Renowned Chef Daniel Boulud drops off a gourmet meal and jokes with a resident of Stuyvesant Town. The visit highlighted the Citymeals-on-Wheels program which helps to get food to homebound and elderly.

Downtown Getting Back to Business
The Downtown Alliance has made it their mission to mold and maintain Lower Manhattan as a world-leading central business district of today. The devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy pushed this organization to launch the Back to Business Small Business Grant Program that is now able to provide grant distribution for the first time. “Small businesses have been instrumental in the success of Lower Manhattan as a premier destination to live, work and visit, and so it has been vitally important to come to their aid during this period,” said Liz Berger, the president of Downtown Alliance.

As a result, small businesses located in Flood Zone A below Chambers Street, including a nail salon, dry cleaners and wine shop, have been awarded $266,000 in grants and $120,000 in deferred grants. These businesses were the first to apply on the first-come, first-serve basis, and were certainly not the last. The period for small businesses to submit a grant application ended Dec. 13, but all applications received after will be held and processed if funds are still available.

Contributors to the grant fund include Goldman Sachs, Trinity Church, Citibank, the Durst Organization, Howard Hughes Corp., AT&T New York and Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation, CB Richard Ellis, the FiDi Association, Platinum Properties and real estate brokerage firm Cushman & Wakefield.

Sen. Squadron Presses for State Gun Control
New York state Sen. Daniel Squadron has strongly advocated for gun restriction legislation throughout his time in Albany. In light of the unimaginable tragedy in Newtown, Conn., other politicians are now joining the fight. Squadron announced last week that the special legislation session he had called in October to pass essential gun control laws may soon be taking place. After thanking Gov. Cuomo and fellow colleagues pushing the cause, Squadron said in a statement, “A package of common-sense measures—including my bill to crack down on assault weapons, as well as critical background checks and limits on guns sales, and the vital crime-solving tool of microstamping—would create the basic protections we need to truly save lives.” He added that the military-style weapon used in the Newtown attack would be banned if his assault weapons bill were passed.

In a statement issued in October, Squadron had called for stronger legislation before another murder could be committed with an assault weapon. “There is simply no reason for a civilian to carry these types of high-powered weapon,” he said. “Before another drop of blood is spilled and another innocent life is lost, New York’s Legislature must do our job and pass these bills.”

An Early Christmas Feast
Last week, New York chef Daniel Boulud and chefs from his finest restaurants teamed up with Citymeals-on-Wheels to make sure the elderly confined to their homes could taste a bit of gourmet comfort this holiday season. On Dec. 20, elderly residents of Stuyvesant Town affected by Hurricane Sandy opened their doors, and mouths, to meals of expertly prepared shepherd’s pie, beef ravioli with carrot confit, coq au vin with pasta, braised lamb with polenta and cassoulet Toulousain.

The meals—300 in total—were prepared by Boulud and his team, who volunteered to help make Christmas extra-special this year. Joining Chef Boulud was William Cox, Bar Boulud; Aaron Chambers, Boulud Sud; Gavin Kaysen, Café Boulud; Eddy Leroux, Daniel; Jean Baptiste Alexandre, DB Bistro; Eli Collins, DBGB; Beth Shapiro, executive director of Citymeals-on-Wheels; and Robert Grimes, Citymeals-on-Wheels board member.

“As a professional chef, I have the privilege of cooking for food-loving guests every night, but Citymeals provides the opportunity to share my passion with those who are less fortunate,” Boulud said.

Citymeals-on-Wheels will continue to provide nourishment and companionship through the weekend and on Christmas Day, supplying over 7,455 meals and 14,694 “Season’s Greetings” boxes to elderly residents throughout the city when many senior centers are closed.

Compiled by Jessica Mastronardi

Liz Berger fights for her community as the president of the Downtown Alliance

By Susan Armitage

On the morning of 9/11, Liz Berger had just dropped off her oldest child for kindergarten at P.S. 234 and was on her way to work. Though she had already been active in civic life, she said, that devastating day reaffirmed her dedication to the community she loves.

“My first thought was about all we had done in the past 20 years and how it had been destroyed in 18 minutes,” said Berger, a native New Yorker who has lived south of Fulton Street for three decades and now heads the nonprofit Alliance for Downtown New York.

Berger served on the local Community Board at the time, but says 9/11 motivated her to deepen her involvement and take on new formal roles. She was honored to be asked to represent residents at the Senate Field Hearing.

