capital projects tracker nyc

Harmony Playground Improvements: The Alliance is creating a sunshade for the Harmony Playground sandbox. While this construction is in process, there is no access to the north end of the playground, including the toddler swings and water feature. For these amenities, please visit the Third Street Playground, located at 3rd Street and Prospect Park West. Thank you for your understanding.

The Alliance

Capital projects tracker.

Prospect Park Alliance , the non-profit organization that sustains the park in partnership with the City, undertakes a variety of restoration and improvement projects throughout Prospect Park. This is made possible through the support of partners in government, as well as private foundations and individual donors.

Capital projects follow the New York City Parks design and construction guidelines. Each phase takes approximately one year, although the construction timeline is based on the scope of the project:

• Funded or Partially Funded: Funding has been secured or partially secured, but the project has not yet entered the design phase.
• Design Phase : Prospect Park Alliance architects and landscape architects draw up the plans for the project, and guide them through the approval process.
• Procurement Phase : the project goes through a public process to assemble the construction team.
• Construction Phase : the physical construction of the project takes place.​

Funded or Partially Funded

Pathway Lighting (Center Drive to Long Meadow Ballfields)

Through District 40 Participatory Budgeting, Council Member Rita Joseph allocated $130,000 of the $900,000 needed to add new lighting along a woodland pathway that connects Center Drive at the Nethermead to the Long Meadow Ballfields.

Willink Restroom Restoration

Council Member Crystal Hudson allocated $500,000 toward the $4 million restoration of the Willink Restroom, which serves the park’s Children’s Corner (home to the Carousel, Zoo and Lefferts Historic House). This heavily used facility is a historic landmark, designed by the Boathouse’s famed architects Helmle & Huberty, and has not been touched by restoration since 1991, and is in need of a full upgrade, including a new roof, lighting, plumbing, mechanical and electrical systems, and new gender-neutral restroom facilities.

Design Phase

Boathouse Improvements

Through funding from New York State District Assembly 44 including $250,000 from the New York State Development Program and $500,000 from the State and Municipal Facilities Program, Prospect Park Alliance will repair terra cotta at the exterior, and provide air conditioning to the interior, update electrical wiring, and repair historic floors at the first floor at the Prospect Park Boathouse.

Estimated Design Completion: 2024

Estimated Construction Completion: 2026

Esdale Bridge

Through $500,000 in funding allocated through District 39 Participatory Budgeting, Prospect Park Alliance will restore this historic rustic bridge, which connects the Long Meadow to the Ravine (at the pathway that traverses the Long Meadow from the Picnic House).

Estimated Construction Completion: 2025

Horseback Riding Ring

Through $4.1 million in funding from the New York City Council and Brooklyn Borough President, Prospect Park Alliance will create a covered horseback riding ring for public and therapeutic riding. Prospect Park is currently home to a therapeutic horseback riding program offered by Gallop NYC, a non-profit organization that serves children and adults with disabilities and special needs, at an uncovered ring at the Prospect Park Parade Ground Bowling Green. The covered riding ring will enable riding to take place year round and in inclement weather, and broaden the programming.

Lakeshore Restoration: Master Plan and Phase 1

Through the advocacy of our community (more than 1,100 community members shared letters of support) and Council Members Hanif, Hudson and Joseph; the Mayor, Council Speaker Adams and the Brooklyn Delegation allocated $3 million for the $20 million restoration of Lakeshore, which will make environmental and accessibility improvements along the shoreline of the Prospect Park Lake. This initial funding will enable us to create a master plan and execute a portion of the restoration.

Estimated Phase 1 Design Completion: 2024

Estimated Phase 1 Construction Completion: 2026

Lincoln Road Playground Restoration

Through $3 million in funding from Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, the Lincoln Road Playground will be restored to bring it up to current safety code. The 20,000 square foot playground will include new climbing structures, a hand activated water feature, new safety surfacing and furniture, and creatively repurposed hardwood from the existing structures. The restoration is slated to go into reconstruction in 2025.

Parkside + Ocean Avenue Pergola

Through $750,000 in funding from Council Member Rita Joseph, Prospect Park Alliance is restoring the pergola at Parkside and Ocean Avenue. In the 1890s during the City Beautiful movement, McKim Mead & White designed a pergola for the Park Circle entrance at Parkside and Ocean Avenue. Currently, the timber trellis is in very poor condition due to insect and water damage. Graffiti that covered the walls has been painted over, obscuring the intended appearance of the pergola and causing a maintenance challenge. The intent of this project is to reconstruct the Pergola as closely as feasible to the 1890s condition by replacing the timber trellis, cleaning the granite surfaces, repointing the stone, grouting joints and recreating the wood lattice screen wall.

