more than the number of arrests that occurred from 1978 through 1995, according to data from the state Division of Criminal Justice Services. Arrests for marijuana possession peaked in 2012, at about 50,000 low-level arrests. About 87% of those arrested for possession while Bloomberg was in office were either black or Latino. In his last year in office, Bloomberg shifted gears and began to limit marijuana arrests. TRAMPLING CIVIL LIBERTIES In 2003, the Bloomberg administration refused to grant anti-war demonstrators a permit to march, allowing only a stationary rally. In what would become a regular practice during the Bloomberg years, the NYPD forced protesters into a pen. Bloomberg actively recruited both national political parties to hold their conven-

tions in New York City, and he nabbed the 2004 Republican National Convention. About 1,760 protesters of the convention were arrested and detained at Pier 57, a temporary holding facility known as “Guantanamo on the Hudson.” These activists, and some journalists or other random bystanders, were nominally arrested for blocking traffic, but Bloomberg allowed for the “preventive detention” of peaceful protesters. The practice of preventive detention is illegal and such arrests resulted in lawsuits that the city paid millions of dollars to settle. Bloomberg also had a heavy hand in shutting down the ongoing Occupy Wall Street protests in 2011, when protesters set up camp in lower Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park for months to protest financial inequality. In a surprise raid, NYPD officers removed all protesters from the park in an operation approved by Bloomberg. The mayor defended his decision to clear the park, saying its “health and safety conditions became intolerable.” The NYPD also illegally spied on Muslims, infiltrating Muslim student groups and placing informants in mosques in an attempt to thwart terrorist attacks. The department was sued by Muslim leaders in 2012 after a damning report from The Associated Press brought its illegal monitoring to light, forcing the NYPD to pay $47,500 to the mosques and business it infiltrated as well as $25,000 to individuals. AN AUTOCRATIC STREAK As Bloomberg’s second mayoral term was coming to a close, he coerced the New York City Council into allowing him to run for a third term, despite the city having limiting mayors to two terms in 1993. Can you even imagine the uproar that would ensue if a sitting president made a similar attempt to elongate their political career? Bloomberg’s power grab confirmed to many of his critics that his ego and sense of self-importance were as engorged as his wallet. As mayor, Bloomberg also took advantage of his power by appointing the former chairwoman of Hearst Magazines, Cathleen Black, as chancellor of the New York City school system in 2010. Much to the surprise of his own aides, Black’s appointment received serious backlash from the entire city school system, because Black

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November 25–December 2, 2019

City & State New York

In 2013, a federal judge deemed the tactic illegal, stating that it violated the constitutional rights of minorities, though the judge did not order its termination. At the time of the judge’s ruling, Bloomberg suggested the judge did “not understand how policing works.” On Nov. 17, Bloomberg apologized for his record on stop and frisk, even though he publicly supported the practice as recently as January.

had absolutely no education experience and required in-depth tutelage from city officials on various education issues upon becoming chancellor. Bloomberg defended his decision to hire Black, stating that her business acumen would lend itself to her new role. After three months as chancellor and many mistakes, Black resigned.

Yorkers struggling to find permanent residence few resources to find secure housing. The billionaire mayor looked especially out of touch in 2013, when he falsely asserted “nobody’s sleeping on the streets.” Approximately 3,200 people were, in fact, sleeping on the streets around that time, according to the city’s own count.

HOMELESSNESS WORSENED Despite proclaiming his intention in 2004 to dramatically lower the number of New Yorkers experiencing homelessness, the city’s homeless population surged under Bloomberg and hit an all-time high at the end of his tenure. Before he took office, the city’s homeless population had never gone above 31,000 people – in his second term that number was up to nearly 40,000. In 2013, more than 50,000 people on an average day were seeking refuge in the city’s homeless shelters. In a critical misstep, Bloomberg terminated the city’s Section 8 housing voucher program in 2005. The program enabled residents to find affordable, permanent housing, and its cancellation caused homelessness to spike. The mayor replaced the program with the Advantage housing assistance program in 2007, though Bloomberg ultimately ended the program, leaving New

PRIORITIZING BUSINESS OVER PEOPLE Critics say Bloomberg favored business interests over those of the working class. As mayor, he enthusiastically backed using public funds for megadevelopments that some view as corporate welfare, including a largely unwanted sports stadium on Manhattan’s West Side. Even his progressive bona fides, such as creating a short-term bicycle rental program, were often privately managed. In 2012, Bloomberg veThe NYPD’s use of stop and frisk skyrocktoed the New York City eted under Michael Council-backed “living Bloomberg. He pubwage” bill, which would licly apologized for the have guaranteed workers a tactic on Nov. 17, but defended it as recently minimum wage of $11.50 as January. per hour, or $10 per hour with benefits, on projects that received over $1 million in public funds. The mayor argued this would thwart job creation, even though the bill would have affected only 400 to 500 workers. In 2013, the mayor also vetoed a City Council measure to provide 1 million workers with a minimum of five paid sick leave days per year, as he believed it would burSTOP AND FRISK Stop and frisk, a policing tactic that en- den businesses. “The bill, which will imables officers to search people suspected pose significant new costs on employers of engaging in criminal activity – often and create a vast new bureaucracy, is bad on flimsy pretexts – existed long before for the city’s economy, and it will harm the Bloomberg, but when he took office in very people it seeks to help,” Bloomberg said in a statement. 2002, it was used more often. Bloomberg also encouraged high-end During Bloomberg’s tenure as mayor, the NYPD recorded 5,081,689 stops, private development, including laying the which disproportionately targeted people groundwork for Hudson Yards – a neighof color. In 2009, black and Latino New borhood composed of luxury high-rise Yorkers were nine times more likely to be buildings, designer shops and restaurants stopped by the police than white residents, run by celebrity chefs. Hudson Yards has according to a report published by The been criticized for catering to the city’s New York Times. Bloomberg defended the upper crust and using a visa program for NYPD’s use of stop and frisk, arguing it international investors intended to encourhelped keep weapons off the city’s streets. age improvements in poorer areas. HudHe suggested that reducing its use would son Yards was developed by Stephen Ross, result in an uptick in crime – which has who notably held a fundraiser for President since been disproven. Only 14 out of every Donald Trump this summer, much to the 10,000 stops resulted in the confiscation of dismay of progressives, some of whom are boycotting Ross’ businesses. a gun, the Times reported.

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CityAndStateNY.com

November 25–December 2, 2019

MOVING FO There are signs that New York’s transportation systems are getting back on track. New York City’s subways are increasingly on time, new revenue is set to flow into state coffers thanks to congestion pricing, and big-ticket rail and roadway projects are underway on Long Island and upstate. But for many New Yorkers, it’s still too hard to get around. Some remain stranded in transit deserts. Others have been waiting years for projects like East Side Access to reach the finish line. And far more funding is needed to fix up transportation infrastructure across the state. In the following pages, City & State highlights some of the biggest issues – and how policymakers are trying to tackle them.

NEW YORK TRANSIT HAS FALLEN BEHIND. THESE COLOSSAL PROJECTS ARE DESIGNED TO PROPEL IT BACK INTO THE 21ST CENTURY.

by MADELINE LYSKAWA

HILE NEW YORK CITY is an innovative and influential metropolis, its aging and outdated mass transit infrastructure has not kept pace with other leading cities. Leaders like Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson have been looking to transform New York’s image – both downstate and upstate – through major transit infrastructure projects. Here’s the latest on nine big projects in the works.

GATEWAY PROGRAM STATUS: Awaiting approval of a federal environmental impact statement ESTIMATED COST: $29.1 billion, of which $9.5 billion is for constructing a new tunnel and $1.8 billion is for repairing the existing tunnel The Gateway Program, which includes constructing a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River, replacing the Portal Bridge and repairing existing infrastructure, has been stalled since

the beginning of the Trump administration. Although labeled by the Obama administration as a top transportation priority in 2015, in July 2017 the U.S. Department of Transportation withdrew from the Gateway Development Corp., throwing the promise of funding half the project into question. A state of uncertainty over how New York, New Jersey and Amtrak will secure the necessary funds has persisted ever since. The Federal Railroad Administration missed its self-imposed deadline of March 30 to approve the environmental impact statement for the Hudson River rail tunnel, further delaying progress on the project.