“I think what you realize in those kind of crises is that your troubles and problems are really everybody’s,” Berger said. “And what that does is make them more urgent, rather than less urgent.”
In 2007, she became president of the Downtown Alliance, which manages the Business Improvement District for Lower Manhattan, after decades of work in government, community affairs and strategic planning.

Berger says the organization plays a key role in convening constituents to understand their needs. Through research, service, information and advocacy, the Downtown Alliance aims to make Lower Manhattan a better place to live, work and visit.

“Liz’s leadership is tremendous,” said Peter Poulakakos, a restaurateur and member of the Downtown Alliance board. “She inspires the board, she inspires the community. She’s got a great energy.”

Berger, whose commute to the office is a handy two blocks, loves living in what she calls a “complete community.”

“It’s a little village with probably the best-known business address in the world,” she said. “It’s that combination of knowing your neighbors and having unbelievable choices.”

She loves the parts of Lower Manhattan that evoke history, like Front Street, Stone Street and the city’s oldest park, Bowling Green. But the neighborhood, Berger said, “is about the past and the future, all together.”

Under her leadership, the Downtown Alliance is charting a forward-looking course. The organization has expanded its social media outreach to better connect with constituents, and the Downtown NYC free mobile app provides tips on places to visit and things to do in Lower Manhattan. The organization also anticipates new initiatives related to Lower Manhattan’s growing tech industry.

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the Downtown Alliance also recently announced a new grant program to help affected small businesses in the Zone A areas of Lower Manhattan. While some suffered physical damage, Berger said, the bigger issue is a decline in foot traffic while some commercial and residential buildings undergo repairs.

“This is about Lower Manhattan big business supporting Lower Manhattan small business,” she said.

“It’s about business-to-business self-help. That’s really what our organization is about, and it’s a very important element of building this community.”

In addition to her role at the Downtown Alliance, Berger holds a myriad of other community positions. She is president of the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association and serves on the boards of the Municipal Art Society, Film Forum, Second Stage Theatre, American Museum of Natural History Planetarium Authority, the New York Building Congress and the Trust for Governors Island.
Berger simply says she likes to be busy. “That’s why you live in a city; because you want to participate in public life and do what you can to support the institutions that make urban life worth living,” she said.

This week’s edition features a department store that is at home on Broadway as it would be in Milan, a new restaurant that has diners buzzing, a spa, and a Halloween costume shop in honor of a holiday that gives everyone the excuse to dress up and go wild.

Opening
Trinity Place Department Store
61 Broadway (Entrance on Trinity Place),
917-300-1184

This beautiful new department store, which feels more like a charming European boutique, is a fresh country breeze in a city known for its humidity. The style is vintage romantic with a modern twist. Expect soft lace accents and retro patterns side-by-side with more modern pieces.

One of the store’s greatest strengths is the unique nature of its clothing; some of the items reminded me of a lovely boutique in Brooklyn in which all the pieces are handmade. You can also find an assortment of leather shoes and handbags to accessorize your look.

The store currently occupies the ground floor of the building and will soon expand to the second and third floors within the next few months. This retail location is a first for the company, which previously was internet- based. New locations will be launching in London, Paris and Milan next year.

The Exchange at The Setai,
40 Broad St., at Exchange Place,
212-809-3993

Same luxurious, yet serene surroundings, great new menu. The Exchange at the Setai, which follows predecessor SHO Shaun Hergatt, is bringing San Francisco-based contemporary American cuisine to Lower Manhattan.

Executive Chef Josh Capone is using ingredients that are both locally sourced and seasonal. The menu now features both a la carte and prix fixe options for lunch and dinner. The three-course prix fixe menus are now priced at $28 for lunch and $45 for dinner. As an experienced baker, his breads and focaccia are now made on premise. Top off your night with a dessert prepared by Alise Ciucci, formerly of Aureole.

NV Salon & Spa
1 World Financial Center, at Vesey Street
212-757-2561

The salon formerly owned by Joseph Cione has been sold and reopened as NV Salon & Spa. In celebration of its grand opening, the salon is offering a special of 10 percent off any service. Men’s haircuts run about $30 and women’s haircuts start at $45. A manicure/pedicure combination is $30 pre-discount. Come to the lobby of the building and look for the Au Bon Pain; the salon is next door.