Estimated Design Completion : 2024

Shirley Chisholm Monument

Thanks to $1 million in funding from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, a monument will be built at the Parkside and Ocean Avenue entrance to Prospect Park to pay tribute to Brooklyn trailblazer and hero, Shirley Chisholm. The monument, designed by artists Amanda Williams and Olalekan B. Jeyifous, is composed of painted steel, patinated bronze and carved stone. The design features a monumental portrait of Chisholm patterned with images of plants native to Brooklyn and Barbados, where Chisholm spent ages five through nine, including Pride of Barbados, American Chestnut and Wild Geranium, juxtaposed with the nation’s Capitol Building. The stonework surrounding the monument includes a Chisholm quote and an outline of the House of Representatives seating plan, with a bronze plaque representing Chisholm’s seat.

Shirley Chisholm Welcome Center

Through $6.75 million in funding from the New York City Council, including Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and the Brooklyn Delegation, led by Council Members Crystal Hudson, Rita Joseph, Shahana Hanif, and former Council Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo, Prospect Park Alliance will convert a disused restroom facility at the Ocean and Parkside Avenue entrance to Prospect Park into the Shirley Chisholm Welcome Center, which will include infrastructural upgrades, new restroom facilities and visitor information to complement a new monument to Shirley Chisholm that will be erected at this entrance honoring the significance of her role in the history of Brooklyn.

Estimated Design Completion: 2025

Estimated Construction Completion: 2027

Third Street Playground Restoration

Through $3 million in funding from the City, Third Street Playground will be restored, which will include new play equipment and furniture, new safety surface and pavement, a hand activated water feature, and creatively reused hardwood from the current equipment. The restoration is slated to go into reconstruction in 2025.

Vale Restoration

Through $40 million in funding from the Mayor, Prospect Park Alliance is restoring approximately 10 acres in the 27 acres of the park’s northeast corner. This includes the historic Children’s Pool in the Lower Vale, which will restore the historic details of this turn of the 20th-century water feature, while enhancing its role as a bird habitat. The project will also transform a former Rose Garden in the Upper Vale. Through an intensive, multi-year community outreach effort, a vision was created for this area of the park, which includes the creation of a pollinator garden and planted arbor; a nature exploration area for families; an open lawn area and a small pavilion with composting restrooms and a green roof. Learn more about this project on our website.

Vale Signage & Parkwide Wayfinding

A system of signage and wayfinding is being developed as a part of the Vale Restoration project. This project will install Identification, interpretive, stewardship, accessibility, and placemaking sign types in the Upper and Lower Vale.

Procurement Phase

Children’s Corner Improvements

Through $425,000 in funding through the District 39 Participatory Budgeting process, Prospect Park Alliance will improve the park’s ​​Children’s Corner: enhancing accessibility and use of this important destination for families that is home to the Prospect Park Zoo, Lefferts Historic House and the Prospect Park Carousel. Work will include renovating pathways that intersect this area and continue to other destinations in the park.

Litchfield Villa Landscape: Main Entrance Ramp

Through $1.5 million in funding from the Brooklyn Delegation of the New York City Council, Prospect Park Alliance is improving accessibility to the Litchfield Villa. The project will create a new ADA-compliant entrance ramp, which includes restoring a portion of the original brownstone wall, installing a new cast stone ramp, reconstructing the existing entrance steps and landing, and bringing the interior vestibule of the Villa to ADA code compliance.

Maintenance Compound

Through $5.57 million in funding from the Speaker and the Brooklyn Delegation of the New York City Council, Prospect Park Alliance is building a new Maintenance Compound. This new facility will provide offices and storage for Alliance and NYC Parks Landscape Management and Maintenance + Operations staff, who currently are housed in facilities around the park, including the soon-to-be restored Tennis House.

Meadowport-Endale Path Reconstruction 

$500,000 has been allocated by New York State Assembly Member Robert Carroll for the reconstruction of the pedestrian path between Endale and Meadowport Arches. The improvements include new drainage, paving and benches.

Ocean Avenue and Parkside Avenue Entrance + Perimeter Restorations

Prospect Park Alliance is undertaking a $15.75 million restoration of the Parkside and Ocean Avenue perimeters and entrance to the park, which is made possible through $10.5 million in funding by the New York City Department of Transportation; $3.5 million in funding from the Brooklyn Borough President; $1 million in funding from the Mayor, and $750,000 in funding from New York City Council District 40. This large-scale restoration will include new sidewalks and paving; new historic lighting and street furniture; new trees; and the addition of a protected bike lane. A focal point of the entrance will be a new monument to Brooklyn political trailblazer U.S. Rep. Shirley Chisholm, who was both the first black Congresswoman and the first woman to seek the Democratic presidential nomination. This project continues the Alliance’s work to restore the perimeter of the east side of the park, including the Flatbush Avenue perimeter, which was funded by the Borough President and former Council Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo.