November 25–December 2, 2019

City & State New York

MS_PICS_AND_MORE, DAWID S SWIERCZEK, LITTLENYSTOCK/SHUTTERSTOCK; GOV. ANDREW CUOMO’S OFFICE

ORWARD

LAGUARDIA AIRTRAIN STATUS: The Federal Aviation Administration has begun an environmental review ESTIMATED COST: $2.05 billion

LAGUARDIA AIRPORT RENOVATIONS STATUS: Began June 2016, expected to be completed in 2021 ESTIMATED COST: $8 billion Since Cuomo first announced plans to renovate the famously outdated airport in 2016, there’s been tangible progress at LaGuardia Airport, with the first new concourse and gates of Terminal B having opened in Decem-

ber 2018. A new parking garage has been completed for Terminal B, and in October the first concourse to be a part of Delta Air Lines’ newly renovated Terminal C opened. The next steps in the extensive renovation project include the completion of two pedestrian bridges, which are expected to be finalized before 2020, as well as the construction of the remaining concourses and central hall that are a part of the Terminal B renovation project. The central hall would unify the airport by connecting Terminals B and C, and it would also be the home of a future LaGuardia AirTrain station.

With a price tag that just keeps rising, funding for the LaGuardia AirTrain project was recently approved by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey board. Although the plan has faced backlash from environmental activists, citing concerns over possible impacts to Flushing Bay, Cuomo has sought to contain community opposition by committing to building the rail line on public land. The train line itself will run two miles between LaGuardia Airport and the Mets-Willets Point rail station.

JFK AIRPORT RENOVATION STATUS: Construction scheduled to begin in 2020; first facilities set to open in 2023; completed in 2025 ESTIMATED COST: $13 billion Cuomo first presented his plan to transform JFK Airport in January 2017 during his State of the State address, including renovating terminals, building new parking garages, redesigning roads and expanding railway service to the airport, as well as providing new amenities and security systems. Cuomo hopes to add 4 million square feet to the airport and increase its capacity by at least 15 million travelers annually. Earlier this year, American Airlines and British Airways announced that they would invest $344 million to improve and expand Terminal 8.

CityAndStateNY.com

November 25–December 2, 2019

LIRR EXPANSION STATUS: Construction began late 2017 ESTIMATED COST: $2 billion The Long Island Rail Road Expansion Project has been making progress, with two of the eight LIRR grade crossings eliminated so far. Most of the crossings have been or will be turned into underpasses. Another key aspect of the project is the addition of a third track along the Main Line corridor running from Floral Park to the Hicksville train station, which is currently under construction. The overall goal of the expansion project is to reduce congestion, which has caused delays, along with air and noise pollution, and increase safety for both drivers and LIRR passengers.

MTA SIGNAL REPLACEMENT STATUS: Set to be completed between 2020 and 2024 ESTIMATED COST: $7.1 billion In September, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced as part of its 2020-2024 capital plan and Andy Byford’s Fast Forward vision that $7.1 billion will be allocated to replacing the signal systems on six sections of the subway system, including the Lexington Avenue Nos. 4, 5 and 6 lines. The updated signal system is called communications-based train control, which is a computerized version of the current signal system that will control the speed, starting and stopping of subway trains. The MTA’s current outdated signal systems have long been criticized as a leading cause of the system’s notorious delays. As part of the MTA’s previous capital plan, other routes were selected to undergo the same signal system upgrade, including the No. 7 line, but upgrades have proved challenging, since the new system requires additional power on some lines, as well as new or upgraded cars.

November 25–December 2, 2019

City & State New York

INTERSTATE 81 IN SYRACUSE STATUS: Waiting for approval of environmental impact statement VALERIY EYDLIN, SHARKSHOCK, RBLFMR, KPERTC/SHUTTERSTOCK; MIKE GROLL/GOV. ANDREW CUOMO’S OFFICE

ESTIMATED COST: $1.9 billion to $2.2 billion The future of the Interstate 81 corridor that runs through Syracuse remains uncertain, with the current plan garnering local criticism. Of the three possible solutions discussed, the state Department of Transportation prefers the “community grid” plan – removing an aging piece of interstate highway and sending traffic through the city’s existing street grid while rerouting through traffic to Interstate 481. The main advantage of this plan is its estimated cost of about $2 billion, making it the cheapest of the three proposals. But community members have voiced concern that it would affect 131 homes near the interstate. The alternatives are to build a tunnel or reconstruct the current overpass.

STREETS MASTER PLAN STATUS: Set to begin in 2021 and rolled out over 10 years

BUFFALO SKYWAY CORRIDOR

ESTIMATED COST: $1.7 billion

STATUS: Plan selected

Passed by the New York City Council at the end of October, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson’s so-called Streets Master Plan will transform how buses and bicyclists move throughout the city. The plan allocates $1.7 billion over a 10-year period to various initiatives, including 250 miles of new protected bike lanes, 150 miles of protected or camera-enforced bus lanes, 1 million square feet of new pedestrian space and 2,500 pedestrian signals accessible to the visually impaired. As of now, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the city Department of Transportation are tasked with developing a plan to reach those benchmarks, which will be announced in December 2021.

ESTIMATED COST: $600 million Cuomo announced the winner of the Buffalo Skyway Corridor competition in September, awarding $100,000 to a proposal titled “City of Lights: Re-View our Waterfront” by SWBR, Fisher Associates and MRB Group from Rochester. The winning proposal involves removing the current Skyway and redistributing traffic in its place. The plan will preserve a piece of the Skyway to be repurposed as a public park. Having already procured a funding commitment from Cuomo and Rep. Brian Higgins, the next step for the project will be to undergo an expedited environmental review that’s expected to take two years.

CityAndStateNY.com

November 25–December 2, 2019

EXILED DESERT IN THE

COUNTLESS NEW YORKERS LIVE IN TRANSIT DESERTS – CUT OFF FROM PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. CAN THE CITY BRING TRANSIT TO THEM? by ERIC GOLDWYN

APACITY, CAPACITY, CAPACITY is the mantra of urban mass transit – especially for commuters smushed against the walls of an overcrowded subway car. It is easy to get distracted by the awesome technological wizardry of startups that allow users to unlock mopeds, bicycles and scooters with the tap of a smartphone, or by the eternal promise of autonomous vehicles to solve all of our transportation problems. Since these vehicles only move one or two passengers at a time, though, they cannot substitute for a well-run, expansive rapid transit network that moves 50,000 people per hour along key corridors, like Lexington Avenue and Queens Boulevard. Despite the breadth of New York City’s subway system, which is by far the nation’s largest, vast swaths of eastern Queens, southeastern Brooklyn, sections of the Bronx like Hunts Point and the entire borough of Staten Island are beyond its reach. Often, these neighborhoods offer more affordable housing than areas with subway access, so creating affordable, reliable and fast public transit to them – as well as zoning and parking reform – is an essential component of any comprehensive citywide strategy for affordable housing. As elected officials and agency heads in

New York look to provide more transportation options to those areas, they should focus on improving existing transit infrastructure and operations – while also thinking boldly about large-scale subway expansion that one day puts all New Yorkers within a 10-minute walk of the subway. New York already has a lot of transit infrastructure: 472 subway stations, 16,350 bus stops and 248 commuter rail stations. By rethinking existing practices, the city could extract hundreds of thousands of additional transit trips per day from these facilities. Prioritizing buses over private automobiles could rejuvenate the city’s moribund bus network, which has had a decade of declining ridership. Busways, which limit car access, allow buses to travel faster, stick to their schedules and attract more riders back onto the bus. In early October, New York City created a busway on Manhattan’s 14th Street, and the initial results are promising: Bus travel times have decreased 30% and weekday ridership has grown 20%. Now, elected officials need to capitalize on this victory and recommend busways along other traffic-clogged corridors, such as Main Street in Flushing, Queens, or Church Avenue in Brooklyn. As the bus becomes more reliable and faster, it is critical that the MTA has the resources to put more buses on these routes as ridership grows. While making the bus more attractive is

November 25–December 2, 2019

City & State New York

ERIC GOLDWYN

THIS MAP WHITES OUT A HALF-MILE RADIUS AROUND EVERY SUBWAY, METRO-NORTH AND LIRR STOP IN NEW YORK CITY. IF YOU LIVE IN AN ORANGE AREA, YOU LIVE IN A RAIL DESERT – AND HAD BETTER HAVE A BUS NEARBY, OWN A CAR, OR LOVE WALKING.

