Scott Stringer | The New York Observer

A Stuy-Town Simile

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:40:58 -0500

It looks like the elected officials who represent Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village are bracing for the complex to default, and they're already reminding the complex's lenders--Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac--about how the lenders themselves needed a bit of help last year.

In a letter to Fannie and Freddie, the electeds--U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney, Councilman Dan Garodnick, State Senator Tom Duane, Borough President Scott Stringer and Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh--write:

When the federal government decided it...

With Stuy Town, Electeds Play Bailout Card On Fannie, Freddie

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:42:46 -0500

With the ever-troubled Stuyvesant Town now bordering on default, particularly in the wake of last month's giant court decision, a set of elected officials has begun taking their concerns straight to the 11,200-unit complex's debt holders: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Bypassing the current owners--a partnership led by Tishman Speyer--the officials who represent the property sent a letter last week effectively asking for kindness and cooperation during the inevitable restructuring process (within the next...

How Keen Is Manhattan Valley?

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:10:51 -0400

An unexpected alliance between a powerful developer and a neighborhood retirement home is causing an uproar in the Manhattan Valley section of the famously ornery Upper West Side.

Enigmatic developer Joseph Chetrit and Jewish Home Lifecare, which has a campus at 120 West 106th Street, between Amsterdam and Columbus avenues, have decided to swap properties.

In exchange for its 106th Street campus, the retirement home will receive both cash and the right to develop a 22-story...

Pols, Activists Rally for Governors Island Funding

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 18:29:03 -0500

It was a sea of watery witticisms on the steps of City Hall this afternoon, as supporters of Governors Island, clad in orange lifejackets, gathered to protest the Island’s omission from the state budget. Beneath an inflatable 22-foot curved pink tube, their signs ranged from the predictably maritime -- “Keep the Island Afloat!” “Don’t Let Governor’s Island Sink!” -- to the brutally honest -- “Our Green Space Needs Your Green” -- to the oddly...

Developers Delight? A Warning Community Board Input Could End

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:34:59 -0500

There’s been a bit of chatter in the past few days, at least on a handful of blogs, about the future of the city’s seven-month rezoning approval process (the Uniform Land Use Review Process, or ULURP), with rumors floating around that it will come under the microscope of the yet-to-be-created Charter Review Commission.

ULURP is required for any rezonings—and therefore many large developments—citywide. It includes non-binding recommendations from local community boards and borough presidents,...

MTA Meeting: Pleas to Suburban Siblings, Used Wall Street Protest Signs

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:50:24 -0500

It was a rough two hours for MTA board commissioners this morning: tears and tongue lashings in public testimony followed a budget presentation that confirmed all of their worst fears.

“I think I speak for all the board members when I say, ‘Wow,’” said Chairman Dale Hemmerdinger after hearing the full slate of proposed cuts.

Without specifying the amount of a fare hike for New York ...

Manhattan Beep Stringer To Seek Re-Election

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 10:58:27 -0500

From our colleague Azi Paybarah at PolitickerNY.com: "Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, who’s been contemplating a 2009 bid for citywide office, will seek re-election to his current post, according to a person with first-hand knowledge of the campaign. A formal announcement is expected sometime later today."

Here's our Sit-Down with Mr. Stringer in January, wherein he discussed his problems with some Bloomberg development initiatives and the taxation of vacant Manhattan sites. ...

The Downside to Having a Billionaire Supporter

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:36:26 -0400

News that Tom Golisano will oppose the change to term limits was, initially, seen as a boost to critics of the plan. But Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer is suggesting a drawback to Golisano’s involvement.

Critics will lose their ability to push a populist argument if t they have their own billionaire supporter, he said.

Critics of Bloomberg's plan to extend term limits have seized on the fact that it hinges on...

Apples and Light Bulbs on the Lower East Side: The way to a more eco-friendly New York City

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:25:45 -0400

We like to think greening is more than a passing style, and that the idea of sustainability is taking root in our values and becoming a real presence in our communities. One of the neighborhoods that is working hard to re-brand itself green is the lower east side of Manhattan. In fact, the environment will be big in that community this Sunday, when a street festival will feature everything from chocolate apple truffles to...

Liu for Public Advocate?

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:06:41 -0400

After City Councilman John Liu told reporters he thinks Bill Thompson is a good comptroller and doesn't want to run against him, I asked Liu if he would run against Betsy Gotbaum (if term limits are extended and she chooses to run for re-election).