Parade Ground Field 9 Restoration

Through $1.5 million in funding from Council Member Rita Joseph, the Alliance will replace the turf on Field 9 at the Parade Ground, pave pathways and install ADA accessible drinking fountains. This field is a beloved destination for a range of sports and sees heavy use by the community.

Prospect Park Tennis House Restoration

Through $3.6 million in funding from the Mayor, the Brooklyn Delegation of the New York City Council and New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Prospect Park Alliance is restoring the historic Prospect Park Tennis House, which was designed by the same architects as the Prospect Park Boathouse, and originally served as a facility for lawn tennis players at the turn of the 19th century. Located along the Long Meadow near the park’s 9th Street entrance, the Tennis House has been closed to the public for the last decade. This funding will allow the Alliance to restore this beautiful structure, create public restrooms and bring the building back to public use. Improvements will include restoration of the roof, a new hidden gutter and downspout, restoration of exterior tile, facade cleaning and brick repointing and renovation of restrooms.

Water Line Replacement

Through $1.4 million in funding from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Prospect Park Alliance will be replacing nearly century-old valves and sections of water main pipes that feed the Prospect Park watercourse. The project will also include installing a control system to regulate the outflow of water that feeds the park’s watercourse, and installing a reduced pressure zone assembly (RPZ valve) to protect the New York City water supply.

Construction Phase

Bandshell Lawn Restoration

Through $250,000 in funding through District 39 Participatory Budgeting, Prospect Park Alliance will also rehabilitate the lawn areas surrounding the Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park.

Estimated Construction Completion: Spring 2025

Garfield Entrance + Long Meadow Paths

Through $500,000 in funding from New York State Assembly Member Robert Carroll, Prospect Park Alliance is improving the Garfield Entrance pedestrian path and the rustic rail paths that lead to the Park Drive and Long Meadow from Prospect Park West to provide an accessible route for visitors, and address the erosion that has occurred due to heavy use of this popular entrance to the park.

Estimated Construction Completion: Fall 2024

Grand Army Plaza Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch Restoration

Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has provided $6 million in funding for Prospect Park Alliance to restore the historic Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch in Grand Army Plaza. The project will replace the Arch’s roof, clean and repoint the brick and stone structure, restore the interior brass and iron staircases that lead to the roof, and replace the interior and exterior lighting. The Memorial Arch, which commemorates the Civil War, is Brooklyn’s most significant monumental public artwork. It was designed by John Duncan and completed in 1892 to commemorate the Union’s soldiers and sailors. The Arch is adorned with three bronze statuary ensembles by sculptor Frederick MacMonnies.

Estimated Construction Completion: Summer 2024

Harmony Playground Improvements and Adult Fitness Area

Through $850,000 in funding through the District 39 participatory budgeting, Prospect Park Alliance is enhancing the Harmony Playground in Prospect Park, and creating an adult fitness area adjacent to the playground. The design will provide exercise equipment designed for senior citizens and the less able-bodied; and install a shade structure over the existing sandbox.

MTA Substation Improvements

MTA is renewing the 13th Street Substation situated under Prospect Park at Prospect Park West and 13th Street, along the F and G lines. The first phase of the project requires excavation of the landscape to repair and replace underground ducts with electrical cables that feed the station. This includes the removal of park benches and trees, which will be replaced in kind or through restitution, and the redirection of pathways both inside and along the park perimeter. This work is slated to be completed by Summer 2024. The second and final phase, scheduled to begin in 2024, includes the installation of new power equipment, new ventilation, and structural work for the substation, which is not expected to disrupt access within the park.

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The NYCHA Journal has informed and inspired residents since 1970, covering the news, contributions, and uplifting stories of the NYCHA community while providing the latest information on Authority initiatives.

NYCHA Launches Enhanced Capital Projects & Needs Tracker

New features include development pages with capital needs and project overviews, and more detailed information on completed, ongoing, and planned projects

The enhanced tracker improves on the first version launched in April 2022

On March 25, NYCHA announced the launch of a new and enhanced online tracker to provide information about capital projects and needs at developments across the five boroughs. Improving on the first version launched in April 2022 with the addition of key features and information, NYCHA’s Capital Projects & Needs Tracker is a navigable, map-based resource that provides detailed information and status updates for over 950 of the Authority’s projects, including projects that are planned, ongoing, or completed since 2017. While the first version of the tracker provided basic project information, the enhanced Capital Projects & Needs Tracker contains additional information and resources based on user feedback and design workshops, such as development pages with capital needs and project overviews, photos, and more detailed information on each project.

“The Capital Projects & Needs Tracker is a valuable resource for many stakeholders, particularly residents,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “The ability to track the progress of the capital investments being made to and around their developments provides residents the opportunity to stay informed about progress being made that will directly improve the quality of their lives.”

