The local paper for Downtown wn SPECIAL REPORT 2019
SENIOR LIVING GUIDE 2019
SENIOR LIVING
◄ P. 13
WEEK OF JULY
25-31 2019
INSIDE
LOCALS GIVE THUMBS DOWN TO FLOOD PLANS ENVIRONMENT
A DANGER TO THE COMMUNITY
Residents slam details of massive Coastal Resiliency Project
Jeffrey Epstein’s legal team appeals a federal judge’s decision to deny bail, P. 9
BY JASON COHEN
Angry Lower East Side residents expressed their displeasure last week with the city’s plan to shutter East River Park for three years, from March 2020 to the summer of 2023, as part of the East Side Coastal Resiliency project, which will storm proof the park from Montgomery Street to 13th Street. Borough President Gale Brewer held a public hearing on the project at Mt. Sinai Beth Israel on July 17th. The auditorium at the hospital was jam packed. Some of those in attendance draped caution tape reading “Tree Protection area.” around their necks, Jamie Torres-Springer, the first deputy commissioner at the city Department of Design and Construction, and Alyssa Cobb-Konon, the deputy commissioner for Planning and Development at NYC Parks, presented the plan. They did not receive a warm welcome. More than two dozen people tes-
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Mayor Bill de Blasio declares a heat emergency on Thursday, July 18 and signs executive order directing large office buildings to conserve energy. Photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
DEBATE: THE HEAT IS ON POLITICS NYC strategists expect longshot presidential hopeful Bill de Blasio to be aggressive in the second Democratic candidate forum. But the latest poll and money numbers are grim BY STUART MARQUES
As the second round of presidential debates approaches, Bill de Blasio says he’s still in-it-to-win-it, but lackluster fund-raising totals, poor poll numbers, the kerfuffle over his absence during the West
Side blackout and growing disdain from the city’s tabloids make his long odds even longer. “He has no realistic chance of getting the Democratic nomination,” says veteran political strategist Hank Sheinkopf. “No one sees him as presidential material,” says Democratic consultant George Arzt. “If he is still around come primary day, he’ll lose his home state of New York overwhelmingly.” Still, the mayor, who performed better than expected in the first debate by interrupting the others and pushing his way into the conversation, will be on stage next week for
CNN’s two nights of debates in Detroit on July 30 and 31. He drew the second night, which includes former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Kamala Harris of California, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and former Housing Secretary Julian Castro. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren headline the first night. Although all eyes will be on Biden and Harris given their memorable clash at the first debate, de Blasio’s appearance in that lineup could be advantageous to him, Arzt says. “He’s going to be aggressive and
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A SUPER SUMMER AT LINCOLN CENTER This year’s Out of Doors lineup of free events has something for everyone, P. 12
A MOTHER’S PLEA A year after cyclist Madison Lyden was killed on CPW, her family calls for action, P. 5
LEVAIN BAKERY OPENS ON EAST SIDE Company known for its decadent cookies expands to the UES, P. 40
Downtowner WEEK OF APRIL
SPRING ARTS PREVIEW < CITYARTS, P.12
FOR HIM, SETTLING SMALL CLAIMS IS A BIG DEAL presided over Arbitration Man has three decades. for informal hearings about it He’s now blogging BY RICHARD KHAVKINE
is the common Arbitration Man their jurist. least folks’ hero. Or at Man has For 30 years, Arbitration court office of the civil few sat in a satellite Centre St. every building at 111 New Yorkers’ weeks and absorbed dry cleaning, burned lost accountings of fender benders, lousy paint jobs, and the like. And security deposits then he’s decided. Arbitration Man, About a year ago, so to not afwho requested anonymity started docuhe fect future proceedings, two dozen of what menting about compelling cases considers his most blog. in an eponymous about it because “I decided to write the stories but in a I was interested about it not from wanted to write from view but rather lawyer’s point of said Arbitration view,” of a lay point lawyer since 1961. Man, a practicing what’s at issue He first writes about post, renders and then, in a separatehow he arrived his decision, detailing blog the to Visitors at his conclusion. their opinions. often weigh in with get a rap going. I to “I really want whether they unreally want to know and why I did it,” I did derstood what don’t know how to he said. “Most people ... I’d like my cases the judge thinks. and also my trereflect my personalitythe law.” for mendous respect 80, went into indiMan, Arbitration suc in 1985, settling vidual practice
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MANHATTAN'S APARTMENT BOOM, > PROPERTY, P.20
2015
In Brief MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS
The effort to help small seems to businesses in the city be gathering steam. Two city councilmembers, Robert Margaret Chin and Cornegy, have introduced create legislation that wouldSmall a new “Office of the within Business Advocate” of Small the city’s Department Business Services. Chin The new post, which have up told us she’d like to would and running this year, for serve as an ombudsman city small businesses within them clear government, helping to get through the bureaucracy things done. Perhaps even more also importantly, the ombudsman and number will tally the type small business of complaints by taken in owners, the actions policy response, and somefor ways to recommendations If done well, begin to fix things. report would the ombudsman’s give us the first quantitative with taste of what’s wrong the city, an small businesses in towards important first step fixing the problem. of for deTo really make a difference, is a mere formality will have to the work process looking to complete their advocate are the chances course, velopers precinct, but rising rents, -- thanks to a find a way to tackle business’ is being done legally of after-hours projects quickly. their own hours,” which remain many While Chin “They pick out boom in the number throughout who lives on most vexing problem. said Mildred Angelo,of the Ruppert construction permits gauge what Buildings one said it’s too early tocould have the 19th floor in The Department of the city. number three years, the Houses on 92nd Street between role the advocate She Over the past on the is handing out a record work perThird avenues. permits, there, more information of Second and an ongoing all-hours number of after-hours bad thing. of after-hours work the city’s Dept. problem can’t be a said there’s with the mits granted by nearby where according to new data jumped 30 percent, This step, combinedBorough construction project noise Buildings has data provided in workers constantly make efforts by Manhattan to mediate BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS according to DOB of Informacement from trucks. President Gale Brewer offer response to a Freedom classifies transferring they want. They knows the the rent renewal process, request. The city They 6 “They do whatever signs Every New Yorker clang, tion Act go as they please. work between some early, tangible small any construction on the weekend, can come and sound: the metal-on-metal or the piercing of progress. For many have no respect.” p.m. and 7 a.m., can’t come of these that the hollow boom, issuance reverse. owners, in business moving The increased beeps of a truck has generto a correspond and you as after-hours. soon enough. variances has led at the alarm clock The surge in permits
SLEEPS, THANKS TO THE CITY THAT NEVER UCTION A BOOM IN LATE-NIGHT CONSTR NEWS
A glance it: it’s the middle can hardly believe yet construction of the night, and carries on full-tilt. your local police or You can call 311
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for dollars in fees ated millions of and left some resithe city agency, that the application dents convinced
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