Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams Announce Progress Building a More Inclusive, Prosperous “New” New York

Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced progress in building a more inclusive, prosperous “New” New York, one year after releasing the "Making New York Work for Everyone" action plan last December. Since convening the “New” New York panel of civic leaders and industry experts to help shape New York City’s and the surrounding downstate region’s path to equitable economic recovery and resurgence and releasing their recommendations, the state and city have boosted subway ridership to hit a new record of more than 4.1 million riders in a day on back-to-back days and increased the number of New Yorkers returning to the office — both to record levels since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic; and drove more New Yorkers to participate in the local economy, especially people of color across New York City, at near-historic rates.

“The recommendations of the ‘New’ New York Panel are our road map to a stronger, fairer, more accessible New York, and over the past year, Mayor Adams and I have worked hand-in-hand to deliver on those recommendations for all New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul said. “We’ve made incredible progress toward creating thousands more units of housing, secured historic investments in child care and mental health, boosted fast-growing industries to create 21st century jobs, improved our transit system and more to build a future that New Yorkers can be proud of. I am committed to working with the Mayor and all of our local, state, and federal partners to fulfill the panel’s recommendations and build a New York that truly works for everyone.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, ““New York City has supercharged its economic recovery because we’ve looked towards the future and have not tried to recreate the past. With the partnership of Governor Hochul and the ‘New’ New York panel, we have laid out a bold vision for what a more vibrant, inclusive New York City looks like, and we’ve been relentless in our work to make that vision a reality for New Yorkers. While we have not solved all of New York City’s economic challenges in one year, we have started to shape a “new” city with re-imagined commercial districts, better transportation options, and more inclusive opportunities that will benefit New Yorkers for decades to come.”

To help pave the way for New York City’s economic resurgence, the state and city have made significant progress to achieve the “New” New York action plan’s three core goals to: 1) reimagine New York’s business districts, 2) make it easier for New Yorkers to get to work, and 3) generate inclusive, future-focused growth. Highlights include:

Reimagine New York’s Business Districts as Vibrant 24/7 Destinations: Transforming NYC's single-use business districts into great places where people live, work, and play.

• Made substantial progress on an initiative to transform underutilized state land into housing, including the release of the Creedmoor Community Master Plan; the selection of a winning proposal to redevelop the former Lincoln Correctional Facility, and requests for proposals to redevelop the former Bayview Correctional Facility and Javits Center’s Site K.
• Secured an agreement to advance a major, mixed-use development at 5 World Trade Center that will include approximately 1,200 units of housing, one-third of which will be permanently affordable and a portion of which will be offered to New Yorkers impacted by 9/11.
• Created a program to advance projects in the Gowanus rezoning area halted by the expiration of 421-A, unlocking thousands of units of housing, including affordable housing, for New Yorkers.
• Launched a new Office Conversions Accelerator to convert vacant offices into housing.
• Kicked off and completed initial phases of the “Broadway Vision” plan to create vibrant, new public spaces and improved street safety between Madison Square and Herald Square in Manhattan.
• Created “Dining Out NYC,” New York’s permanent outdoor dining program and the largest outdoor dining program in the nation.
• Launched the Manhattan Commercial Revitalization Program to provide financial assistance to support transformative renovations of aging commercial office buildings in Midtown, Manhattan.
• Invested $40 million to deliver vibrant public spaces and street safety improvements along Fulton Street and across Downtown Brooklyn.
• Advanced a plan requiring all businesses and the majority of residences, to containerize waste.
• Advanced the historic “City of Yes for Economic Opportunity” zoning proposal to modernize zoning to support small businesses and industrial growth, and create good-paying jobs for working-class New Yorkers.
• Launched the Public Realm Equity Plan to provide tools and support over 100 public spaces in under-resourced neighborhoods.
• Appointed the city’s first chief public realm officer to create extraordinary public spaces across the entire city and continue to drive the city’s economic recovery.