“Engagement and transparency are critical for us to deliver major capital projects effectively and really meet the needs of NYCHA residents,” said Chief Asset & Capital Management Officer Shaan Mavani. “With the launch of this new Tracker, we hope to ensure residents and stakeholders have easy access to detailed information on the specific capital investment needs of each property and the investments we are making to provide quality, sustainable housing.”

Using the new tracker, site visitors can access information for a specific development, including an overview and analysis of the property’s five-year and 20-year capital investment needs based on NYCHA’s 2023 Physical Needs Assessment (PNA) . Completed and ongoing capital projects that address those needs are also detailed with a description of the scope of work; timelines for each project phase and progress to date; budget and funding sources; location(s) on the property; and project staff and architecture/engineering consultant and contractor information. A recent update including current activities, the next resident engagement touchpoint, and explanations for any delays (where applicable) is also shown for each project.

Planned projects were not available on the initial version of the tracker but are now also presented for each development. A handy “Print PDF” feature for each individual development and project page has also been added to make it easy for users to save, share, or print information from the tracker.

These enhancements to the tracker were identified and designed based on user surveys, design workshops, and user acceptance testing sessions facilitated by NYCHA’s Asset and Capital Management Department (A&CM). In addition to individual residents, other stakeholders such as the Citywide Council of Presidents (CCOP) of NYCHA Resident Councils, the Resident Advisory Board (RAB), the Resident Roundtable, the Community Advisory Committee (CAC), members of the Federal Monitor team, and staff from other departments within NYCHA provided input on the enhancements.

The new NYCHA Capital Projects & Needs Tracker is accessible at capitaltracker.nycha.info . Information about NYCHA’s various programs for modernizing the Authority’s properties can be found here .

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NYCHA Relaunches Updated Capital Project Tracker

Front screen of the updated NYCHA Capital Projects Tracker. Image Credit: NYCHA.

On March 25, 2024, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) launched an updated version of its NYCHA Capital Project & Needs Tracker , an interactive tool to improve transparency about over 950 NYCHA projects. The tracker was originally launched in April 2022. 

The new tracker allows users to learn about a specific site, including a project overview and an analysis of the site’s five-year and 20-year capital investment needs from the 2023 Physical Needs Assessment . The tracker includes information about projects since 2017 that are ongoing, completed, or planned. 

For projects that are completed or ongoing, users can find the scope of work, timelines for project phases, progress updates, budget and finding information, and project staff, architect and contractor information. Explanations for delays will also be made available where applicable. Planned projects are a new addition to the tracker. 

NYCHA implemented these changes after receiving user feedback from surveys, design workshops and testing sessions. Feedback was provided from multiple stakeholders including the Federal Monitor team, different NYCHA departments, and resident advocacy groups like the Citywide Council of Presidents of NYCHA Resident Councils, the Resident Advisory Board, and the Community Advisory Committee. 

NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt stated, “The Capital Projects & Needs Tracker is a valuable resource for many stakeholders, particularly residents. The ability to track the progress of the capital investments being made to and around their developments provides residents the opportunity to stay informed about progress being made that will directly improve the quality of their lives.”

NYCHA Chief Asset & Capital Management Officer Shaan Mavani stated, “Engagement and transparency are critical for us to deliver major capital projects effectively and really meet the needs of NYCHA residents. With the launch of this new Tracker, we hope to ensure residents and stakeholders have easy access to detailed information on the specific capital investment needs of each property and the investments we are making to provide quality, sustainable housing.”

By:  Veronica Rose  (Veronica is the Editor of CityLand and a New York Law School graduate, Class of 2018.)

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Connecting to the core: adams administration details ambitious efforts to help new yorkers access manhattan’s central business district.

Ahead of New York State's Central Business District tolling program, NYC DOT issues new report detailing projects – both new and existing—that will make it easier for New Yorkers to travel car-free to and through Manhattan's core

Agency to begin community outreach for new bus priority, bike lane, and pedestrian projects

NEW YORK – New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez today announced new efforts to improve car-free access to and through Manhattan's Central Business District (CBD) to prepare for the implementation of congestion pricing by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, including 37 new projects in development for 2024 and 2025. A report detailing this work, titled Connecting to the Core: Safer, Greener and More Convenient Access to the Manhattan Central Business District , also highlights 47 bus, bike, and pedestrian projects implemented since 2019 to make travel to and around the Central Business District faster, safer, and more convenient.

"Reducing traffic and expanding transportation options are key to improving quality of life for New Yorkers and this administration remains focused on enhancing access to Manhattan's central business district for everyone who lives and visits our city," said New York City Mayor Eric Adams . "The projects outlined in this report will play a critical role in shaping the future of transit and cycling access on nearly every avenue in Manhattan — delivering safe, reliable, and environmentally-friendly ways to get around the borough."

"For congestion pricing to succeed, New Yorkers need to see the proceeds working for them, and quickly. This is the beginning of a broad effort to ensure that the region's residents and visitors can get around more seamlessly, with tangible operational and capital improvements to public transportation," said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi . "Ultimately, we must be able to get around in ways that are sustainable for our climate change future. This is just the start of a plan to achieve that."