20 CityAndStateNY.com

a first step, the Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road lines that go through parts of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx on their way to the suburbs are invisible to most city residents. Many residents of Queens and Bronx neighborhoods served by those lines and not by the subway opt for longer bus-to-subway commutes because the commuter rail tickets are much more expensive. For instance, it costs $9.75 for a peak Metro-North ride from Fordham in the Bronx to Grand Central Terminal, compared with $2.75 to ride the bus or subway. Integrating commuter rail with the bus and subway, charging one fare within the five boroughs, would extend the transit network to the peripheries of the

muters drive and only 25% rely on public transit. According to census data, one-way commutes by car from Douglaston take 30-35 minutes whereas public transit takes 70-75 minutes. If it were cheaper and easier for straphangers to swipe into the Long Island Rail Road at the Douglaston stop, carless commuters could get to Penn Station in 30 minutes. Optimizing New York’s existing transit infrastructure is critical to moving more New Yorkers into the transit system and providing greater access to New York’s jobs, schools and amenities to those without a car. When comparing New Yorkers’ access to jobs by neighborhood, it’s impossible not to recognize the enormous disparities facing

city. Programs like the Atlantic Ticket and City Ticket, which charge a lower rate for commuter rail trips within the city, are still more expensive than the bus and subway but take a step in the right direction. Ideally, New Yorkers would be able to swipe their MetroCard and gain access to subway, bus and commuter rail service within the city without worrying about additional costs. Integrating these faster, more direct rail routes into the urban public transit system will reduce the high rates of commuting by car from the deep outer boroughs. When we compare one-way commute times for New Yorkers living in Douglaston, Queens, it becomes clear why 65% of com-

those living in transit deserts versus those living in transit-rich neighborhoods. For instance, if we compare the number of jobs within a 30-minute transit ride of Flatlands, Brooklyn, versus midtown Manhattan, the differences are staggering: Flatlanders have access to 75,000 jobs while midtowners have access to 3 million jobs. Existing infrastructure alone cannot solve New York’s transit desert problem. Ultimately, the subway system must be expanded. Despite the obvious appeal of subway expansion, New York’s out-of-control construction costs make it harder to achieve. At $2.5 billion per mile of track, the first

phase of the Second Avenue subway was one of the most expensive transit projects in the world. At this price, it is impossible to scale subway infrastructure that would bring service to Brooklynites in Marine Park, let alone Staten Islanders, within the next 100 years. By bringing New York’s costs in line with international counterparts, around $300 million per mile, we could build nearly 10 times more infrastructure for the same price. Rather than resigning ourselves to the dim view that reform is impossible, it is incumbent upon city and state elected officials to keep their attention trained on the MTA and demand that we learn how the Spanish handle procurements, the French build stations and Koreans manage projects. If New York could lower its costs to $300 million per track mile, a big if, it would be reasonable to start planning 50 miles of new track over a 10-year period because the cost would be comparable to the city’s 10-year capital strategy, which calls for $14 billion to be spent fixing roadways and bridges. If such ambitious subway expansion were possible, the top priorities would be to complete the second phase of the Second Avenue subway, extend service south along Utica and Nostrand avenues in Brooklyn and create the Triboro RX, which would provide much-needed circumferential service by stitching together Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. Circumferential transit service, when matched with strong radial service into New York’s central business district in Manhattan, allows transit to achieve the anywhere to anywhere possibilities of the automobile. Even though New York’s subway network has the most track mileage and stations in the country, the system has hardly changed since 1940. In the absence of new transit, New York’s built environment has adapted more and more to the automobile. Subway ridership has yet to regain the highs it achieved in the 1940s, despite overall population growth in the intervening 70 years and worsening traffic. Optimizing the existing transit network and tackling subway expansion are critical to New York’s hopes of a future with sustainable population growth, manageable commutes and affordable housing for all.

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Eric Goldwyn is a research scholar at New York University’s Marron Institute.

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November 25–December 2, 2019

City & State New York

TIM KENNEDY CHAIRMAN, STATE SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

BOOSTING COMMUTER RAIL What were some of the biggest accomplishments you had this past session? We had a tremendous session and many, many accomplishments, many of them transformational accomplishments. From a budgetary perspective, for my community here in Buffalo, something I have been fighting for for years is more funding for the (Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority) light rail in Western New York. I was able to secure $100 million for the capital rail needs here in the Western New York region over the next five years, so that was a massive accomplishment for this community.

STATE SENATE

How will the new investment help with planned expansions of the Buffalo metro rail system? It’s something that is absolutely necessary because the light rail system here in

Buffalo has been aging. It’s over 35 years old now, and it has not gotten the capital investment over the years that has been necessary to maintain a system of this magnitude. So this $100 million investment is going to finally start to reverse the decline of Metro Rail’s capital components and get it back up to speed. What is the overall state of New York’s transportation infrastructure? The infrastructure in the state of New York is woefully inadequate. There has been an absolute lack of attention paid to our transportation needs all across the state, especially in our urban areas. When you look at the cities that are older

urban communities in many cases, especially in upstate, are battered by the inclement weather throughout the fall, winter and early spring. There is a true, desperate need for more funding and more of a focus on those areas: Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Syracuse, Albany, Binghamton, Utica. Much of it has to do with the fact that Republicans in the Senate who had been in control upward of the last century didn’t pay attention to the urban communities as much as they should have because they didn’t represent those urban communities, for the most part. What are some of the larger projects that you’re looking forward to in the upcoming session? Some of the big-ticket priorities we’re going to be focusing on, from a regional perspective, will be the Route 33 Kensington Expressway, the Scajaquada Expressway, which is Route 198. From a statewide perspective, the (Brooklyn-Queens Expressway) is a multibillion-dollar project, the East Side Access in the city of New York, I-81 in Syracuse, the (U.S. Route) 219 connector project in the Southern Tier. And I would say the largest transportation improvement project will be the Gateway tunnel project.

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November 25–December 2, 2019

ON SCHEDULE, 50 YEARS LATE

IS EAST SIDE ACCESS REALLY GOING TO HAPPEN THIS TIME?

by ANNIE MCDONOUGH

N 1968, in the middle of Nelson Rockefeller’s third term as governor of New York, the first chairman of the new Metropolitan Transportation Authority, William Ronan, approached Rockefeller with an idea about building access to the East Side of Manhattan for the Long Island Rail Road. Now, more than 50 years later, that massive project is finally nearing the finish line. Today, it’s not Rockefeller but Gov. Andrew Cuomo pushing for the project’s completion. “We’re going to finish this if I have to go down there with a shovel myself. We are going to get this done, so help me God,” Cuomo said of the East Side Access project in April. Exasperation on the part of officials like Cuomo reflect the fact that East Side Access has been five decades in the making. But planning for the modern incarnation of the project – which involves building miles of train tunnels beneath the East River to connect the LIRR to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan – did not begin in earnest until the mid-1990s. Since then, the project has been plagued by delays and budget overruns. The 2009 deadline that officials originally set for the project – then estimated to cost $4.3 billion – has been adjusted more than a half-dozen times and has since ballooned into a $11.2 billion behemoth, now slated to be completed by the end of 2022. With an annual ridership of nearly 90 million, the LIRR has struggled to keep up with increasing demand, at the same time dealing with congestion at Penn Station that keeps LIRR riders waiting for an available platform. Those riders may finally get relief from East Side Access this time around, thanks to recent project management changes at the MTA and insistence by Cuomo and MTA leadership that the project must be a priority. “We’re on schedule, on budget for that December 2022 service start time,” said John McCarthy, a special adviser for agency operations and initiatives at the MTA.

Proponents of the project say direct service to Grand Central would cut down on subsequent subway or bus trips in Manhattan for LIRR riders who work on the East Side of Manhattan. The MTA estimates that East Side Access will serve approximately 162,000 customers a day, shaving off up to 40 minutes on some commutes. Proponents also say that less traffic at Penn Station will allow for much-needed improvements there – including connecting the Metro-North Railroad, which currently terminates at Grand Central, to Penn Station. Work on the two existing East River tunnels, which were damaged during Superstorm Sandy, won’t begin until East Side Access is complete and can provide another route to Manhattan, allowing the damaged tunnels to be taken out of service for repairs, McCarthy said. Some transportation policy experts are hopeful that the project will actually be finished within the new budget and by the new deadline, even if they’re not 100% willing to place bets it’ll actually happen. “I think there’s a much stronger level of commitment on the part of the MTA. I do think that they’ve addressed some of the issues that have plagued it before,” said Chris Jones, senior vice president and chief planner at the Regional Plan Association, a local research organization. Jones was sure to note, however, that the project is incredibly complicated and has a bad track record. “I would put myself in the cautiously optimistic camp. But certainly no guarantee,” he said. The project has run into a number of issues over the years that have given experts good reason to be skeptical. Expansion projects are always complicated, Jones said, but East Side Access in particular has required coordination among the MTA and other entities, including Amtrak. East Side Access involves construction at the Harold Interlocking in Queens to help ease congestion. The railroad junction serves both LIRR and Amtrak trains, and much of the LIRR’s

CREDIT

Work continues on East Side Access, a project conceived in the ’60s and begun in earnest in the ’90s. When complete, it will allow LIRR trains to pull into Grand Central Terminal.

