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◄ CITY ARTS, P.12
WEEK OF SEPTEMBER
12-18 2019 INSIDE
Steven O’Brien, who has lived in Hell’s Kitchen for 25 years, hopes officials make the most of the opportunity to improve a major public facility. Photo: Jason Cohen
‘PLEASE DON’T BLOW IT’ DEVELOPMENT
New Yorkers weigh in on the Port Authority’s plans for the future of the Eighth Avenue bus terminal BY JASON COHEN
The nation’s largest bus terminal causes terrible traffic congestion and poor air quality in Midtown Manhattan and needs to be improved or moved, a stream of concerned New Yorkers said last week at a public hearing about the future of the Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT). The hearing, held at the Westin Hotel Times Square on West 43rd Street, was an opportunity for residents to weigh in on a trio of options proposed for the transformation of the terminal. The overall goal of the project, which is expected to cost $7.5 to $10 billion and be
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JAIL PLANS: ALL IN THE DETAILS NEIGHBORHOODS
Council Members voice frustration at the first formal review of the project to close Rikers BY EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM
There seems to be little disagreement among city officials that shuttering Rikers Island is a necessary, long-overdue step in reforming the city’s criminal justice system. But the lack of definitive details may be holding some council members back from voicing more
full-throated support of the de Blasio administration’s plan to replace the prison complex with four smaller jails in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. During a hearing last week before the Council’s Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting and Maritime Use — the council’s first formal review of the plan to close Rikers — members made a repeated request for a concrete timeline of the project. Administration officials from the Department of Corrections and the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice could not give specific dates for when the existing jails in the
A rally at City Hall by grassroots group Close Rikers Build Communities before the hearing to close the prison complex last week. Photo: Emily Higginbotham
boroughs would be demolished, or when Rikers would be closed, but that the project as a whole would be complete by the end of 2026. Council Member Keith Powers chided the administration officials testifying when they said it was not certain whether they’d have all of the specifics before the council is scheduled to vote in October. “I just want to push you guys a little bit on this one. There are communities here that are here obviously concerned about what the plans are in their district — and I support the plan, and I want
ALL ABOUT INTERMITTENT FASTING When you eat is as important as what you eat. p. 2
NYFW IN YOUR HOME A guide to the top TV programs and films about the fashion industry. p. 19
THE BLACK HOLE OF EAST 79TH STREET After the demolition of a block-long swath of First Avenue, an eerie streetscape emerged. Under fire from its neighbors, the developer is lighting the site. p. 6
MOCKTAILS FOR THE YOUNG AND SOBER Booze-free bars are attracting more people than ever before. p. 16
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SPRING ARTS PREVIEW
WEEK OF APRIL
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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 a lay point of view,” lawyer since 1961. Man, a practicing what’s at issue He first writes about post, renders separate a in and then, how he arrived his decision, detailing Visitors to the blog at his conclusion. their opinions. often weigh in with get a rap going. I to “I really want unthey whether really 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 indiArbitration Man, 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 actions the owners, policy response, and somefor ways to recommendations If done well, begin to fix things. report would the ombudsman’s quantitative give us the first with taste of what’s wrong the city, an small businesses in towards important first step problem. the xing fi of deformality for To really make a difference, process is a mere complete their will have to to are the work course, the advocaterising rents, precinct, but chances-- thanks to a velopers looking 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 lives on who problem. Angelo, vexing most said Mildred construction permits gauge what Buildings one of the Ruppert 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 on the Over the past 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 Every New Yorker clang, tion Act tangible signs go as they please. work between early, and some come metal-on-metal can construction any small sound: the or on the weekend, have no respect.” the piercing of progress. For many can’t come p.m. and 7 a.m., the hollow boom, issuance of these business owners, that moving in reverse. as after-hours. The increased beeps of a truck has generto a correspond and you 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
Newscheck
for dollars in fees ated millions of and left some resithe city agency, that the application dents convinced
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