"Congestion pricing will reduce traffic, improve air quality in our communities, and raise critical funding for our subways and buses," said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez . "We have been preparing for this moment for over a decade, and with fewer cars entering the tolled zone, we can repropose street space to make commuting by bus, bike, or on foot safer, faster, and more reliable. We thank Mayor Eric Adams for his support and look forward to working with the MTA, Governor Hochul, and New Yorkers to craft new projects in and around Manhattan's core."

"Thanks to our partners in the City, who too understand congested streets need to be a thing of the past, buses in the congestion zone and throughout the city will be faster than ever with a series of bus priority projects moving forward," said MTA New York City Transit President Richard Davey . "We look forward to hearing from members of the public and are ready to welcome more riders to the system on buses and subways."

The report outlines three dozen proposed or planned street redesigns to help New Yorkers get around more quickly and more reliably via environmentally friendly and efficient transportation options. These projects build on more than a decade of work to improve access to Manhattan's core: the city has already delivered major redesigns for better transit and cycling access on nearly every avenue in the borough—including 100 miles of protected bike lanes.

NEW BUS PRIORITY PROPOSALS

Each day, more than 1 million people ride MTA buses, more daily passengers than any other municipal transit system in the country -- and more people than the population of all but the 10 largest American cities. NYC DOT has created 12.8 miles of bus lanes within the Central Business District since 2008 and implemented traffic signal technology to prioritize buses at over 300 intersections. The technology, known as Transit Signal Priority (TSP), allows traffic signals to hold green signals for approaching buses, or more quickly cycle through red signals for waiting buses.

Connecting to the Core identifies multiple corridors for bus prioritization to enable New Yorkers to cut through gridlock, including new or improved bus lanes and busways.

NYC DOT will work with the community to develop a plan to get buses moving faster on 34th Street in the heart of the Central Business District. Other projects include:

• Hillside Avenue bus priority from Queens Boulevard to Springfield Boulevard (Queens)
• Grand Avenue bus priority from Union Avenue to Queens Boulevard (Brooklyn, Queens)
• Richmond Avenue bus priority from Arthur Kill Road to Forest Avenue (Staten Island)
• Bus priority connecting Allen Street, Pike Street and Madison Street (Manhattan)

The agency also plans to continue outreach for recently proposed bus projects that will improve commutes outside of Manhattan's core, including bus priority projects for upper Broadway in northern Manhattan, Church Avenue in central Brooklyn, and Tremont Avenue in the Bronx.

NEW BIKE LANE PROPOSALS

NYC DOT has created over 140 miles of bike lanes in the CBD since 2008, including over 100 miles of protected lanes, to improve safety for cyclists and other micromobility users. These improvements helped fuel a dramatic, 20% increase in cycling to the CBD from 2019 to 2022. NYC DOT implemented a record number of bike lanes across the city in 2023, with more than 600,000 daily cycling trips completed that year- a new record.

To continue supporting this safe, efficient, and environmentally friendly commuting option, NYC DOT will propose projects to build new bike lanes and widen existing lanes to support the continued growth the city's seen in cycling.

• 72nd Street: New Protected Bike Lane , from Riverside Drive to York Ave
• Sixth Avenue: New Protected Bike Lane from Lispenard Street to W 8th Street
• Sixth Avenue: Widened Protected Bike Lane from 8th Street to 33rd Street
• Seventh Avenue: New Protected Bike Lane , from 42nd Street to 30th Street
• Dyckman Street: New Protected Bike Lane from Seaman Avenue to Route 9A
• Thomson Avenue: New Protected Bike Lane 44 Drive to Van Dam Street

The agency will also continue outreach and installation plans for recently announced bike lanes, including:

• Expanding the wider Third Avenue protected bike lane and bus lane both north and south on the corridor, from 23rd Street to 59th Street and from 96th Street to 128th Street;
• Tenth Avenue , from 14th Street to 38th Street;
• Sidewalk widening on Ninth Avenue, which will deliver both bike and pedestrian improvements from 42nd Street to 50th Street;
• Queens Boulevard Great Streets redesign , from Skillman Avenue to Roosevelt Avenue;
• Redesigning Delancey Street to improve traffic safety and completely reconstruct the cycling approach to the Williamsburg Bridge, New York City's busiest bridge for cyclists.

"As congestion pricing comes to our Central Business District, we applaud DOT for presenting Connecting to the Core: Safer, Greener and More Convenient Access to the Manhattan Central Business District ," said Ken Podziba, CEO of Bike New York . "This comprehensive report, which highlights DOT's street redesigns that have made our city safer and more livable, as well as new proposed projects, will make it easier for cyclists and pedestrians to travel car-free to and within Manhattan's core."