Ricky’s
100 Broadway, betw. Pine & Wall streets,
rickysnyc.com

And for those looking for Halloween costumes, check out the Ricky’s pop-up, and do it soon, because you don’t want to fight the crowds the day before the holiday.

Closing
Daffy’s
50 Broadway

As usual, if you spot any new retailers or changes to existing establishments, please email me at TRE@downtownny.com

Opening
Key Food
55 Fulton St. (between Gold and Cliff streets), 646-581-9260.
We have just one opening for you in this edition, but this store has already become one of the most popular businesses on Fulton Street. Any neighborhood with a growing population of residents, not to mention workers and visitors, needs a well-stocked grocery store that caters to a variety of needs. Key Food’s huge new 55 Fulton Market is a neighborhood amenity on a street whose residents are more than ready to welcome it.

A formerly vacant storefront is now one of the busiest stretches of sidewalk on Lower Manhattan’s East Side. The revamped space threw wide its doors to a lot of eager shoppers and celebrated its grand opening with specials and free treats.

The 24-hour market—located in the Southbridge Towers and replacing the old Key Food a block away—is more of a gourmet food shop with restaurant touches and outdoor seating that also carries your basic supermarket staples. I stopped by on a “pre-grand opening” day recently and perused the aisles with a horde of other shoppers. I was surprised by how many people came out, considering that this is a grocery store and no one is giving away free iPads, but I’ve learned to never underestimate the power of something large, new and well-stocked with food and free samples.

Local workers will find the hot bar and salad bar plus grab-and-go options great for fast lunches. Several sushi chefs were working behind the counter restocking a supply of rolls that looked to be fresh and more affordable than I’ve seen in other quarters. Also available are ready-made sandwiches, soups and desserts. In other parts of the market, shoppers can find meat and cheese counters, bakery items and the usual dry goods and supplies.

Closings
Urban Lobster Shack
15 Stone St.

Wendy’s
117 Beekman St.

As usual, if you see any new retailers or spot changes to a longtime establishment, please email me at tre@downtownny.com, and I’ll check them out.

Is Canal Street ‘Manhattan’s Next Great Retail Frontier’?
When most New Yorkers think of Canal Street, they probably don’t think of quality retail. Melinda Miller of Winick Realty Group, however, wants to usher in a new era for the downtown commercial street.
“For Canal Street, it’s a question of when, not if, the neighborhood will see its moment as the next great retail destination in the city,” she said in a recent company statement.
Miller is marketing 272-274 Canal St., a four-story, 1,800-square-feet-per-floor brick building at the northwest corner of Cortlandt Alley next to the new Tribeca Blu Hotel. Its owners, the Gindi family, have some big plans for its next retailer: a new glass façade and significant new signage.

Majority of NY residents Oppose Soda Ban
Mayor Bloomberg’s plan to limit the size of sugary drinks to 16 ounces faces opposition from NYC residents. Quinnipiac University released a poll last Thursday revealing that 54 percent do not think the city should limit the size of drinks sold in movie theaters, food carts and restaurants, while 42 percent think the size should be limited. The number of respondents in opposition increased from the 51 percent who said the city shouldn’t enact a size limit in a June 13 survey from the university.

Young Illegal Immigrants Get Temporary Legal Status in NYC
Hundreds of undocumented young people in New York City began lining the block around St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Grand Street before dawn last Thursday, braving the rain and enduring an hours-long wait. By noon, the crowd was excited and in high spirits. It was the first day that these illegal immigrants could acquire temporary work permits and immigration status at various locations across New York City, including St. Mary’s.
These youth are among millions in America who would be eligible to receive permanent residency and documentation in the U.S. under the federal Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, or DREAM Act. While the act has not been passed, President Obama has declared that his administration will stop deporting these eligible young people, and instead offer relief in the form of deferred action. This will grant those who are DREAM-eligible temporary legal immigration status and an employment authorization document.

According to the New York Immigration Coalition, approximately 110,000 New Yorkers are, or will be, eligible for deferred action. Immigration agencies and coalitions have now set up locations throughout the city to help undocumented youths under the age of 31 receive their documents, as long as they moved to the country before age 16 and have no criminal record, among other requirements. (From City & State)

Downtown Alliance App Is a Big Hit Among Museums
Museums located Downtown have designated the Alliance for Downtown New York’s recently released mobile application, “Downtown NYC,” the official app for the Downtown Culture Pass.
Created to help tourists and residents discover the latest events in the area, the app, supported by iPhone and iPad platforms, features information on all of Lower Manhattan’s renowned cultural institutions, restaurants and hubs. It also features passes to attractions on Chambers Street and below. As an added perk, admission to these attractions is always free.
The Downtown Culture Pass was founded in 2010 as a six-month pilot program to highlight the numerous cultural attractions in the area. It became an official program in 2011, helping to increase Downtown tourism.