work must be done with Amtrak’s participation, including coordinating schedules and workers. In the past, the MTA has blamed Amtrak for not putting in enough effort, while Amtrak has said that it must balance the demands of other major projects it is working on. And then there are issues with the MTA’s project management. A report by the Regional Plan Association noted that excessive change orders – adding or adjusting work originally set out in a contract – were common. “The change order process had an excessive number of hoops for staff to jump through, as well as for contractors,” Rachael Fauss, a senior research analyst at the good-government group Reinvent Albany, said of East Side Access. One of the project’s more widely shared mistakes involved ordering steel beams that were the wrong size. While these problems have caused delays and cost overruns, there may be a bright side – namely, that the MTA can use the experience as a lesson for the future. Already, in order to get East Side Access across the finish line, the authority has instituted changes to remedy sticking points, like the change order process, which McCarthy said the authority has tried to simplify. “What we’ve done is streamline it,” he said. “In some cases you’d have 20 or 30 hands touching a change order, and now we’ve reduced that number greatly.” McCarthy attributes the renewed force behind East Side Access to Janno Lieber, president of MTA Capital Construction since 2017. “He came to the MTA and was sort of tasked with taking a deep dive into East Side Access and some of these other big projects that have had flaws that have been well documented,” McCarthy said. “(Lieber) started getting this ship going in the right direction.” Other changes that have been instituted since Lieber’s arrival include prioritizing the MTA’s relationship with Amtrak, holding quarterly meetings with the railroad and creating a master schedule for all LIRR and

Amtrak work. Additionally, the MTA said it has cracked down on “scope creep” and is making oversight of contractors a priority. Some changes that might seem insignificant – like more detailed scheduling – keep the project on track, McCarthy said. “What we’re doing is we’re getting more granular, but by becoming more granular, it keeps you on schedule,” McCarthy said. “Everything’s anticipated, everything is scheduled and everything gets accomplished.” In some ways, there’s been a cultural shift at the MTA as East Side Access enters its final years – at least on the current timeline. Kevin Law, an MTA board member appointed in April, is also president and CEO of the Long Island Association. “I’m part of a new majority on the MTA board where there’s a new mindset, a new culture, and I think it’s been driven by the governor in terms of (him saying), stay on top of projects, budgets mean something, deadlines mean something, and it’s not OK and it’s not acceptable to miss deadlines and to go over budget,” Law said. That’s not to say that everything ahead will be smooth sailing. Once the project is completed, the embattled MTA still has an operating deficit to reckon with – something that East Side Access could exacerbate. The MTA’s November financial plan estimated that East Side Access’ operating costs will reach close to $212 million in 2023, though the increase in new fare revenue that year will be only $14 million, a report by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office found. An MTA spokeswoman noted that East Side Access ridership is expected to grow to full capacity by 2030, emphasizing that $14 million represented only new ridership revenue and not all revenue for East Side Access. Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, who chairs the Corporations, Authorities and Commissions Committee, said East Side Access is just one contributor to the MTA’s operating deficit. “We don’t right now have the money. Without increasing fares to the respective riders or taxes to the entire MTA region, the operating deficit is just too high,” Paulin told City & State, adding that she is waiting to see whether the MTA’s cost-cutting measures currently in the works are effective. “It does give me pause.” With roughly two years left before the 2022 deadline, Fauss said one of the most promising factors at play is public pressure on the MTA to not miss another deadline. “When the agency has a reputation for constantly re-baselining projects, there’s healthy skepticism for their project delivery,” Fauss said. “On this one, I think given how public it is and how it’s kind of the poster child project for them of not managing projects well, I think they’re probably going to hit that date.”

■

MTA CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION MEGA PROJECTS

City & State New York

24 CityAndStateNY.com

November 25–December 2, 2019

WILLIAM MAGNARELLI

being made are open and fair across the board. I believe that the DOT has the information and the statistics; they just have not issued a full report.

CHAIRMAN, ASSEMBLY TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

REBUILDING UPSTATE ROADS

Does the state need to do a better job funding local transportation infrastructure? I’m not going to make any comments as to whether or not they’ve gotten enough money or haven’t gotten enough money in the past because this is my first year, and I’m reviewing everything as we go along. I will say this, though, the (state) Department of Transportation was supposed to issue a report on our roads and bridges, and that report has not been issued. That’s something I will be working on in the coming year, to make sure the DOT provides the reports that we need to make sure that the decisions that are

What would you like to see in the state Department of Transportation’s next five-year capital plan? I would like to see a plan that is fair and equitable across the state by region. I would like to see it with enough money in it. We put a great deal of money – over $50 billion over a five-year period – into the MTA. I would like to see something like $35 (billion) or $40 billion over five years in the plan for our roads and bridges. I do believe that they are in need of that kind of money and work, and I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to put together a plan that’s going to do that.

An advocacy campaign including CITY & STATE FIRST READ provides a targeted way to reach decision makers in NEW YORK GOVERNMENT and POLITICS. CAMPAIGNS INCLUDE

ADVOCACY NEW HIRE OPEN-HOUSE MESSAGING ANNOUNCEMENTS PROMOTIONS

ASSEMBLY

What were some of the big things you got done this past session? I think the biggest thing I had this year was getting kind of involved with the (Transportation) Committee and making sure the committee’s bills – many of which had been in the process, so to speak, for years – were finally getting looked at and reviewed. That was my initial goal when I took the chairmanship. The next one was the budget. In the budget itself, we had a lot of pushback as far as mass transit was concerned, especially for upstate New York. Making sure that moneys were available for roads and bridges on a local level, making sure that (the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program) was funded properly and that we got the additional money even after the budget to take care of inclement weather costs and expenses.

What’s the latest on I-81 in Syracuse? The DOT has come out with its recommendation. I think, right now, my biggest thing as far as the I-81 project in Syracuse is concerned is that I want to make sure that the problems that come up as they finalize plans, and as they start construction, and as people are moved and traffic is moved as well, that we have the wherewithal to mitigate whatever problem comes along.

PUBLIC and LEGAL NOTICES / CityAndStateNY.com

November 25â&#x20AC;&#x201C;December 2, 2019

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF KINGS U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, V. ST. CLAIR JOHN; ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE

November 25, 2019 For more info. 212-268-0442 Ext.2039

legalnotices@cityandstateny.com Notice of Formation of Lantern Class A Member, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with NY Dept. of State on 9/12/19. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 1501 Broadway, 28th Fl., NY, NY 10036. Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP, c/o Randi Seigel, 7 Times Square, NY, NY 10036. Purpose: any lawful activity Notice of Formation of ENC Property Maintenance, LLC filed with SSNY on May 20, 2019. Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 39 Tynan Street Staten Island, NY 10312. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. Sylverlink LLC. Arts of Org. filed on 10/01/2019 w/ the Sec. of State of NY (SSNY). Office in NY. SSNY is designated agent upon whom process may be served and mail a copy to 40 Morningside Ave Apt 21, NY, NY 10026. For any lawful purpose. Notice of Formation of Grounded PR, LLC filed with SSNY on August 1, 2019. Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 31 W 69th 4B, NY, NY 10023. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

Notice of Formation of NEILALEX LLC filed with SSNY on April 12, 2017. Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LEGALINC CORPORATE SERVICES INC, 1967 WEHRLE DRIVE, STE 1 #086, BUFFALO, NY 14221. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. Notice of Formation of Caroline Yi LLC filed with SSNY on 9/9/19. Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to: 340 E 23rd St, Apt SH1-A. NY, NY 10010. R/A: US Corp. Agents, Inc. 7014 13th Ave., #202, BK, NY 11228. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. Notice of Formation of MKP SUPPLY LLC. Articles of Org. filed with the Secretary of State of New York(SSNY) on 10/2/2019. Office located in Richmond County. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC to: 354 Castleton Ave Staten Island NY 10301. Purpose: any lawful activity or purpose.

LEGALNOTICES@ CITYANDSTATENY.COM

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated July 23, 2019, and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Kings, wherein U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION is the Plaintiff and ST. CLAIR JOHN; ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the KINGS COUNTY COURTHOUSE, ROOM 224, 360 ADAMS STREET, BROOKLYN NY 11201, on October 31, 2019 at 2:30PM, premises known as 134 EAST 92ND STREET, BROOKLYN, NY 11212: Block 4610, Lot 26: ALL THAT CERTAIN LOT OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE BOROUGH OF BROOKLYN, COUNTY OF KINGS, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 501789/2017. JAMES MARTIN CAFFREY, Esq. - Referee. RAS Boriskin, LLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff.

Notice of Qualification of BLOOM TREE SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES I (GP), LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/23/19. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 09/20/19. Princ. office of LLC: 101 Park Ave., 48th Fl., NY, NY 10178. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Attn: Nitin Wadke at the princ. office of the LLC. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of the State of DE, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., Federal & Duke of York Sts., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of LJR HOMES, LLC filed with SSNY on September 25, 2019. Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 1324 Forest Ave, Suite #185, Staten Isand, NY 10302. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

Notice of Qualification of BLOOM TREE SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES I, LP Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/23/19. Office location: NY County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 09/20/19. Princ. office of LP: 101 Park Ave., 48th Fl., NY, NY 10178. Duration of LP is Perpetual. SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. Name and addr. of each general partner are available from SSNY. DE addr. of LP: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of LP filed with Secy. of State of the State of DE, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., Federal & Duke of York Sts., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. SF Princeton LLC, Arts of Org. filed SSNY 09/27/19. Office: NY Co. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process may be served & mail to SF Princeton LLC, 45 Broadway, 25th Fl., NY, NY 10006. General Purpose.