Make It Easier for New Yorkers to Get to Work​: Improving commutes into Manhattan and strengthening employment hubs and workspaces across five boroughs so people can work closer to home.

• Made record investment to save the MTA and secure stable long-term financial plan.
• Invested $200 million and unveiled community vision to redevelop Kingsbridge Armory and create new economic opportunities in the Bronx.
• Accelerated pace of completion of MTA accessibility projects across the New York City subway system.
• Advanced New York’s nation-leading congestion pricing program to generate billions in revenue for the MTA and improve overall regional air quality.
• Expanded “MTA City Ticket,” which provides Metro-North and Long Island Railroad customers with a low-cost, flat-fare to travel within New York City.
• Launched action plan and “Smart Curbs” pilot to reimagine the city's curb space.
• Announced historic expansion of New York City's greenway corridors build more than 40 miles of new protected bike infrastructure.
• Announced the $700 million a first-in-the-nation climate research, education, and jobs hub on Governors Island.
• Advanced the city’s Blue Highways initiative, to activate the robust network of local waterways for the sustainable movement of goods.
• Opened the Grand Central Madison terminal, representing the largest expansion of Long Island Rail Road service in 112 years.
• Unveiled a new vision a for a first-of-its-kind hub for sustainable transportation and deliveries at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport.
• Advanced the “City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality” zoning proposal through the New York City Council to facilitate climate action, clean energy, and resiliency by removing barriers to greener and more efficient energy systems, buildings, and transportation.
• Made historic investments in the area around the Broadway Junction subway station to create vibrant public space, create family-sustaining jobs, and unlock economic growth throughout East New York.

Generate Inclusive, Future-Focused Growth: Supporting the growth of jobs and innovation and breaking down barriers to economic mobility.

• Secured a historic increase to New York’s minimum wage that will increase the minimum wage to $17-per-hour in New York City by 2027, then index the minimum wage to inflation.
• Expanded the New York Film Tax Credit to $700 million in the FY 2024 New York State Budget to encourage production in the state.
• Expanded the New York City Musical & Theatrical Tax Credit program as part of the FY 2024 New York State Budget to include Off-Broadway productions.
• Eliminated a key barrier to workforce participation for low-income New Yorkers and mitigated the public assistance "benefits cliff" by disregarding income earned by recipients through workforce training programs.
• Invested $120 million in the FY 2024 New York State Budget to expand the Medicaid buy-in program beginning in FY 2025 so that more New Yorkers with disabilities can work and still qualify for their health care coverage.
• Signed legislation that will advance the city and state’s shared efforts to tackle New York’s affordable housing crisis.
• Advanced the Science Park and Research Campus (SPARC) project to create a life sciences career and education hub to anchor industry in New York City.
• Announced nearly $300 million for a new biomedical research hub with support from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
• Unveiled a $600 million action plan to build inclusive career pathways for young New Yorkers.
• Launched a $150 million Mid-Hudson Momentum Fund for mixed-use housing and infrastructure projects throughout the Mid-Hudson Region.
• Created a $50 million fund for new spaces that drive innovation in future-focused sectors, including the life sciences, green economy, offshore wind, and technology.
• Signed legislation to create a tax incentive for growing biotech companies.
• Created the first Mayor’s Office for Child Care & Early Education and launched a plan to make New York’s child care system fairer, more affordable, and easier to access.
• Created a record number of affordable and supportive homes while connecting the most number of vulnerable New Yorkers to permanent housing.
• Unveiled the “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” zoning proposal to “build a little more housing in every neighborhood” that will end up creating an additional 100,000 homes and more than 250,000 family-sustaining jobs.
• Launched a $75 million “Small Business Opportunity Fund” — the largest public-private loan fund directed at small businesses in the city’s history.
• Created the “Office of Community Hiring” to leverage city contracts to create jobs in economically-disadvantaged communities.
• Announced “Pilot: New York City” to advance New York City as a global hub for urban innovation.
• Announced over $6 billion to a record-setting 1,903 city-certified minority- and women-owned business enterprises.