“Next year I’m going to put myself before the voters,” Liu said.

Liu had previously indicated he might run for comptroller.

City Councilman Eric Gioia and possibly Manhattan Borough President Scott...

Thompson Trashes Bloomberg on Crowded Schools

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:09:00 -0400

City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Bill Thompson is continuing his assault on Michael Bloomberg. At a press conference yesterday, Thompson presented a study on crowding in city schools and said the administration would get a failing grade on the issue.

As the former head of the Board of Education, it's an issue on which Thompson can speak with...

'A Lot' of Mayoral Politicking Going on in Denver

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:02:09 -0400

DENVER—It's ultimately about Barack Obama (and Hillary too!), but for New Yorkers here for the convention, it’s hard not to think about next year’s mayor’s race. too. All three major candidates for mayor—Christine Quinn, Bill Thompson and Anthony Weiner, are in town, and were at this morning’s New York delegation breakfast at the Sheraton.

“All we’ve done is move New York City to Denver,” said Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, who is...

Bill Clinton Helps Ed Towns Raise Money

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:45:24 -0400

Bill Clinton will speak at a fund-raiser tonight for Representative Ed Towns, whose challenger, Kevin Powell, is trying to frame Towns' support of Hillary Clinton in the presidential primary as a political liability.

The event is taking place at the home of attorney Sanford Rubenstein, on East 64th Street. Clinton is expected to speak around 7:30 p.m. Others expected to attend include Representatives Anthony Weiner and Yvette Clarke, and Manhattan Borough President Scott...

Stringer's Squadron Endorsement: Connor Responds

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:16:16 -0400

As noted earlier, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer threw his support behind Dan Squadron, becoming one of the most prominent Democrats to back him in his Democratic primary challenge to state Senator Marty Connor.

Connor has responded with this statement:

“The Manhattan Borough President and I have an excellent working relationship and I am confident it will continue once the voters...

Stringer Conditionally Green Lights Lower East Side Rezoning

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:18:36 -0400

Borough President Scott Stringer has endorsed the city's proposed rezoning of the Lower East Side, giving a boost to a plan that would allow for more residential development while adding restrictions to other types, including dorms.

His endorsement of the plan, issued today, comes as the City Planning Commission gears up for a mega-hearing Wednesday, with throngs of community members expected to deliver testimony on proposed rezonings of the Lower East Side, the...

Electeds To Tishman: Set Eviction Rules at Stuy Town, Cooper Village

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:42:29 -0400

On Tuesday afternoon, City Councilman Dan Garodnick called on Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village landlord Tishman Speyer to pay the legal fees of tenants who are proven to be legitimately occupying rent-stabilized apartments in the complex after contesting non-lease renewal notices from the landlord.

Under the proposal, which was endorsed by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and State Senator Tom Duane at a press conference, Tishman would also...

Liu and Stringer Pay for Polling

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:31:35 -0400

Some other notable expenditures from city candidates, courtesy of intern Bharat Ayyar:

John Liu--whose reluctance to specify his intention for 2009 is keeping Grace Rauh busy--paid $29,340 to the Washington, D.C.-based Lake Research Partners for polling on February 22. He paid an additional $10,366.80 for a “voter survey” from the same company on March 31.

Scott Stringer, who isn’t term-limited in 2009 and whose intentions for the next election are not clear, paid Global...

Stringer Coy About 2009, Not Coy About Money for 2009

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:58:34 -0400

Scott Stringer, the Manhattan borough president whose possible entry into the 2009 races has colleagues and political experts guessing, just sent out a call for contributions toward an unspecified "2009 campaign."

“Each dollar is so important in finishing this filing strong and in making sure that I have the necessary resources to build a successful 2009 campaign,” Stringer said in an e-mail to supporters just before 1 p.m.

“The first...

Rent Board Rally: 'Welcome to The Sham'

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:23:57 -0400

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and another reigning populist in city government, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, joined the media circus outside Cooper Union on Thursday evening to denounce the Rent Guidelines Board, right before the nine-member panel voted 5 to 4 in favor of one of the steepest rent hikes in years.

As of October, rents will increase by 4.5 percent for one-year leases and 8.5 percent for two-year leases. Tenant advocates...

Yassky's 212 Fund-Raiser

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:38:25 -0400

Here's an invitation for a David Yassky fund-raiser tonight on the Upper West Side.

One of the event's hosts is Andrew Tomback, a long-time Yassky contributor who has also given some money to Eric Gioia and, once, back in the day, to Alan Hevesi.