Summer is the season of escape. In this edition, we have a new car rental service for your upcoming vacation; a sandwich shop to equip you with food for the road; a shoe store so you’re fashionably shod when you arrive; and a nail salon and spa to pamper your tired feet when you return.

As usual, if you see any new retailers or spot changes to a longtime establishment, please email me at tre@downtownny.com and I’ll check it out.

Openings
Abey Nails & Spa
32 Warren St. (betw. Church St. & Broadway), 212-608-2208
Lower Manhattan is becoming a destination for charming salons and spas where professionals (or tourists) can come and get out of the stressful office or hot sun for an hour or maybe two. Abey offers a variety of treatments—from manicures and pedicures to waxing, massage and facials—to help customers relax and enjoy some pampering. Some of the spa’s more unique treatments include an AgeLOC face lifting and firming treatment and skin treatments for acne and sensitive skin.

And if you’re not satisfied judging your body shape and also find yourself judging the length of your eyelashes, come in for eyelash extensions and eyelash perming and put down the mascara and curler for good! The salon is offering 15 percent off services (grab a coupon on their website at abeyspa.com) through Sept. 30.

Dollar Rent a Car
345 South End Ave. (at One World Financial Center), 917-701-1069 or 718-656-2401 Ext. 228 for local corporate programs
With about 9,000 people living in Battery Park City and revitalization efforts continuing in the community and around Lower Manhattan, Dollar Rent a Car decided this location was the perfect place to open a car rental service, said Sales and Marketing Manager Paul Rivera.

“Our Dollar location is strategically situated to service residences, the World Financial Center and the greater New York Metropolitan area as a whole,” he said.

Customers can expect top-quality rentals at competitive rates for a wide range of vehicles, from convertibles to SUVs. Dollar offers a variety of rental programs depending on the customer’s needs, including Dollar Express, the Dollar rental rewards program. Also available are GPS navigation units and E-Z Passes for rent at competitive rates.

Potbelly Sandwich Shop, hailing from Chicago, serves up mouthwatering subs. Photo courtesy of the Downtown Alliance.

Potbelly Sandwich Shop
90 Broad St. (at Stone St.), 646-289-4211
A transplant from my native Chicago, Potbelly is digging some new roots in New York City—the shop is also opening a location on Fulton Street that we’re looking forward to as well. Potbelly specializes in tasty subs that are very affordable, with prices from as little as $5, which is hard to beat in this city. Try classics such as the turkey breast, ham and Swiss and roast beef, or try the pizza sandwich (pepperoni, meatball, capicola, marinara sauce, provolone cheese, mushrooms and Italian seasoning) or the wreck (salami, roast beef, turkey and ham with Swiss cheese). Vegetarians and healthy eaters can try a chickpea veggie salad or veggie sandwiches, and diners with a sweet tooth will find shakes and cookies to satisfy cravings.

Aldo
181 Broadway (betw. Cortlandt & Dey Sts.), 212-227-1686
I have a number of pairs of shoes from Aldo, and a few things hold true about the brand: They last forever, look great and are affordable enough to own as many as you like. The retailer is one of the largest shoe brands in the world and specializes in leather goods and accessories, as well as shoes. The new location on Broadway joins several other shoe stores on the block, including Aerosoles and the Century 21 women’s shoe store so people looking for shoes don’t have to wander very far to find a variety of quality brands and styles. Aldo is also offering a huge sale on items throughout the store and online, so drop by before it’s over.

Closings
Uncle Mike’s
57 Murray St.

“Let me be clear: Your actions do not have my support,” wrote Quinn. “Con Edison’s decision to unilaterally impose a lockout during a heat wave, after 30 years of no job disruptions, was an escalation of management/labor tensions to an unprecedented degree, placing many New Yorkers’ lives in danger.”

Downtown Alliance Honored for Its Tracking System
The Downtown Alliance was honored with the Business Improvement District (BID) Innovation Award last week by Deputy Mayor Robert K. Steel and Small Business Services Commissioner Robert E. Walsh. The Alliance was one of 17 organizations and individuals who were awarded as a part of the annual Neighborhood Achievement Awards.