In June 2023, B.J. Jones was appointed as the first-ever executive director of the “Making New York Work for Everyone, overseeing implementation of the plan crafted by the “New” New York panel.

New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, "The holistic approach of the ‘New’ New York Panel is putting our city and our state on the path to becoming a more affordable, equitable, stable, and sustainable place to live and work. In one year’s time, due to the leadership of Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams, we are seeing much-needed progress in tackling some of the most pressing needs of New Yorkers – providing more social support to individuals and families, making it easier to get to and from work, and removing barriers that prevent us from increasing the supply of housing across the City. Thanks the partnership between the State, City, industry experts and other community stakeholders, there is no doubt this initiative will continue to bring about positive, long-lasting, transformative change.”

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, “Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams understand that, for New Yorkers, transit is an essential service as much as police, fire, and sanitation.That understanding is reflected in the huge progress made since the ‘New’ New York Report was issued – surging ridership, expanded service, five years of balanced budgets, and transformative investments in accessibility, new stations, and system resiliency.”

Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams launched the “New” New York panel in May 2022 with co-chairs and former New York City deputy mayors Richard Buery, now CEO of Robin Hood, and Daniel Doctoroff, former CEO of Sidewalk Labs. The broad and diverse panel of civic leaders and industry experts worked for six months to generate recommendations for the city and state — at a time of historic alignment between the two — to partner with each other and across sectors to reimagine a "New" New York that propels the city and the region forward for its next chapter of equitable, inclusive growth.

“New” New York Panel Co-Chair Dan Doctoroff said, “New Yorkers never back down from a challenge and there has been encouraging progress by the city and state to advance initiatives outlined in the ‘New’ New York action plan to spur growth, make it easier for people to get where they need to go, and reimagine commercial districts. We must continue to build momentum to leverage this blueprint for transformative change, breaking down bureaucratic friction and regulatory barriers. By making the necessary investments now, we can realize an inclusive economy that makes New York the best place to live, work, and visit.”

“New” New York Panel Co-Chair and CEO of Robin Hood Richard R. Buery said, “What I have loved most about my work with the “New” New York Panel was its focus on people and our future as New Yorkers. Our work centered on what matters most to make New York work for everyone - reimaging our business districts, improving transportation, addressing climate change, and guiding the growth of our city in a people-centered way that provides affordable housing, high quality, accessible, child care, vibrant neighborhood-based small businesses, and workforce training programs that enable New Yorkers compete for high wage jobs. The greatest challenge of any civic planning exercise is to make sure that we remain focused on the needs of people who are not often represented in the rooms of power. I think what we accomplished was a giant step forward for inclusion and equity."

“New” New York Panel Member and Association for a Better New York CEO Melva M. Miller said, “New” New York. “As we mark the one-year anniversary since the convening of the ‘New’ New York Panel, I am pleased to reflect on the remarkable journey we've undertaken in support of New York City's path to equitable economic recovery and resurgence. The commitment to our vision outlined in the ‘New’ New York: Making New York Work for Everyone action plan has been steadfast, resulting in significant milestones achieved over the past year. From reimagining our business districts with proposed modern zoning to support business growth and create good jobs, to ensuring New Yorkers can easily access their workplaces by making record investments in the MTA, to fostering inclusive, future-focused growth by tackling New York’s affordable housing crisis, the collective efforts have played a pivotal role in the city's recovery. As we continue to champion these initiatives, we remain dedicated to fostering a thriving and inclusive New York for all who live, work, and visit.”

“New” New York Panel Member and Downtown Brooklyn Partnership President Regina Myer said, “The ‘New’ New York panel’s accomplishments have already impacted New York City's business districts, ensuring our economic hubs remain vibrant destinations for all, and Downtown Brooklyn is a shining example of that. As a bustling mixed-use neighborhood committed to creating the best experiences for our businesses, residents, workers and visitors, this plan has, thus far, announced a $40 million investment towards streetscape improvements along Fulton Street, transportation upgrades, and beautified public spaces. We thank Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul for their leadership on this initiative and look forward to seeing its continued impact on Downtown Brooklyn and across the city.”