Other notable names include John Alschuler, who has contributed to progressive Democrats like Mark Green and Ruth Messinger. Alschuler has also given money to another comptroller candidate, Melinda Katz ($250...

Patricia Lynch Raising Money for Stringer

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:24:43 -0400

On the top of this invitation for Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer's June 5 fund-raiser is a name I haven’t seen associated with his campaign before: Patricia Lynch.

She’s a major Albany lobbyist who most recently was charged with getting congestion pricing passed in the capitol. Lynch is also an experienced fund-raiser--last year, Bill Clinton headlined one of her events.

Stringer hasn't said what he will do in 2009, but his plans...

Stringer on Brooklyn Television

Thu, 08 May 2008 16:52:41 -0400

In the latest in a string of outer-borough events, one of which recently took Scott Stringer to Queens, today the Manhattan borough president was in Brooklyn filming an appearance on Brooklyn Community Access Television (BCAT), a public affairs channel that serves viewers outside Stringer's home turf.

Stringer is in his first term in office, but it's widely speculated that he will make a citywide bid next year. Before winning a crowded race for...

Politicos Rally To Save Chelsea's 'Last Ungentrified Block'

Fri, 02 May 2008 13:46:02 -0400

Protesters and politicans plan to rally in Chelsea on Saturday against the displacement of a handful of small businesses on Ninth Avenue by landlord Morris Monian.

Eight stores along what organizers are calling “the last ungentrified block in Chelsea” —including Chelsea Liquors, the Ninth Avenue Gift Shop, Sweet Banana Candy Store, New Barber Shop and Famous Deli—have between three months and two years...

Manhattan Borough President Speaks in Queens

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:56:09 -0400

The Queens County Line Democratic Club just announced that Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, who has not said whether he will seek higher office in 2009, will be speaking to the organization tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Temple Sholom in Glen Oaks.

A quote from Democratic District Leader Henry McCoy included in the release reads, "Scott Stringer has visited our organization several times including during his prior service as a Member of the Assembly...

(Stuy) Town Hall Meeting About Tishman Speyer's Mailbox Surprises

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:20:05 -0400

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh, Councilman Dan Garodnick, and assorted community groups are hosting a town hall meeting on Thursday evening to discuss the issues facing Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village residents.

The non-renewal notices from landlord Tishman Speyer that are allegedly flooding the mailboxes of both legal and illegal rent-stabilized tenants will be on the agenda; so will rent protection for market-rate...

A Crowded Breakfast on the West Side

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:04:27 -0400

Here’s a shot from the breakfast hosted Sunday morning by the Council of Orthodox Jewish Organizations on the West Side, which, as Grace Rauh noted, attracted nearly every 2009 candidate for citywide office.

Sitting at the same table were, from left to right, state comptroller Tom DiNapoli, mayoral hopeful John Catsimatidis, city Councilwoman Melissa Mark Viverito, City Councilwoman Inez Dickens, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, likely mayoral candidate Bill Thompson, Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal...

Siegel's Limited Ambition

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:44:49 -0400

Speaking at the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats club last night, public advocate candidate Norman Siegel said he doesn't plan to use the office of public advocate as a stepping stone.

The civil rights lawyer has said before that he is interested in protecting citizens' civil liberties, but he doesn't want to make the painful decisions that an executive has to make. According to one attendee, Siegel said, as an example, that he couldn't bring...

Orthodox Organizations Host Most Mayoral Candidates

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:15:59 -0400

This Sunday, likely mayoral candidates Bill Thompson and Anthony Weiner are among those expected to deliver remarks at a breakfast organized by the West Side Community of Orthodox Jewish Organizations.

Notably absent from the invitation is Christine Quinn, another likely mayoral candidate who does, after all, represent parts of the West Side.

The March 30 event is taking place at the New York Historical Society, and will also include remarks from Representative Jerry...

Murray Hill to City and State: Here's How We See East River Park

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:31:25 -0500

If the city does not get behind a proposal to build a public park on the Murray Hill segment of the East River esplanade now when a trio of high-profile construction projects are in various stages of development, the five-year-old plan to build a green space in the area may never be realized.

With the public review process for Sheldon Solow’s 6.5 million-square-foot mixed-use development from 36th to 41st...

Stringer to Speak in Brooklyn

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 09:24:34 -0500

Here is another indicator that Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer may be looking to run for a citywide office in 2009.

