The New York Observer » Scott Stringer

Bloomberg Has Fight On His Hands To Sell Three City Buildings

Outside a freezing cold Chambers Street municipal building Friday afternoon, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer stressed his commitment to block any sale by the Bloomberg administration of three Lower Manhattan buildings owned by the city.

The mayor made reference to the sale in his State of the City last week, involving 22 Reade Street, 49-51 Chambers Street and 346 Broadway, part of the effort to streamline government, in this case through the consolidation and co-location of government office. The borough president argues, however, that the buildings might be put to better use than being sold off for private development.

"By any measure this Lower Manhattan community is suffering from overcrowded classrooms, school shortages and a lack of affordable housing to meet the needs of its constituents," said Mr. Stringer, who is expected to run for mayor. He seems to have found a special loophole because the city is selling the property through the city's Economic Development Corporation, which the borough president argues offers him oversight of the sales.

"If you try to get rid of these buildings through the E.D.C. process," Mr. Stringer continued, "you must go before the Borough Board and that's where there will be a final say and that's why I'm here today to let the Mayor and those at City Government know that we're all going to have to work together on this." Read More

UPDATED: 285 Madison Elevator Tragedy: Young & Rubicam Exec Confirmed Killed, Building Evacuated

The Observer was forwarded an email from Young & Rubicam Global Chief Executive Officer David Sable, who confirms that it was Y&R's Director of New Business Content and Experience Suzanne Hart who was killed in this morning's freakish elevator accident at 285 Madison Avenue. According to our source, everyone in the office will Read More

Knives Out: Politicians Blast Bloomberg’s Zuccotti Eviction; Occupy Enters New Phase

In the aftermath of Mayor Bloomberg’s clearing of Zuccotti Park last week, as helmeted police were still pushing stragglers up Broadway and the first morning commuters appeared, a protester named Jake shouted a warning at the cadre of cops shoving protesters away from their erstwhile home.

“There were people smoking crack, people with puppies begging for money, we looked like shit,” Jake yelled to the police. “Now what do we look like? Peaceful protesters getting our asses kicked. This is the best thing that could have happened. There are thousands of people watching us.” Read More

The Eight-Day Week: August 3-August 10

Wednesday, August 3 The Ultimate Art Machine Is the Guggenheim the Shake Shack of museums? Locations, locations, locations! Not content with outposts in the Basque Country and the United Arab Emirates (as well as the now-shuttered Las Vegas outpost, which seems in retrospect a bit of an overreach…to Read More

Stringer, De Blasio, Anti-Gun Advocates Call on Bloomberg to Reject Walmart [Updated]

A coalition of anti-gun advocates are calling on Mayor Bloomberg this morning to join them in rejecting Walmart's plans to expand to New York City in light of a report that the big box retailer is trying to increase its sales of guns and ammunition as a way to boost its bottom line.

"The mayor needs Read More

Ruben Diaz Jr. Wishes Cathie Black Well, Stringer Makes a Titanic Comparison

Two borough presidents--the Bronx's Ruben Diaz Jr. and Manhattan's Scott Stringer--were among the first to issue statements responding to the replacement of schools chancellor Cathie Black.

"During her time as chancellor, Cathie Black and I had a good working relationship, and I wish her well," Diaz said in his statement.

"I have known Dennis Walcott for years, Read More

Stringer’s Crowd: Hiltzik, Shorenstein, Landis, Roskoff

Lending their name to Scott Stringer's latest fund-raiser next month, which benefits his all-but-announced 2013 mayoral run, are some pillars of the Democratic establishment. They are almost entirely from Manhattan, which he'll need to lock down before making serious inroads in Brooklyn and Queens.

Named on the fund-raising invitation are uber-spokesman Matt Hiltzik, former Cuomo Read More

Bloomberg: Stringer Wrong on Rats

Mayor Mike Bloomberg said that Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer was wrong to hold a "rat invasion" presser today where the BP called for the city to beef up its ranks of pest control inspectors.

"The city is doing a great job as a matter of fact," the mayor shot back to a reporter who Read More

On Redistricting, Weiner and Liu Stand Out

Independent, non-partisan redistricting is a major goal now being pushed in Albany by former Mayor Ed Koch and good-government reformers. Recently, Anthony Weiner--a Democratic congressman and all-but announced 2013 mayoral candidate--took some heat for his opposition to reforming the way New York's legislative lines are drawn after each census.

But Weiner is not the only likely Read More

Stringer Says King’s Hearing Make U.S. Less Safe

One day after Bill de Blasio stepped into the void - created in no small part by Michael Bloomberg's silence - in comes Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer.

In a letter to Rep. Peter King, Stringer says the congressman's hearings on terrorism and Islam will make America less safe.

The city is in dire need Read More

Bike Lames! Straw Men on 10-Speeds in New York’s Last Culture War

"I see people who buy $25 mac-and-cheese on both sides of this argument," Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, told The Observer last week as he finished dinner at Rachel's Burritos in Park Slope and prepared to hop on his bike for the 1-mile trek home. "And yet I do think it's true. Read More

Quinn: Some NYC Parades More Discriminatory Against LGBT Than U.S. Military

NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn says she won’t march in Staten Island’s St. Patrick’s Day parade anymore because, for the first time, they barred participation from LGBT parade-goers.

Quinn, who is Irish and openly gay, made the announcement Sunday surrounded by NYC Comptroller John Liu, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, Manhattan Borough President Stringer and others, Read More

Bowing for Columbia: West Harlem Gets the Protection It’s Been Waiting For

When Columbia announced its plans to create a new 17-acre campus in the Manhattanville neighborhood of West Harlem, those living just next door were understandably worried. The university has had a fractious relationship with Morningside Heights, from the controversial 1960s gymnasium that sparked riots to its imposing campus that is seen as off-limits to Read More

Bike Lanes Actually Kinda Dangerous

Recently, blogger Felix Salmon spotted a baby--yes, someone's newborn child--set down in its baby carrier in the middle of a bike lane. And not just any bike lane but Grand Street, one of the busiest and most notorious streets in Chinatown.

As a new study by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer shows, that mother could Read More

Have the Jobless Help the Homeless

Scott Stringer thinks he has a good idea to help solve the city's homelessness problem. The Manhattan Borough President already supports a census of vacant buildings in the city, which could be used to temporarily house the homeless. The City Council, and Speaker Christine Quinn in particular, does not support such a plan. So Read More