“New” New York Panel Member and Grand Central Partnership CEO Fred Cerullo said, “Over the past year, the ‘New’ New York panel has developed an ambitious agenda to lead New York City on the fast track to economic recovery and revitalization. While we still face many daunting challenges, the work of this important private public partnership has generated positive momentum for the resurgence of our city.”

“New” New York Panel Member and BlocPower CEO Donnel Baird said, “A few dozen finance and tech CEOs met with the governor and the mayor in 2022 to hear their vision for how to help New York rebound. Halfway through the meeting, all of the business leaders were relaxed — we were all confident that our city and state had the exact right leadership in place. We were in good hands. Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams followed through on every word and delivered on every commitment to bring New York roaring back. To top it off, they continue to push for New York to be the national leader in clean energy policy — innovating for the future even while securing the present!”

“New” New York Panel Member and Cornell Tech Jacobs Urban Tech Hub Fellow Cara Eckholm said, “‘New’ New York laid the foundation for more intensive collaboration between the public, the private sector, and civil society. Coming out of ‘New’ New York, Cornell Tech launched Pilot: New York City, a research program to help bolster New York's innovation ecosystem. Pilot: New York City includes many components, including procurement modernization, an area where New York is starting to lead. The New York City Housing Authority has quietly become a technology procurement leader through its Clean Heat for All Challenge, which focused on spurring the cold-weather heat pump market. With leadership from City Hall, we are excited to see the challenge-based procurement model pioneered by NYCHA extend to other New York City agencies.”

“New” New York Panel Member and Professor of Urban Policy and Planning at New York University Mitchell L. Moss said, Governor Hochul, Mayor Adams, and their leadership teams are doing a superb job bringing the “New” New York report to life. NYC's vitality depends on more housing, good jobs and improvements in transportation and this is precisely what our city agencies are doing today.

“New” New York Panel Member and HR&A Senior Advisor Carl Weisbrod said, “It is great to see how much progress “New” New York made in Year One. Onward and upward in year two!”

“New” New York Panel Member Victor Calise said, “New York’s disabled community will have access to real jobs and accessible public transportation in a more respectful way, thanks to the Center for Workplace Accessibility and Inclusion and accelerated MTA accessibility. The ‘New’ New York’s effective efforts will improve the lives of almost 1 million disabled individuals, and I am proud to be part of it.”

“New” New York Panel Member and Mid-Atlantic Executive Director for Generation Citizen Khin Mai Aung said, "I'm thrilled to have been part of the ‘New’ New York panel and to see the fruits of our labor, with an eye for inclusion across all boroughs and sectors, as well as the needs of diverse segments of our population. In particular, I am encouraged by the plan's prioritization of expanding equitable access to high quality early education and childcare, the development of career pipelines in the technology sector through FutureReadyNYC, and the record-breaking production of affordable homes in our city."

Regional Plan Association President and CEO Tom Wright said, “Implementation of the ‘New’ New York recommendations has been making real progress, including the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, a permanent open restaurants program, funding the MTA and implementing congestion pricing, and many other important initiatives. These ambitious efforts are essential to creating a more prosperous and equitable New York City and region. While there is much work left to do, RPA is pleased to see so many concrete steps toward implementation and we are proud to continue to partner with the Adams administration to see them through to completion. Congratulations to Mayor Adams, Governor Hochul and their teams for swiftly advancing these much-needed programs."

Real Estate Board of New York President James Whelan said, “Continuing the City’s economic recovery will require an ongoing focus on policies to reimagine our business districts, strengthen our transit infrastructure and reverse our housing supply crisis. The work of the ‘New’ New York Panel has provided a roadmap for continuing that recovery.”