According to this flyer from the Independent Neighborhood Democrats, a political club in Brooklyn, Stringer will be a guest speaker there later this month.

Jonathan P. Hicks of the New York Times thinks that once Stringer makes his plans public, it will have a ripple effect on other politicians considering a run for office in...

Sing It, Scott Stringer! Manhattan's Wild Card

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:09:42 -0500

Location: What do you think about the concept behind the city’s plan to rezone 125th Street, where the city wants to allow for significantly more development along much of the corridor?

Mr. Stringer: It’s one of the more famous streets in the world and a rezoning is appropriate. But this community needs much more than just a sliver rezoning, so we need to think beyond 125th Street.

Scott Stringer Fund-Raiser at Butter

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 15:10:30 -0500

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, whose 2009 intentions are still not clear, is having a fund-raiser at the chic Lafayette Street restaurant Butter on January 9, according to an invitation a reader sent me.

Tickets range from $50 to $1,000, but the invitation says “Members of political clubs and students can purchase tickets at the reduced price of $45.”

Speculation as to which office he’ll seek can be...

Stringer on Sabini's Side

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 11:38:44 -0500

Here's an invitation to a November 14 fund-raiser for state Senator John Sabini of Queens, which is being organized by Scott Stringer, the Manhattan Borough President.

Sabini is in a safely Democratic seat in Jackson Heights, Queens, but he may face a strong challenge from the Democratic City Councilman who almost beat him in a previous race, Hiram Monserrate.

For Stringer, the benefits of making...

Cuomo and Stringer

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:41:39 -0500

Andrew Cuomo will introduce Scott Stringer at a fund-raising breakfast tomorrow in the Time Warner Building, according to an item in Crain’s today.

(The event is tomorrow morning, at 8 a.m. at Landmarc.)

Stringer, right now the Borough President in Manhattan, hasn’t said what office he’ll be seeking in 2009. He's term-limited in 2013...

Stringer Faces the 2009 Question

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 11:45:39 -0400

As more and more New York politicians are preparing their candidacies for the 2009 citywide races, Scott Stringer too has a decision to make. He can either coast to a second term as Manhattan Borough President or pursue a more ambitious, and hard-to-win, position.

His consultant, Josh Isay, seems to be leaving Stringer's options open.

“He’s had the job for less than two years," Isay just told me. "He’s accomplished a lot...

Hiring: Stringer, Carrion

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 19:37:18 -0400

Scott Stringer is looking for interns to help with campaign fund-raising.

Adolfo Carrion is hiring a research analyst.

And an Assembly member in Queens is looking for a community liaison.
...

Firemen in City Hall, Stringer Attendees Out

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 10:31:15 -0400

Here's a shot of some firemen searching City Hall last night around 7 p.m. after the building was briefly evacuated because of a possible smoke condition.

As quickly as the orders came to evacuate, the firemen gave the go-ahead for everyone to return.

Line of the Day came from Scott Stringer, whose tribute to Italian-American culture was abandoned as the dozens of attendees were forced out onto the City Hall Steps. His (deadpan) reaction: "Was...

Hiring: Scott Stringer, Unions

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:33:06 -0400

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer is looking for a director of community affairs.

He's also hiring a director of communications.

The Transport Workers Union, which is fighting the effects of penalties levied against it for an illegal strike, wants to hire a political assistant.

Local 32BJ is hiring a director of communications.

The US-Ukraine Foundation needs a political analyst in...

Columbia Throws Harlem $33 M.

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 16:07:22 -0400

Columbia University pledged today to spend more than $32.5 million in West Harlem on affordable housing, a new park, landscaping for public housing complexes and the like. In return, the school’s expansion plan received the endorsement of Borough President Scott M. Stringer.

It was, if you think about it, a small investment to make, given that the new 17-acre campus, north of 125th Street and generally west of Broadway, is...

Simcha Felder Hires Again With an Eye on Comptroller Race

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 05:03:51 -0400

Councilman and all-but-announced city comptroller candidate Simcha Felder of Brooklyn hired another staffer: Eric Kuo, who will be the new new press person.

Kuo previously did press for Councilman Vincent Gentile, a Democrat in the conservative-leaning Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn (the same area that produced Democratic operatives George Fontas, Scott Gastel and Sam Cooper). He also worked for Councilman Oliver Koppell in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. (There are probably some notable operatives...

Yassky for Comptroller?