Notice of Qualification of KLDISCOVERY ONTRACK FRANCHISE, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/11/19. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 12/06/18. Princ. office of LLC: 46 E. 8th St., NY, NY 10003. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Electronic device repair and data recovery. Notice of formation of LEONN LLC SSNY on 10/9/2019. Office: Kings County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to 62 Bayard Street Brooklyn, NY, 11222. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose Notice of Formation of Monique Chauhan, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, PLLC filed with SSNY on September 30, 2019. Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 99 Madison Ave Suite 514, New York, New York 10016. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. Notice of formation of Darke Hospitality, LLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy. Of State of NY (SSNY) on 2/12/19. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail a copy of process against LLC to 1115 West 8th St., New York, NY 10011. Purpose: any lawful act.

LEGALNOTICES@ CITYANDSTATENY.COM

Notice of Formation of DACCAN Consulting LLC filed with SSNY on August 19, 2019. Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 625 W57th St , Apt 458, NY, NY 10019. Purpose: any lawful act or activity Notice of Formation of CONVERGENT VENTURES LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/28/19. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 850 Third Ave., Ste. 16C, NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of NEILALEX LLC filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on April 12, 2017. Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: NEILALEX LLC, c/o LEGALINC CORPORATE SERVICES INC, 1967 WEHRLE DRIVE, STE 1 #086, BUFFALO, NY 14221. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. Notice of Formation of MARE THOURAYA, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/01/19. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NY PIANO TECH LLC Art. OF Org. Filed Sec. of State of NY 10/4/19. Off. Loc. : New York Co. United States Corporation Agents, Inc. designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY to mail copy of process to The LLC, 7014 13th Avenue, Suite 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228. Purpose: Any lawful act or activity.

CityAndStateNY.com / PUBLIC and LEGAL NOTICES

CITATION SURROGATE’S COURT, NEW YORK COUNTY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, By the Grace of God Free and Independent TO: The Public Administrator of New York County; Office of the State Comptroller, Division of Legal Services; Office of the Attorney General of the State of New York; Colleen Sylvia O’Driscoll a/k/a Sylvia Colleen O’Driscoll; John Ellwood a/k/a John Padreigh Ellwood a/k/a John MacKinnon; TO: The heirs at law, next of kin, and distributees of ERIC N. O’DRISCOLL, deceased, if living, and if any of them be dead, to their heirs at law, next of kin, distributees, legatees, executors, administrators, assignees and successors in interest whose names are unknown and cannot be ascertained after due diligence. A petition having been duly filed by Sean O’Driscoll, who is domiciled at 51 Palm Ave., Shorncliffe, QLD 4017, Australia. YOU ARE HEREBY CITED TO SHOW CAUSE before the Surrogate’s Court, New York County, at 31 Chambers Street, Room 503, New York, New York, on December 3, 2019, at 10:00 o’clock in the forenoon of that day, why an Order should not be made in the estate of Eric O’Driscoll, lately domiciled in the County and State of New York: 1. Determining that distributees are entitled to the funds now on deposit with the Office of State Comptroller for the benefit of unknown distributees of Eric N. O’Driscoll; 2. Determining that the Office of State Comptroller be directed to withdraw the funds identified in the Certificate of Deposit and direct payment of same, pro rata, to Sean O’Driscoll, Patrick K. O’Driscoll, Colleen Sylvia O’Driscoll a/k/a Sylvia Colleen O’Driscoll and John Ellwood a/k/a John Padreigh Ellwood a/k/a John MacKinnon, as distributees of the Estate of Eric N. O’Driscoll; and 3.

Granting such other and further relief as the Court may deem just and proper.

Dated, Attested, and Sealed,

HON. RITA MELLA

OCTOBER 8, 2019

Surrogate Diana Sanabria

Seal

Chief Clerk

Littman Krooks, LLP

Rachel Johnston

Firm

Attorney Name

399 Knollwood Road, Suite 115, White Plains, New York 10603

(914) 684-2100 Telephone

November 25–December 2, 2019

Notice of Qualification of NOMURA STRATEGIC VENTURES, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/25/19. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 05/14/19. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. DE addr. of LLC: CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Qualification of Graphic Athletics, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/02/19. Office location: Westchester County. LLC formed in Florida (FL) on 08/17/18. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Cohen & Grieb, P.A. (CG), 4890 West Kennedy Blvd., Suite 370, Tampa, FL 33609. FL addr. of LLC: c/o CG, 12468 Jacqueline Rd., Brooksville, FL 34613. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of the State of FL, Div. of Corps., 500 South Bronough St., Tallahassee, FL 32399. Purpose: Any lawful activity

Address

NOTE: This citation is served upon you as required by law. You are not required to appear. If you fail to appear it will be assumed that you do not object to the relief requested. You have a right to have an attorney appear for you. Proof of Service must be filed two days prior to the return date, Court Rule 207.7(c).

R&K PASEO LLC 1 filed Arts. of Org. with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/18/19. County: NY. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o The LLC, 845 United Nations Plaza, 42B, NY, NY 10017. Purpose: any lawful act.

Notice of Formation of Silver Linings - Aging in Place Organizers, LLC filed with SSNY on July 12, 2019. Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 522 East 88 Street, Apt. 3C, New York, NY 10128. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

Imose Fashion, LLC, Arts. Of Org. filed with SSNY 09/12/2019. Office loc: Richmond County. SSNY has been designated as an agent upon whom process against LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, Attn: Michelle Emokpae, 15 Bailey Place, Staten Island, NY 10303. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

LEGALNOTICES@CITYANDSTATENY.COM

Notice of Formation: Mojo 33 LLC filed with SSNY on 10/24/2019. Office: Kings County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Mojo 33 LLC 4024 Ave U - 2nd Fl, Bklyn NY 11234. Purpose: any lawful purpose SMITH BERGEN HOLDINGS LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/22/19. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 102 Bergen Street, Unit 1, New York, NY 10014. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

NOTICE OF SALE Supreme Court County Of Kings HSBC Bank USA, National Association, as Trustee, in trust for the registered holders of ACE Securities Corp., Home Equity Loan Trust, Series 2006-NC2, Asset Backed Pass-Through Certificates, Plaintiff AGAINST Trevor P. Dyer, Jr., et al, Defendant Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated 9/19/2019 and entered on 10/8/2019, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY on December 12, 2019 at 02:30 PM premises known as 1279 Herkimer Street.,Brooklyn, NY 11233. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the County of Kings, City and State of New York, BLOCK: 1551, LOT: 62. Approximate amount of judgment is $998,691.07 plus interests and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 524795/2017. Malkie Daniel, Referee FRENKEL LAMBERT WEISS WEISMAN & GORDON LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT – COUNTY OF KINGS THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON FKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE CERTIFICATEHOLDERS OF CWALT, INC., ALTERNATIVE LOAN TRUST 2006-OA14, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-OA14 Plaintiff against MIRIAM RIVERA A/K/A MIRIAM R. RIVERA; JOE R. RIVERA A/K/A JOE RIVERA; ANA RIVERA; JOE RIVERA, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on October 25, 2017. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 224 of the Kings County Courthouse, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. on the 12th day of December, 2019 at 2:30 p.m. premises described as follows: All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York. Said premises known as 12 Nichols Avenue, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11208. (Block: 4109, Lot: 112). Approximate amount of lien $ 628,907.05 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Index No. 511600-15. Doron A. Leiby, Esq., Referee. Stern & Eisenberg, PC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff Woodbridge Corporate Plaza 485 B Route 1 South – Suite 330 Iselin, NJ 08830 (732) 582-6344

Notice of Formation of Sant Epernay, LLC filed with SSNY on July 22, 2019. Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 8 W. 75 St. 4A, NY, NY 10023. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

Notice of Formation Hernandez Consulting, LLC filed with SSNY on 07/29/2019. NY County. Florintino Hernandez designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served at 68 Bradhurst Ave. Apt. 4M New York, NY 10039 Purpose: any lawful act of activity.