"Fast, reliable bus service saves riders' precious time and gets more people on board," said Riders Alliance Senior Organizer Jolyse Race . "With congestion pricing almost here, these urgent projects will help improve New Yorkers' transit commutes in neighborhoods across the city. Riders look forward to working with the City and MTA to make the most of this unique opportunity to advance equity and climate resilience for all New Yorkers."

"Congestion pricing itself is only half the equation - its success hinges on what we do with the space newly freed up by fewer cars," said Sara Lind, co-executive director at Open Plans . "Optimizing it for people, buses, and bikes is the right move. These modes are essential for hardworking New Yorkers and very efficient at getting them to, from, and around the commercial business district; it's only right that they receive our investment and attention. Making these improvements before the toll even begins will ensure our city is set up to reap congestion pricing's benefits on day one."

"Congestion pricing is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to truly transform our streets — and we're glad to see new plans and promises from the City to complement the program," said Elizabeth Adams, deputy executive director for public affairs at Transportation Alternatives . "We've been fighting for several of these projects for years, including a protected bike lane on 72nd Street and separate spaces for pedestrians and bike riders on the Queensboro Bridge — improvements like these are critical for New Yorkers getting around the city. We hope to see many more infrastructure improvements implemented soon in and around the central business district to make congestion pricing work for every New Yorker."

"As the city approaches the beginning of congestion pricing, it's a moment to not just re-imagine how our city streets can better serve us, it's time to draw up the plans and get cracking," said Alia Soomro, deputy director of NYC policy for the New York League of Conservation Voters . "We applaud the NYC DOT for their new report which envisions a city with more – and quicker – crosstown bus routes, more protected bike lanes through the Central Business District and across the five boroughs, and streets that are safer and more welcoming to scooters, e-bikes, and other micro-mobility vehicles."

City pushes Albany to loosen bidding rules on capital projects

Mayor Eric Adams' administration will push state lawmakers to pass five reforms that the city says would cut time and costs from construction projects.

Mayor Eric Adams’ administration is mounting a push for state lawmakers to pass a set of bills loosening some of the rules that govern the city’s notoriously slow capital process, which city leaders say would allow major projects to get done more quickly and cheaply.

The city needs permission from the state to make many changes to how it signs contracts with builders and contractors. The Adams administration wants the ability to use two contracting models that pair designers with builders earlier in the process, allowing for smoother collaboration, rather than handing off a completed design for a contractor to build.

“Think of your kitchen — it’s past its prime, it’s got leaks, it’s got flaws. Would you hire someone who’s never seen it to design it?” said Meera Joshi, deputy mayor for operations, at a City Hall event on Wednesday.

Also on the city’s agenda is another bill that would convert the Department of Design and Construction from a city agency to a public authority, akin to the Economic Development Corp. or the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Doing so would give DDC — which handles some $33 billion in capital projects — the ability to procure goods more quickly, the administration says.

City officials say the change would be especially useful for huge climate-oriented projects like seawalls, sewers and stormwater infrastructure. But it’s unclear whether state lawmakers, who tend to resist the city’s efforts to take on more autonomy, will have the appetite to let the city make such a major change to an agency like DDC.

Rachel Fauss, senior policy advisor for watchdog group Reinvent Albany, noted that increasing the use of design-build might limit the bidding pool to contractors with the ability to use that system, potentially resulting in less competition and higher costs for the city.

“We want to make sure that the process isn’t made less competitive,” Fauss said. State lawmakers, she added, will “have to weigh the pros and cons.”

As for making DDC an authority, Fauss noted that the quasi-public entities are infamous for being less than transparent with their finances. Adams’ administration has said that the future DDC authority would be subject to audits and reporting rules, but “the devil’s in the details,” Fauss said.

City leaders will push for two additional bills that would relax public comment requirements for new contracts, removing weekslong delays; and invite more small and minority-owned businesses to compete for projects by giving them insurance.

Much of the agenda stems from recommendations made by a task force Adams convened at the start of his term, charged with coming up with ideas to improve the capital process. The city succeeded in passing four of its desired state-level reforms last year — including allowing electronic bidding and raising the threshold for no-bid contracts to minority- and women-owned businesses to $1.5 million — and will now spend the last month of the state’s legislative session pushing for its remaining five policies.

New York City first won the ability in 2020 to use design-build contracts on public works projects, saving costs by letting a single entity handle both design and construction. The city is using the method to build the increasingly costly borough-based jails set to replace Rikers Island, which are now expected to cost a combined $16 billion.

The two new contracting processes the administration wants are called progressive design-build and construction manager-build. CM-Build lets a single construction firm manage a project and control underlying contracts for materials and labor, shaving time off the procurement process. The city already used the method to build vaccination centers during the pandemic, and now wants to use it to outfit libraries and cultural institutions with climate-resilient materials.