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 13:23:48 -0400

About that talk going around that City Councilman David Yassky of Brooklyn will enter the already-crowded City Comptroller’s race in 2009...

"I’m not trying to be coy about it," Yassky just told me. "I want to stay in government. I love this work. I think I’ll want to keep doing it after my term is over. And I think I’ll be in another election," but 2009 is "too far...

Kellner's Big Night

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 10:06:20 -0400

Here is a one-minute interview with Assemblyman-elect Micah Kellner circa 11 p.m. last night after giving his victory speech to supporters at a bar on Second Avenue. He says it’s great to be a 28-year-old heading into public office, hopes to vote for a gay marriage bill, and wants to block development of a waste transfer station on East 91st Street.

Among the people celebrating Kellner's victory last night were his...

Stringer's Wrong Turn

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 18:12:08 -0400

Here are Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz at a luncheon of the Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn on Saturday. At the event, Stringer explained to the crowd he had simply made a "wrong turn" and ended up there. When I asked him afterwards whether the random presence of the Manhattan Borough President at a gathering in Brooklyn should be seen as groundwork for a run at citywide office, Stringer laughed...

The Afternoon Wrap: Friday

Fri, 23 Mar 2007 14:19:45 -0400

Horrifyingly, the basement lounge at the Chelsea Hotel (where Leonard Cohen remembers you well) has been transformed into "an offbeat retreat." Designer Richardson Sadeki even had the gall to drop in some dead-Sex Pistols references. [Interior Design] After taking seven bad hits of L.S.D., Robert Scarano reimagines Stuy Town as a post-apocalyptic, post-Blade Runner wasteland [above]. [NY Post, via Curbed] Manhattan Prez Scott Stringer organized a city-wide preservation love-train. "It was great to have Uptown talking...

Stringer on Bloomberg's Education Efforts

Fri, 02 Mar 2007 08:36:33 -0500

Mayor Bloomberg surrounded himself with a gaggle of supporters in the blue room the other day when announced the appointment of a citywide parent coordinator to help rebuff the notion he's not including enough parent input about education. On the February 28 press release, Bloomberg named a few more supporters who didn't turn up for the event. One of them was Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, who went on NY1 later that night as...

A Borough President for Kellner

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 04:45:00 -0500

Maloney, Lappin, Garodnick, Bing... Stringer! Another uptown Democrat endorses Micah Kellner for Assembly. The release is after the jump. -- Azi Paybarah MANHATTAN BOROUGH PRESIDENT SCOTT STRINGER ENDORSES MICAH KELLNER FOR NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY, SAYS: "KELLNER WILL BE EFFECTIVE ADVOCATE FOR REAL REFORM" -- Kellner Pledges to Fight to Reform Legislature; Change Special Election Law & Abolish County Committee Process; Reject "Lulu" Bonus -- Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer today endorsed the candidacy of Democrat Micah Kellner...

Reform and the Comptroller Succession

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 09:01:29 -0500

With a number of Assembly members vying for the comptroller position, it's hard see how one is substantially more qualified than the others. It's safe to say that from the point of view of the reform-minded governor, independence from the legislative leaders ranks high on the list of qualifications. One way that could have been demonstrated, apparently, was to buck the Assembly leadership two years ago by signing on to a resolution written by...

Trump to City: Watch My Hole Get Bigger

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 11:04:28 -0500

Despite stern letters to the city's Buildings Department from heavyweights like City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, Donald Trump appears to be moving forward in Soho with his grand condo-hotel. Recent photos show a hole for the condo-hotel off Spring Street only getting bigger. - Tom...

draft-President Pothole

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 03:54:01 -0500

With all the (self-induced) buzz about Mike Bloomberg's presidential run, it is easy to forget he still has to deal with local issues, like traffic. Streetsblog notes that's the issue Bloomberg is being to task over, by Manhattan's Gale Brewer and Scott Stringer, who both want to explore congestion pricing. Gridlock may be the last vestige of New York's legacy as an ungovernable city. And if he can solve that, how tough can Medicaid and Social...

Borough Prez To Trump: Tread Carefully With Soho Condo-Hotel

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 02:25:40 -0500

The Real Estate originally reported on Wednesday about the Donald's premature sales moves regarding his planned condo-hotel in Soho. Seems Trump posted a questionnaire on the condo-hotel's Web site asking potential buyers if they would use the project as a "primary residence," "secondary residence," or "investment property." According to an email sent on Wednesday night to The Real Estate by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer's office, it was the Beep who called Trump out on...