The award was presented to the Alliance for its handheld infrastructure tracking system, which it released in 2009. The system is an electronic survey method that produces maps and readily provides data about Lower Manhattan’s streetscape.

“The Downtown Alliance handheld infrastructure tracking system has streamlined our infrastructure maintenance and enhanced our survey data, resulting in a lower overall cost of maintaining Lower Manhattan’s distinctive streetscape,” said Joe Timpone, senior vice president of operations, in a statement.

Since 2002, the Neighborhood Achievement Awards have honored organizations that work to better New York City communities while fostering economic opportunity.

Downtown Day Camps Put On Their Crazy Hats
Downtown Day Camps held their 21st annual Crazy Hat Day last week at the P.S. 234 schoolyard at 292 Greenwich St. in Tribeca.
Since the camp’s start in 1992, campers get to use their imagination and create funky, interesting headgear on this day. They wear their creations all day for anyone to come observe.

Manhattan Youth Downtown Day Camps, which includes junior and senior divisions, is directed by Dr. Russ Schulman and serves children from K to 8th grade throughout the summer.

Pier 17. Photo by James Kelleher

South Street Seaport Fire Put Out
A fire that broke out at the South Street Seaport on Saturday was caused by faulty electrical wiring, reported the Huffington Post.
The fire started under Pier 17 and grew to engulf about 100 square feet, but was tamed in under two hours. Pictures of the blaze show onlookers photographing and gawking at immense clouds of black smoke over Lower Manhattan.

The fire could have been building under the dock for some time, according to the New York Times.

Fire Department spokesman Jim Long called the fire an averted disaster in the tourist-heavy area—no one was hurt and no shops were damaged. The pier was open again to activity Saturday evening, including the planned Seaport Music festival.

Fire marshals began looking into any possible structural damage on Sunday, reported the Huffington Post. Parts of the pier will remain closed for some time as stability in the area is assessed.

Summer has officially begun and, just in time, we have a renovated playground open for children who aren’t stuck in a hot classroom, an Asian kitchen featuring healthy food so we don’t balloon out during swimsuit season and a lovely French café with plenty of iced coffee options. As usual, if you see any new retailers or spot changes to a long-time establishment, please email me at tre@downtownny.com and I’ll check it out.

Yushi Asian Kitchen
100 Maiden Lane, betw. Gold & Pearl Sts., 212-742-2150, www.yushi.com
Yushi Executive Chef Danny Lachs took a trip to Thailand when he needed inspiration for his pad thai. It’s this passion and attention to detail that’s making Yushi a popular new dining destination in Lower Manhattan. The company operates one other branch in Midtown, which is grab-and-go, but for the new location, Lachs said he and owner Luke Fryer wanted to expand to include a build-your-own-meal bar. Customers can still get pre-packaged food made fresh daily, but they can choose from the bar, which includes protein options such as tofu, chicken, beef or pork, a base of rice or bok choy salad and vegetable options to complete the bowl. Choose a sauce such as orange-sesame vinaigrette to top it all off.

“People can come in three days a week and get a totally different experience,” Lachs said.

The kitchen doesn’t stop at Thai influences—it also pulls in Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese flavors. Customers can order sushi, potstickers and, coming soon, several kinds of bahn mi sandwiches. The restaurant is what Lachs calls “fast-casual,” and though some establishments of this kind often serve foods high in fat and calories, Yushi features veggie-based, low-cal options for the health-minded.
But one of the most important aspects of the restaurant for Lachs is the way the food is prepared. “To me, what is crucial is the open kitchen. When chefs are behind closed doors, they can’t interact with the customer.”

Café French Gourmand
9 Maiden Lane, betw. Broadway & Nassau St., 646-756-4911
This quaint establishment features the best aspects of a French café much closer to home. The menu offers breakfast and lunch items with enough variety to please most everyone in the office. Hot sandwiches on ciabatta include a piadine of tomato, mozzarella and prosciutto and the classic croque monsieur. Cold sandwiches on offer include a French variety of roast beef, tomato and salad dijonnaise. The salad bar includes fennel, brie, goat cheese, chicken and radishes. Several soups are homemade every day.

Breakfast, my favorite meal of the day, includes one of my favorite meals, the ham and cheese croissant. They also offer bagels, oatmeal, muffins and flavored croissants. Top your breakfast off with a specialty coffee such as an iced macchiato.