The other new method, progressive design-build, would let the city choose contractors before finalizing a project’s scope and price. Adams has said the city would use the method to construct nearly $9 billion in climate projects, including completing the greenway around Manhattan and resurfacing a buried stream in the Bronx.

A bill that would authorize the two new methods, known collectively as alternative delivery, has not yet been introduced in Albany, but a DDC spokesman said the legislation is being drawn up by Assembly and Senate leaders. The legislation to make DDC an authority is also still pending, but the bills relating for public hearings and insurance have both been introduced.

Most of the proposals appear to face little organized opposition. Instead, the city’s failure to pass them in Albany last year was due to simple “inertia,” City Comptroller Brad Lander said at Wednesday’s rally.

“There just wasn’t time to move these across the line,” said Lander, an antagonist of the mayor’s who has nonetheless teamed up with him on efforts to improve the capital process.

But red-tape-cutting contract reforms have been known to backfire in some cases. The bribery scandal that hit the New York City Housing Authority in February, resulting in 70 indictments, stemmed from a system of no-bid micropurchase contracts originally intended to facilitate repairs more quickly.

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The livestream portal connecting Dublin and New York

There is great excitement in the air across the road from Dublin's General Post Office and the iconic Spire.

Locals and tourists are fascinated by the sight of a real-time visual link between the city and New York.

The 24/7 livestream is on a big, circular screen erected just off the junction where North Earl Street runs onto the Irish capital's main thoroughfare, O'Connell Street.

It allows people in Dublin to see what's going on in New York all day.

A similar screen in New York also means people there can see what is happening in Dublin, around the clock.

Occasionally, a cheer goes up on the Dublin street when people passing the New York screen wave across the Atlantic.

In return, the New Yorkers get a host of waves and smiles from Dubliners.

John Plummer, who is visiting his capital city from Drogheda, is captivated.

"It's amazing," he said.

"It's great to see something like this in the city and to be able to watch people going about their business in New York while we're standing here in the centre of Dublin."

His cousin Luke Plummer, who is from Dublin, is also impressed.

He said: "It's great for people from here who have never been to New York to see what's going on over there at this very minute."

The idea behind the project is to unite citizens via technology on either side of the Atlantic Ocean.

The NYC portal is located on the Flatiron South Public Plaza at Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and 23rd Street, one of the Big Apple's most dynamic intersections.

Lord Mayor of Dublin Daithí De Róiste said: "I would encourage Dubliners and visitors to the city to come and interact with the sculpture and extend an Irish welcome and kindness to cities all over the world."

The portal is set to become a fixture of Dublin's streetscape throughout the summer and runs until the autumn.

In the coming months, there will be cultural performances at each city's portal to be enjoyed by people in the other city via the livestream.

From July, the Dublin portal will also connect to other global city destinations in Poland, Brazil and Lithuania.

'Amazing global cities'

Benediktas Gylys, Lithuanian artist and founder of the portal, said: "Portals are an invitation to meet people above borders and differences and to experience our world as it really is - united and one."

New York City chief public realm officer Ya-Ting Liu said: "Two amazing global cities, connected in real-time and space. That is something you do not see every day."

The Dublin portal is situated beside a statue of the internationally renowned Irish novelist and poet, James Joyce.

When asked what he thought Joyce might think of it, John Plummer smiled and said: "He'd probably be amazed at how far technology has come since his time."

NYCHANow chronicles the hard work of the men and women who make the New York City Housing Authority run, reporting the latest news and happenings.

NYCHA Unveils Online Tracker to Put Lens on Capital Projects Citywide

A closer look at hundreds of projects across NYCHA’s portfolio is now just a few clicks away.  

This week, NYCHA launched a beta version of its public, web-based Capital Projects Tracker , a resource that provides details and status updates for over 500 active and completed capital projects. At the center of the new web page is a navigable city map marked with green dots, showing the scope of NYCHA properties located throughout the five boroughs.   

By narrowing down their search by borough, district, or development, site visitors can access information for a specific capital project, such as a description of the work, timelines for each project phase, budget, location, project staff, as well as a brief update on ongoing activities. The online tracker offers improved transparency to residents and stakeholders on the progress of NYCHA’s capital investments, according to Shaan Mavani, head of NYCHA’s Asset and Capital Management Division, which worked with the Information Technology Department to develop the tracker.  

“People are always looking for better visibility on what projects are ongoing or planned at a development, and where each project is at,” Mr. Mavani explained. “Like our existing trackers for our (Superstorm) Sandy program and our PACT program , this new Capital Projects Tracker provides easier access to up-to-date information, transparency, and stronger accountability for delivery of projects by our teams.”  

Residents can use the tracker to learn more about the type of construction underway at a NYCHA site, how the project is progressing, or when the work can be expected to finish. Among the tracker’s search filters are project status (active or completed) and funding source, such as City, State, or federal.   