LEGALNOTICES@CITYANDSTATENY.COM

PUBLIC and LEGAL NOTICES / CityAndStateNY.com

November 25–December 2, 2019 NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF KINGS MTGLQ INVESTORS, L.P., Plaintiff -against- MICHAEL MCGRATH, RACHEL SHERMAN, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered herein and dated July 22, 2019, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Kings County Courthouse 360 Adams Street, Room 224, Brooklyn, NY on December 12, 2019 at 2:30 p.m. premises situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York, known as Unit No. 2J in the condominium known as “Dorchester Heights Condominium” together with a 1.956 undivided interest in the common elements. Block: 5185 Lot: 1022 Said premises known as 2116 DORCHESTER ROAD A/K/A 2116/2118 DORCHESTER ROAD, UNIT 2J, BROOKLYN, NY Approximate amount of lien $434,558.32 plus interest & costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee or the Mortgagee’s attorney. Index Number 5761/2015. GREGORY T. CERCHIONE, ESQ., Referee David A. Gallo & Associates LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 99 Powerhouse Road, First Floor, Roslyn Heights, NY 11577 File# 7254.1219

LEGALNOTICES@CITYANDSTATENY.COM

Notice of Qualification of S + B CHELSEA, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/29/19. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Maryland (MD) on 08/19/19. Princ. office and MD addr. of LLC is: 8171 Maple Lawn Blvd., Ste. 200, Fulton, MD 20759. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Theodore A. Offit, Esq., c/o Offit Kurman, P.A. at the princ. office of the LLC. Cert. of Form. filed with Michael L. Higgs-Director, 301 W. Preston St., Rm. 801, Baltimore, MD 21201. Purpose: To lease real property. Notice of Qualification of HR Buds, LLC. Authority filed with SSNY on October 1, 2019. Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 10 E. 40th St., 10th floor, New York, New York 10016. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

Notice of Qualification of S + B UPPER EAST SIDE, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/28/19. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Maryland (MD) on 12/14/18. Princ. office and MD addr. of LLC is: 8171 Maple Lawn Blvd., Ste. 200, Fulton, MD 20759. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Theodore A. Offit, Esq., c/o Offit Kurman, P.A. at the princ. office of the LLC. Cert. of Form. filed with Michael L. Higgs-Director, 301 W. Preston St., Rm. 801, Baltimore, MD 21201. Purpose: To lease real property. THE WATCH LOUNGE LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/29/19. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 99 Tulip Avenue, Suite 308, Floral Park, NY 11001. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of ALMS HILL ROOF LESSEE, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/30/19. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 60 Columbus Circle, NY, NY 10023. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Qualification of 250 WEST NYACK PROPERTY LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/30/19. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 10/23/19. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. DE addr. of LLC: CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., 401 Federal St. Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of Louisiana PDC, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/15/19. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Louisiana (LA) on 02/08/17. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o C T Corporation System, 28 Liberty St., New York, NY 10005. LA addr. of LLC: c/o , 200 Corporate Blvd, Lafayette, LA 70508. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of the State of LA, 8585 Archives Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70809 708049125. Purpose: Any lawful activity

LEGALNOTICES@ CITYANDSTATENY.COM

NOTICE OF SALE

Notice of Auction

SUPREME COURT – COUNTY OF KINGS PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, Plaintiff against SIGISMONDO RENDA, ESQ. AS GUARDIAN AD LITEM MILITARY ATTORNEY ON BEHALF OF DAVID JARUSHEWSKY, if living, and if dead, the respective heirs at law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignors, lienors, creditors and successors in interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said defendant who may be deceased, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise of any right, title or interest in and to the premises described in the complaint herein, and their respective husbands, wives or widow, if any, and each and every person not specifically named who may be entitled to or claim to have any right, title or interest in the property described in the verified complaint; all of whom and whose names and places of residence unknown, and cannot after diligent inquiry be ascertained by the Plaintiff, et al Defendant(s).

Notice of Auction Sale is herein given that Access Self Storage of Long Island City located at 2900 Review Avenue, Long Island City, N.Y. 11101 will take place on WWW. STORAGETREASURES. COM Sale by competitive bidding starting on November 29, 2019 and end on December 11, 2019 at 12:00 p.m. to satisfy unpaid rent and charges on the following accounts:

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on November 28, 2018. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 224 of the Kings County Courthouse, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. on the 19th day of December, 2019 at 2:30 p.m. premises described as follows: All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York. Said premises known as 996 Decatur Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11207. (Section: 11, Block: 3432, Lot: 22). Approximate amount of lien $ 1,054,190.83 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Index No. 502602-14. Jack Segal, Esq., Referee. McCabe, Weisberg & Conway, LLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 145 Huguenot Street – Suite 210 New Rochelle, New York 10801 (914) 636-8900

Notice is hereby given that a license,serial number pending, has been applied for by Fusion Catering Inc. d/b/a/ Ready to Eat to permit on premises sale and consumption of wine,beer and cider under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at 525 Hudson St.,Ground Floor, New York, NY 10014. Fusion Catering Inc. d/b/a/ Ready to Eat.

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Notice of Formation of Mindful Modern Designs LLC filed with SSNY on September 11, 2019. Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 3845 Gromer St, Yorktown Heights NY 10598. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

Brooklyn Eye Plastics MD, PLLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/03/13. Office: Kings County. SSNY designated as agent of the PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the PLLC, c/o Chaneve Jeanniton, 115 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, NY 11215. Purpose: For the practice of the profession of Medicine. Notice of Qualification of Wildflower Renewables LLC. Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 10/18/19. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 80 8th Ave., Ste. 1602, NY, NY 10011. LLC formed in DE on 10/16/19. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: Cogency Global Inc. (CGI), 10 E. 40th St., 10th Fl., NY, NY 10016. DE addr. of LLC: CGI, 850 New Burton Rd., Ste. 201, Dover, DE 19904. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful activity.

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Contents of rooms generally contain misc. #224-Marilyn Andino Montalvo; Pile of wood, a large bag, plastic totes filled with clothes, 2 suitcases, 5 plastic bags, 4 laundry bags, a wooden shelving unit filled with religious items. #347Cee Lo King Media LLC; 4 large plastic totes, 2 suitcases, 2 duffle bags, 4 pairs of sneakers, 1 umbrella, 9 jackets, small bottle of loose change #2122-Peter Hargrove; unit packed with bags, boxes, misc. items. #2606-Tara Kulukundis; round table, long square table, 1 glass table, 8 chairs, and a large ship model inside a large display box. The contents of each unit will be sold as a lot and all items must be removed from the premises within 72 hours. Owners may redeem their goods by paying all rent and charges due at any time before the sale. All sales are held “with reserve”. Owner reserves the right to cancel sale at any time.

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65 CPW 1F LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 09/24/2019. Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 65 Central Park West Apt 1F, NY, NY 10023. Reg Agent: Anand P. Desai, 65 Central Park West Apt 1F, NY, NY 10023. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

CityAndStateNY.com / PUBLIC and LEGAL NOTICES

November 25–December 2, 2019 COURT ORDER

NOTICE OF SALE STATE OF NEW YORK SUPREME COURT: COUNTY OF KINGS CAPITAL ONE, N.A. Plaintiff, vs. YURY GOKHBERG, TATYANA GAVRIKOVA, A/K/A TATYANA GARIKOVA, et al., Defendants NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT In pursuance of a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the office of the County Clerk of Kings County on July 29, 2019, I, Jack Segal the Referee named in said Judgment, will sell in one parcel at public auction on December 19, 2019 at Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201, County of Kings, State of New York, at 2:30 P.M., the premises described as follows: 44 Noel Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11235 SBL No.: 8907 840 ALL THAT TRACT OF PARCEL OF LAND Situate in the borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York. The premises are sold subject to the provisions of the filed judgment, Index No. 503995/2013 in the amount of $172,798.60 plus interest and costs. Brettanie L. Hart Saxton, Esq. Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP Plaintiff’s Attorney 500 Bausch & Lomb Place, Rochester, New York 14604 Tel.: 855-227-5072

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF KINGS MTGLQ Investors, LP, Plaintiff AGAINST Oliver Barrett; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated November 28, 2018 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Room 224, Brooklyn, NY 11201 on December 19, 2019 at 2:30PM, premises known as 1740 East 54th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11234. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of NY, Block 8493 Lot 71. Approximate amount of judgment $685,206.78 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 500455/2016. Jack Segal, Esq., Referee Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792 Dated: October 28, 2019

State of Connecticut Superior Court Judicial District of Waterbury Order of Notice Joanne Rodriguez v. Alfred Ramos Docket No.: UWY-FA19-5024745-S Notice to: Alfredo Ramos of parts unknown A Complaint / Application / Motion has been filed with this Court that asks for a Divorce – Dissolution of Marriage. You are named as a party in this case. To participate in your case, you must file an Appearance, Form JD-CL-12, with the Court. Failure to file an Appearance in accordance with the law of the State of Connecticut may result in judgment against you or granting of the relief requested by the party who filed the action or motion. You may obtain the Appearance form from any Connecticut Judicial District Court Clerk’s Office, Court Service Center or online at http://www.jud.ct.gov/webforms/forms/cl012.pdf. If this notice is to inform you of a divorce, dissolution of civil union, legal separation, annulment, custody or visitation case, Automatic Court Orders have been issued in this case as required by Section 25-5 of the Connecticut Practice Book and are part of the Complaint / Application on file with the Court. A hearing on this matter has been scheduled for 12/12/2019 at 9:00 a.m. at 300 Grand Street, Waterbury, Connecticut 06702. Anna M. Ficeto, Judge