Pearl Street Playground
Pearl Street betw. Fulton & Beekman Sts.
Throughout the winter, I watched renovations continue on this playground and wondered when it might reopen. The other week, I stopped by and discovered the playground was packed with children. The renovated space features new play equipment, a water fountain, spray shower and a safety fence. The playground is within sight of the South Street Seaport and nearby piers. Children could even do a playground crawl, stopping first at Imagination Playground on Burling Slip and continuing on to Pearl Street.

Sometimes I have a big group of new store openings, sometimes I have one exquisite standout. This week’s column features the lovely and distinct florist, home furnishings and accessories brand Bloom. New Yorkers may recognize the name because Bloom has another outpost in Midtown. The new store is in a large, light space adjacent to the Conrad New York Hotel in North Battery Park City and is a smart, inviting addition to the new retailers in this community.

As usual, if you see any new retailers or spot changes to a long-time friend, please email me at tre@downtownny.com and I’ll check them out.

Openings

Bloom, 255 Murray St. (at West Street),646-414-6269, www.bloomflowers.com

Harvard Professor Elaine Scarry, in her book On Beauty and Being Just, proposed that beauty is an aid to justice. The idea is that the beautiful object stops us, pulls us out of our self-absorption and focuses our attention on the wider world, thus prompting a concern for others. A trip to Bloom won’t necessarily make customers more ethical, but it will infuse their homes with vibrant beauty and perhaps start them on a new path that begins in their living rooms toward seeing the world in a brighter way.

Bloom offers the standard floral services, including arrangements for the home and special events such as weddings or corporate gatherings; it also offers landscaping design for everything from a backyard patio to a rooftop garden.

Customers will find unique home furnishings and accessories in the store, such as an oblong-shaped glass terrarium with a Venus Flytrap among amethyst crystal rocks inside, but that’s just the beginning of what owner Kimberly Perrone offers. She can design a whole room around just one flower, a unique vase, a pillow or a natural object such as a plant that can live outside of soil. In fact, finding such exotic pieces is one of her specialties.

Perrone calls Bloom a lifestyle environment and says florals and botanicals are key to the brand. Her style could be described as architectural and minimal but still elegant and luxurious in feeling. She pays special attention to color and shape, favoring monotones and hot brights and generally avoiding pastels. She uses organics when appropriate, such as petrified driftwood or a seashell made of ground shells.

Perrone had worked in the fashion industry, but decided she wanted to own her own business and began looking for something that felt right. She discovered Bloom, what she called a “sexy luxury brand in flowers,” and decided to purchase it. “I thought it was a great opportunity. The market hadn’t been approached the way it could have been. There was no real floral brand of this type.” She began expanding her services and hasn’t looked back.

Bloom also has a thriving e-commerce business, with many items available for purchase online, including flowers (seasonal and a signature collection), gift baskets and candles. But if a customer has a specific idea about the perfect container for a particular flower, Perrone will find it.

She thrives on bringing beauty into a space; it doesn’t just change the environment, it changes the way one views the environment, she said. Everyone could use a little something beautiful in their life—and, for that matter, justice, fairness and impeccable style.

Closings

Blockheads, Courtyard,250 Vesey St., 4 World Financial Center

Diamond’s Hallmark, 7 Hanover Square

The Country Kebab,76 Fulton St.

Despite Mayor, City Council Passes Living Wage Bill

On Monday, April 30, the City Council—despite criticism by Mayor Michael Bloomberg—successfully passed the Living Wage Bill. While several cities across the country have passed similar legislation, the mayor has previously said he would veto the bill should it pass, saying it stymies job growth.

According to the City Council, “Under the living wage legislation, direct recipients (projects receiving subsidies from the City) of at least $1 million in government financial assistance must pay their employees a wage of $10 an hour with health care benefits or $11.50 an hour without. … Given the scale and types of City economic development projects, an estimated 600 workers a year will receive a living wage as a result of this bill, with the potential to cover thousands of jobs over the next several years.”

“When we invest in economic development, we should expect that the jobs that are created are good jobs—ones that will protect and grow the middle class. This bill does that and does so in a way that will not overburden businesses,” said Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn. “The City has negotiated living wage requirements on individual deals in the past, and I believe that we must continue this work to provide as many living wage jobs as possible on subsidized projects. With this bill, we are fulfilling our duty to New Yorkers to make sure that taxpayer dollars are used to provide the maximum public good. By providing a high quality of life, attracting the best talent and protecting our middle class, we will remain the greatest city in the world.”