“City and State officials, and local community and advocacy groups, can also see details about projects at the broader neighborhood, district, and borough levels, and even what’s happening NYCHA-wide,” Mr. Mavani said.  

Using data supplied by NYCHA’s project management system every two weeks, the tracker reports the latest details for individual projects, although not every single capital project is featured due to data and technical constraints. Some exceptions include projects completed before 2017, planned projects for which funding is not yet available or allocated, emergency projects, and projects that include work at multiple properties.  

In developing the tracker, earlier versions were demonstrated for NYCHA’s Resident Roundtable , the Citywide Council of Presidents (CCOP) , and other community groups to test the user interface, experience, and key functionality.  

“It was really great to hear the positive feedback and valuable suggestions from residents and other stakeholders when we demoed earlier versions of the site,” Mr. Mavani said of the demo sessions. 

Feedback from these demonstration sessions was incorporated into the newly unveiled beta version. Mr. Mavani noted that additional user feedback will be incorporated into future releases of the tracker.   

“Bringing greater transparency and accountability for our capital projects work is one of my priorities since taking up my role earlier this year, so I am very excited we could quickly develop and release the tracker,” he said. “In the future, we hope to build on this and bring in capital needs and other information that residents and stakeholders may find useful.”

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What is TitletownTech, the Packers-Microsoft partnership expanding into the Milwaukee area?

ASHWAUBENON - In 2017, the Green Bay Packers and Microsoft set out to find a way to counteract Wisconsin's brain drain and attract exciting startup companies to northeastern Wisconsin and the state as a whole.

The result was a venture capital firm, TitletownTech , launched in 2019 to provide entrepreneurs with support and resources to launch companies with high growth potential and products that solve real-world problems.

Five years later, the firm has raised almost $100 million, invested in more than 30 startup companies, and this week helped Milwaukee secure one of only seven artificial intelligence innovation hubs in the world.

TitletownTech's entire staff was on hand Wednesday when President Joe Biden, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and Microsoft President Brad Smith visited Racine County to highlight the tech giant's development of a $3.3 billion data center .

The event also called attention to Microsoft's plan to invest in workforce and business development efforts with the potential to impact the entire state's economy. And that is where TitletownTech plays a significant, expanding role.

Here's four things to know about TitletownTech.

More: Microsoft president: Wisconsin a 'really important state' for the tech giant. Here's why

TitletownTech brings a bit of Silicon Valley to Green Bay

TieltownTech is a venture capital firm of the sort often associated with Silicon Valley, Seattle or other technology hubs.

Venture capital firms raise millions of dollars from individual investors or businesses to invest in startup and early-stage companies. TitletownTech finds entrepreneurs and startups with good ideas or products and invests the money, resources, technology and support needed to turn a good idea into a viable product or business.

The Packers and Microsoft each contributed $5 million to TitletownTech's first venture fund, which raised $25 million . The two partners also contributed an undisclosed amount to the firm's second venture fund, which raised $70 million .

TitletownTech History: How luck helped the Green Bay Packers, Microsoft launch a $95 million venture capital firm

TitletownTech investors have ties New York Mets, Boston Bruins. They also include some well-known Wisconsin businesses.

TitletownTech may be based in Green Bay, but its pool of investors includes a head-turning list of well-known Wisconsin and national businesses.

Between the two funds, TitletownTech has secured investments from Wisconsin-based companies that include: Kohler Co., The Boldt Company, Faith Technologies, AmeriLux International, Baird, Green Bay Packaging, Plexus, Schreiber, Schneider National and Sartori Cheese.

It has also secured investments from Delaware North Co-CEO Jerry Jacobs Jr., who is an alternate governor for the Boston Bruins, and New York Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon.

TitletownTech focuses its investments in 6 areas vital to Wisconsin's economy

TitletownTech focuses its investments in industries that already play a vital role in the state's economy, but also have huge potential for global growth.

The firm focuses its investments and work in six key areas:

• Sports, media and entertainment
• Digital health
• Agriculture, water and the environment
• Manufacturing and construction
• Supply chain and logistics
• Cross-industry technologies

TitletownTech supports companies that develop video games, use AI to track spy balloons, quickly detect concussions

Here's a sample of some of the companies TitletownTech has already invested in:

• Fork Farms builds indoor hydroponic farm units, expects to double its 30-person workforce by the end of 2024.
• SynthetAIc gained national attention in 2023 when it used artificial intelligence training program to track a spy balloon's path across the United States.
• Demiplane develops new digital platforms for popular role-playing games developed by giants of the entertainment industry like Paizo, Marvel and Nickelodeon.
• Midwest Games is a newer video game publisher that wants to make Green Bay a hub of the multifaceted video game industry and support Midwest-based game developers.
• Oculogica has developed a faster, more accurate way to assess concussions.

Contact Jeff Bollier at (920) 431-8387 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at @JeffBollier .