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1323111 FOR LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER IN A CATERING HALL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 2 VANDERVOORT PL BROOKLYN, NY 11237. KINGS COUNTY, FOR ON PREMISE CONSUMPTION. CARROLL HALL LLC. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1323182 FOR LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 181 DUANE ST NEW YORK, NY 10013. NEW YORK COUNTY, FOR ON PREMISE CONSUMPTION. VV & V BROTHERS 623 CORP

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Notice of Qualification of INNOVATUS CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/01/19. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 10/22/15. Princ. office of LLC: 777 Third Ave., 25th Fl., NY, NY 10017. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Jeffrey W. Bullock, Secy. of State of the State of DE, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity Notice of Formation of LUMBER LANE REAL ESTATE, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/04/19. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: c/o Philip Krim At Casper Sleep, Inc., 3 World Trade Center, NY, NY 10007. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Auction

Notice of Auction Sale is herein given that Citiwide Self Storage located at 45-55 Pearson Street, Long Island City, N.Y. 11101 will take place on WWW.STORAGETREASURES.COM Sale by competitive bidding starting on November 29, 2019 and end on December 11, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. to satisfy unpaid rent and charges on the following accounts: Contents of rooms generally contain miscellaneous items: #5R12 – Kedric Williams: roughly 20 plastic bags with unknown contents; #7P01 – James Tripp: various pieces of scrap metals, wood, and other miscellaneous items. The contents of each unit will be sold as a lot and all items must be removed from the premises within 72 hours. Owners may redeem their goods by paying all rent and charges due at any time before the sale. All sales are held “with reserve”. Owner reserves the right to cancel sale at any time.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1323327 FOR LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 450 AMSTERDAM AVE NEW YORK, NY 10024. NEW YORK COUNTY, FOR ON PREMISE CONSUMPTION. MEE TUNG LLC.

Notice of Qualification of Wildflower Partners LLC. Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 9/18/19. Office location: NY County. Princ. bus. addr.: 80 8th Ave., Ste. 1602, NY, NY 10011. LLC formed in DE on 9/17/19. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: Cogency Global Inc. (CGI), 10 E. 40th St., 10th Fl., NY, NY 10016. DE addr. of LLC: CGI, 850 New Burton Rd., Ste. 201, Dover, DE 19904. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Urja Snacks LLC filed with the SSNY on July 22, 2019. Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 178 Parsonage Road Edison NJ 08837. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. Notice of Formation of JMD TITLE SERVICES LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/07/19. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, One Penn Plaza, Ste. 4530, NY, NY 10119. Purpose: Perform title services. Notice of Qualification of GPMT CLO REIT HOLDINGS LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/07/19. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 11/04/19. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1323276 FOR WINE & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL WINE & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 226 E 14TH ST NEW YORK, NY 10003. NEW YORK COUNTY, FOR ON-PREMISE CONSUMPTION. WILLIAMSBURG PIZZA 14TH STREET LLC

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PUBLIC and LEGAL NOTICES / CityAndStateNY.com

November 25–December 2, 2019

FAMILY COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK CITY OF NEW YORK: COUNTY OF BRONX -------------------------------------------------------x Docket No.: B-13954/19 In the Matter of Commitment of Guardianship and Custody of MAHOGANY also known as MAHOGANY ROCK also known as MAHAGONY ROCK

LA’CHELLE ROCK SUMMONS

A Child under the Age of Eighteen Years -------------------------------------------------------x In the Name of the People of the State of New York TO: MOHAMADI TAPSOBA ADDRESS: Unknown A Petition having been duly filed in this Court, alleging that the above-named child in the care of THE NEW YORK FOUNDLING HOSPITAL, should be committed to the guardianship and custody of THE NEW YORK FOUNDLING HOSPITAL; a copy of said Petition being annexed hereto; 900 Sheridan Avenue, Bronx, New York, Part 9, in front of the Hon. Rodriguez on January 22, 2020 at 9:00AM to Show Cause why the Court should not enter an Order committing the guardianship and custody of said child to the petitioning agency as required by law. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that if the guardianship and custody of said child are committed to the petitioning agency, THE NEW YORK FOUNDLING HOSPITAL, said child may be adopted with consent of the petitioning agency without your consent or further notice to you. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that you have the right to be represented by a lawyer, and, if the Court finds that you are unable to pay for a lawyer, you have the right to have a lawyer assigned by the Court. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that upon failure of the person summoned to appear, all of his or her parental rights to the child may be terminated, and PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that his or her failure to appear shall constitute a denial of his or her interest in the child which denial may result, without further notice, in the transfer or commitment of the child’s care, custody or guardianship or in the child’s adoption in this or any subsequent proceeding in which such care, custody or guardianship or adoption be at issue. Dated: Bronx, New York November 18, 2019 By Order of the Court /s/ Clerk of the Family Court Notice of Formation of Brownstone Recordings, LLC filed with SSNY on August 31, 2019. Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 28 W 123rd st , NY, NY 10027. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

LEGALNOTICES@ CITYANDSTATENY.COM

PUBLIC NOTICE AT&T proposes to modify an existing facility (new tip heights 49’) on the building at 92-25 Silver Rd, Ozone Park, NY (20191852). Interested parties may contact Scott Horn (856-8091202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) with comments regarding potential effects on historic properties.

STORAGE NOTICE

Modern Moving Inc. Will sell at public auction at 3735 Merritt Avenue, Bronx, NY 10466 At 6:00 P. M. on December 10th, 2019 for due and unpaid charges by virtue of lien in Accordance with the provisions of the law and with due notice given all parties claiming An interest therein, the time specified. In each notice for payment of said charges having expired household furniture & effects, pianos, Trunks, cases, TV’s, radios, hifi’s, refrigerators, sewing machines, washes, air conditioners, household. Furniture Of all descriptions the contents thereof, stored under the following names: -AMELIO, PAUL -BRADHURST, JONATHAN -CORTES, JEREMIAH/ CORTES, LESLIE -CHAVERIAT, BRIAN D -DIAZ, SARADE -DRUMMOND, AMBER -JAMES, EULENE FANT, CHRISTOPHER -JOHNSON, BRANDON -FRANCES, MASSAQUOI -MONTALVAN, TOMAS/ ALEJANDRO, PUERTAS

-PERRY, BRIAN -PAUL J. SIU, DDS -ROSARIO, ROSA -STATEN, RANDY -TOWNES, MELODY/ BROWN, RASHAD -WASHINGTON, CYNTHIA -WRIGHT, JERRY -WILLIAMS, PAULINE -ZABARA, IGOR/ARKHIPOVA, LUIDMILA/ ZABARA OLGA

Notice of Formation of THE DTE DEVELOPMENT FUND LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/06/19. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: c/o DTE Holdings LLC, 1501 Broadway, Ste. #1304, NY, NY 10036. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of THE PRIVACY CO. MANAGEMENT LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/12/19. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 11/07/19. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Renee M. Lercher, CFO, The Privacy Co. LLC, 845 3rd Ave., Fl. 18, NY, NY 10022. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. #4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1323401 FOR LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 357 CENTRAL AVE. LAWRENCE, NY 11559. NASSAU COUNTY, FOR ON PREMISE CONSUMPTION. SEMY CAFÉ LLC

LEGALNOTICES@ CITYANDSTATENY.COM

LEGALNOTICES@ CITYANDSTATENY.COM Notice of Formation of Atacama Real Estate LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with NY Dept. of State on 11/6/19. Office location: NY County. Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: Alfredo Miguel Irigoin, 101 Warren St., Unit 2660, NY, NY 10282, principal business address. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of EDEN POINT PARTNERS, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/08/19. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 10/09/18. Princ. office of LLC: Andrew Lutakome Kayiira Jr., 20 E. 35th St., Apt. 15L, NY, NY 10016. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. #4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Qualification of FEATHERSTONE DISTRIBUTION, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/08/19. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/12/19. Princ. office of LLC: 220 E. 42nd St., 29th Fl., NY, NY 10017. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the princ. office of the LLC. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of DE, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1321126 FOR LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 291 KENT AVE. BROOKLYN, NY 11249. KINGS COUNTY, FOR ON PREMISE CONSUMPTION. 291 KENT RESTAURANT INC PUBLIC NOTICE Cellco Partnership and its controlled affiliates doing business as Verizon Wireless (Verizon Wireless) proposes to collocate wireless communications antennas at two locations. Antennas will be installed at a top height of 52 feet on a 47-foot building at the approx. vicinity of 5610 214th Street, Queens, NY 11364. Antennas will be installed at a top height of 159 feet on a 168-foot building at the approx. vicinity of 325 Hudson Street, Manhattan, NY 10013. Public comments regarding potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30 days from the date of this publication to: Trileaf Corp, Laura Elston; l.elston@ trileaf.com, 1395 South Marietta Parkway, Building 400, Suite 209, Marietta, GA 30067; 678-653-8673