Pooper Scoopers

According to a release by the Citizens Committee for New York City, every year more than 2 million dogs in New York City’s five boroughs produce over 275,000 tons of dog waste. In Tompkins Square Park, which has the city’s largest dog run, a dozen 50-gallon drums are filled with dog waste every 48 hours. While the “pooper scooper” law passed by the City Council in 1978 requires New Yorkers to clean up after their pets, dog waste, which contains harmful pathogens, is still either landfilled or shipped out of state at considerable expense. On Saturday, May 5, at a West Village dog run adjacent to the Hudson River, Citizens Committee for New York City will announce a citywide competition to design and implement dog waste composting projects that will save landfill space and tax dollars while providing nutrient-rich fertilizer for New York City’s parks, community green spaces, and other public and private spaces.

Peter H. Kostmayer, CEO, announced the organization will award $10,000 in awards to dog owner groups, composting groups and neighborhood groups that develop innovative ways to compost dog waste in the city’s more than 400 neighborhoods.

Chinatown & Lower East Side

Council Member Chin Chides After-school Cuts

According to a release distributed by Council Member Margaret Chin, close to 70 percent of after-school programs in Chinatown and the Lower East Side are on the verge of being closed in the fall if Mayor Michael Bloomberg doesn’t restore cuts to the OST (out of school time) program.

“The cuts to after-school programs in Chinatown and the Lower East Side are extremely alarming,” Chin said. “The loss of these after-school programs will have a debilitating effect on our community and on our schools. For thousands of parents, after-school programs are the only way they can make a living and ensure that their children are safe in the afternoon hours. Parents in Chinatown and the Lower East Side cannot afford to lose these programs, and our community cannot afford to send our children out into the streets. These cuts are irresponsible. Mayor Bloomberg should be focused on expanding access to these programs and making after-school universal for all children in our City.”

Chin, along with other local officials, will hold a town hall on the after-school/OST cuts today, May 3, at 6 p.m. at P.S 134/137.

Lower Manhattan

Downtown Alliance Honors 12 Public Safety Officers

On Wednesday, April 25, the Downtown Alliance honored 12 of their public safety officers for helping to keep Lower Manhattan one of the safest areas in New York City.

“You’ve done your jobs with dedication and distinction,” Robert R. Douglass, Chairman of the Downtown Alliance, told the organization’s public safety officers. “You’ve made life better—year after year—for Lower Manhattan’s millions of workers, residents and visitors. Thanks in part to your work, we’re one of the safest districts in the city today.”

The 57-person public safety staff, recognizable by its distinctive red uniforms, patrols the streets of Lower Manhattan 24/7. Security officers check in with neighborhood businesses, provide visitors and residents with friendly directions and assist the New York City Police Department. Criminal activity in Lower Manhattan has dropped sharply since the Downtown Alliance and NYPD began working together.

Several officers received multiple awards for their actions:

Oct. 21, 2011– Supervisors Rosa Ellis and Joel Delgado, Lt. Turhan White, and Security Officers Jonathan Molina and Joseph Cuadrado helped evacuate pedestrians after a fire occurred on the 28th floor of 120 Broadway.

March 18, 2011– Security Officer Jose Matias found a $1,599 check on the sidewalk at Wall and Nassau streets and returned it to the branch manager of Valley National Bank.

March 21, 2011 – Security Officer Lyudmila Melnik reported a theft at Lenny’s Deli on John Street to the NYPD. Officers quickly arrested a suspect, and the items were returned.

May 10, 2011 – Security Officers James Paige and Shawn Soto came to the aid of an injured man after a fight broke out in the 2-3 subway station. Officer Soto stayed with the injured man while Officer Paige called the NYPD to the scene.

June 8, 2011 – Security Officer Aisha Martin helped the NYPD apprehend a man who had been arguing loudly with a security officer at a New York Stock Exchange checkpoint at Broadway and Wall. As the man fled, Officer Martin notified dispatch and gave a description to the NYPD Scooter Task Force. Officers later saw the man in Zuccotti Park and charged him with criminal possession of a weapon (brass knuckles, Mace, Taser and knife).

July 25, 2011 – Supervisor German Rosario, Security Officers James Paige, Rodrigue Bonnaire and Shawn Soto guided pedestrians to safety amid falling debris coming from a building at 16 Beaver St.