LEGALNOTICES@ CITYANDSTATENY.COM

30 CityAndStateNY.com

November 25–December 2, 2019

CITY & STATE NEW YORK MANAGEMENT & PUBLISHING CEO Steve Farbman, President & Publisher Tom Allon tallon@cityandstateny.com, Comptroller David Pirozzi, Business & Operations Manager Patrea Patterson, Administrative Assistant Lauren Mauro

Who was up and who was down last week

LOSERS

DIGITAL Digital Marketing Director Maria Cruz Lee, Digital Content Coordinator Michael Filippi, Social Media Editor/ Content Producer Amanda Luz Henning Santiago, Digital Marketing Strategist Caitlin Dorman, Digital Marketing Associate Chris Hogan, Web/Email Strategist Isabel Beebe

COREY JOHNSON CoJo has been anti-lulu since before he even took office in 2014. But now that he’s New York City Council speaker, the practice of giving stipends to certain favored members has continued. Sure, fewer members get money than before, but that just makes the ones that get it stand out. And it makes you wonder why the City Council’s golden boy is the golden goose for black sheep Rubén Díaz Sr.

THE BEST OF THE REST

THE REST OF THE WORST

ADAM BELLO

BRAD HOYLMAN & STEVE ENGLEBRIGHT

The Monroe GOP backed down from their plot to strip the county executive of powers before this Democrat took over.

TEDRA COBB

After donations from stars like Mark Hamill, Elise Stefanik’s opponent has a new hope.

HENRY GARRIDO

Now all pre-K teachers will be paid the same, in Garrido’s DC 37 union or not.

SEAN PATRICK MALONEY

He got Sondland to admit a Ukranian probe into Biden would benefit Trump. Common sense? Sure, but Democrats needed it said.

CREATIVE Art Director Andrew Horton, Senior Graphic Designer Alex Law, Graphic Designer Aaron Aniton

Cuomo fowled up these lawmakers’ plans to save birds from glass buildings.

ROB MANFRED

Rose, Brindisi, Katko and Hochul went to bat to save the minor league teams the MLB commissioner wanted to bench.

ADVERTISING Vice President of Advertising Jim Katocin jkatocin@ cityandstateny.com, Account/Business Development Executive Scott Augustine saugustine@cityandstateny.com, Event Sponsorship Strategist Danielle Koza dkoza@ cityandstateny.com, Sales Associate Cydney McQuillanGrace cydney@cityandstateny.com, Legal Advertising Executive Shakirah Gittens legalnotices@cityandstateny. com, Senior Account Executive William Thomas EVENTS events@cityandstateny.com Sales Director Lissa Blake, Events Manager Alexis Arsenault, Event Coordinator Amanda Cortez, Editorial Research Associate Evan Solomon

Vol. 8 Issue 45 November 25-December 2, 2019 NEW YORK’S MASS TRANSIT: DELAYED, DESERTED, DERAILED

OK Bloomer Just what the 2020 race needs ...

CIT YANDSTATENY.COM

@CIT YANDSTATENY

November 25–December 2, 2019

Cover image lev radin/Shutterstock

KENT SYVERUD

The Syracuse U. chancellor has a racist email, graffiti and manifesto to deal with.

DAVE WAISER

He shut down his Juno ride-hailing app because who’s ever used Juno?

WINNERS & LOSERS is published every Friday morning in City & State’s First Read email. Sign up for the email, cast your vote and see who won at cityandstateny.com.

CITY & STATE NEW YORK (ISSN 2474-4107) is published weekly, 48 times a year except for the four weeks containing New Year’s Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving and Christmas by City & State NY, LLC, 61 Broadway, Suite 1315, New York, NY 10006-2763. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to City & State New York, 61 Broadway, Suite 1315, New York, NY 10006-2763. General: (212) 268-0442, subscribe@cityandstateny.com Copyright ©2019, City & State NY, LLC

LEV RADIN/SHUTTERSTOCK

CAROLYN MALONEY Who run the world? Well, not Rep. Carolyn Maloney, but she does now run the House Oversight and Reform Committee, the first woman to do so. Maloney led the committee on an interim basis following Rep. Elijah Cummings’ death in October, recently achieving permanent status after a Democratic caucus vote. Her new position makes her one of the key leaders in the impeachment inquiry, teeing her up to be the latest New Yorker in the impeachment spotlight.

OUR PICK

WINNERS

At a rate of one column a week, it’s been 37 Winners & Losers lists since Michael Bloomberg announced he wouldn’t run for president. In the meantime, current New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio ran a doomed 17 Winners & Losers-long presidential campaign. And last week, three Winners & Losers after he started his latest preparations, Bloomberg was back in. Keep reading, or risk losing your sense of time – only 49 Winners & Losers till Election Day!

EDITORIAL editor@cityandstateny.com Editor-in-Chief Jon Lentz jlentz@cityandstateny.com, Managing Editor Ryan Somers, Senior Editor Ben Adler badler@cityandstateny.com, Special Projects Editor Alice Popovici, Copy Editor Eric Holmberg, Staff Reporter Jeff Coltin jcoltin@cityandstateny.com, Staff Reporter Zach Williams zwilliams@cityandstateny.com, Staff Reporter Rebecca C. Lewis rlewis@cityandstateny.com, Tech & Policy Reporter Annie McDonough amcdonough@ cityandstateny.com, Staff Reporter Kay Dervishi

UNITED FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, SHANKER HALL 52 BROADWAY, 2ND FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10004 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019 | 9:00AM-4:30PM

We have all learned to accept technology at different rates. We explore the innovation and challenges of new tools, apps and gadgets in our own personal ways. Whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re an early tech adopter or more careful user, each of us has a role to play in advancing our organizations in a quickly changing world! This event will cater to everything from entry-level learning about the current state of technology to more advanced discussions. Nonprofit TechCon is the place to go to stay informed of tools and developments, now and looking into the future.

FEATURED SPEAKERS SHEREEN SANTALESA, Vice President, Human Resources, Riseboro Community Partnership KARIN KUNSTLER GOLDMAN, Deputy Chief, Charities Bureau, New York State Department of Law (Attorney General) BESA H. BAUTA, Chief Data Officer, MercyFirst MICHAEL BARRET JONES, Director of Development, The Tyler Clementi Foundation THOMAS DEWAR, Executive Director of Information Technology, Lutheran Social Services of New York RYAN YOUNG, Chief of Operations and Organizational Sustainability, Community Change MARCEL BRAITHWAITE, Director of Community Engagement, Police Athletic League, Inc. VESNA SELMANOVIC, VP, Program Compliance and Performance Measurement, Covenant House New York ALEX MARCUS, Assistant Director of Organizational Development and Talent Acquisition, Good Shepherd Services DARHSAN DESAI, PhD, Professor of Management, Berkeley College Larry L. Luing School of Business DUNCAN REMAGE-HEALEY, Managing Director of Operations, Parenting Journey CHARLIE PANE, Communications Manager, Cornell Cooperative Extension Rockland County MITCHELL PETIT-FRERE, Digital Content Manager, Family Promise AMY WEST, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, AHRC NYC NICK SELBY, Director of Cyber Intelligence and Investigations, NYPD NANCY D. MILLER, Executive Director/CEO, VISIONS/Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired ALBERT J. RIZZI, Founder and CEO, My Blind Spot, Inc DAVID DePAROLESA, Chief Executive Officer, GiveLively RSVP at NYNmedia.com/Events For more information on programming and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Lissa Blake at lblake@cityandstateny.com

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS LIGHTHOUSE TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS CAPALINO + COMPANY GRF CPAS & ADVISORS JMT CONSULTING FUNRAISE FUNDRAISE UP

MAZARS USA LLP NETWORK DOCTOR YURGOSKY CONSULTING ATSG RKD GROUP SYNAPTITUDE CONSULTING

T-MOBILE GOVERNMENT WITHUM LINCOLN IT REAL HR SOLUTIONS GLOBAL CYBER ALLIANCE PARK AND K PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Painting the way towards a better New York!

Our recent project donated in full to the New York City Parks Department: 1964 World’s Fair Tent of Tomorrow, Flushing Meadows, Queens, NY

VISIT NYSSPCA.NET WITH YOUR IDEA FOR THE NEXT PAINT PROJECT WE SHOULD DONATE! New York Structural Steel Painting Contractors Association Inc. Kieran Ahern, President • Dan O’Connell, Legal Advisor • Jed Coldon, Director