May 20, 2024 NYC Office of the Mayor
Scott Stanford: Now back in the fall, Mayor Adams announced the plan to change up some very old zoning rules that would help energize and spur not only housing growth, but economic growth as well. The overall plan is called the City of Yes. We're joined this morning by both Mayor Adams and the director of City Planning Dan Garodnick. Fellas, thank you for joining me this morning.
Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you. Really excited. This is an important initiative when you do an analysis and think about it, in 1961 when our zoning changes were made we were using rotary phones. Now we have smartphones. We have to be smart about developing and continue the success of the jobs we're seeing in the city.
Stanford: Yes, and listen Dan, I'm going to hit you with this one as the mayor just alluded to these zoning laws have not really kept up with the times, are outdated, I know at one point you said laughably outdated. How's this new plan going to create more housing opportunities, more available apartments and really in the end it gives renters some of that power back when dealing with landlords?
Dan Garodnick, Director, Department of City Planning: First of all, that is absolutely correct that they are laughably outdated, not changed since 1961, they call out taxidermy and typewriter repair shops and airline ticketing offices, but no reference to 3D printers and virtual reality. We need to update our zoning.
We've got too many vacant storefronts in New York City. We want to take direct aim at that even as we hit great job numbers. We're still holding ourselves back and that's what this plan is intended to do. I do want to correct, by the way, we have three proposals. This one is for economic opportunity, it sounds like you may be asking me about our third proposal, which is coming next for housing. Really important, we're in a housing crisis and by the end of this year, we're going to be asking the City Council to vote on that proposal as well .
Stanford: And Dan, this week the City Council has a chance to advance one of those proposals. Which one is that one?
Garodnick: This one is the economic opportunity proposal the one which is designed to modernize our zoning rules for the 21st century economy, and make sure that we are allowing for innovation, home occupations, revitalizing our commercial corridors in a really meaningful way.
Stanford: Do you foresee any roadblocks there this week with the City Council?
Garodnick: Listen, we are working actively with our partners in the council. We look forward to negotiating a final plan here that works for everyone, but we feel really good about where we are. By the way, just this morning all five Borough Chambers of Commerce, 31 Business Improvement Districts came out in support of the plan, and we have lots of support out there in the world. We're very excited, it's an important moment for us to do this.
Stanford: Yes. No, this sounds like some good stuff. Mayor Adams, it's all about City of Yes, and as Dan said that means the jobs to number show employment is up record-breaking numbers and crime down. Mayor, how do we even improve on these numbers to make it even higher?
Mayor Adams: Well you know I am a hard driver, you I'm like the Rangers, you can't never surrender, we had seven, but seriously think about it. We have more jobs in the city in the history of the city. We're seeing a decrease in crime. We're attracting businesses here. This is what we committed to a promise to and we have to get out of our own way to ensure to see this prosperity grow.
Stanford: The City of Yes, a great new initiative here in the Big Apple. Mayor Adams, just want to hit you with a couple of items that are in the news cycle today. Texas Governor Abbott over the weekend at the NRA convention said he's going to continue sending buses of migrants around the country, especially New York. He took a little shot at you, said Mayor Adams needs something to do, what are your thoughts on that mayor?
Mayor Adams: In NRA you used the right pun, took a shot. No. He's been taking a shot at New York City for some time here. When you look at over 194,000 migrants in the sign of seekers many of them coming from his region. Listen, we've done our job. It's time for him to coordinate with all the other municipalities that he's inundated like Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and others, and then the national government must step up. But at the heart of all of this we need to allow people to work. If you allow people to work you give them the dignity they deserve to provide for their families.
Stanford: Mayor, over the weekend, we had more… we had pro-Palestinian protests right? Bay Ridge was the focus, and we know it's all about the safety and peaceful behavior. There's a video of an NYPD supervisor punching one of the demonstrators out today. Will there be an investigation, a punishment or is this really one of those heat-of-the-moment situations?
Mayor Adams: After every demonstration we do an after incident briefing, we're going to do that. We're going to analyze that, but let's be extremely clear. I don't like the fact that people can call for the disruption of America, I don't like the fact that people can wave terrorist flags. I don't like any of that. But those are protected Constitutional rights that you have the right to protest the right. What you don't have the right to do, is ride on top of buses. You don't have a right to spit in the faces of police officers, to destroy property to resist arrest, to try to take a person in… Under control of a police trying to take them back. That's not acceptable, it's not going to happen in this city. And so that isolated incident, we will review, but those police officers did a commendable job under very difficult circumstances.
Stanford: And mayor just again in today's news cycle, we all saw the video that came out of Diddy attacking his then-girlfriend Cassie. Last year, you gave Diddy a key to the city. He's come out with an apology yesterday. What were your thoughts when you saw what he did? When you saw this whole thing going down, is there something in your mind where you're saying, boy, I'd love to take that key back.
Mayor Adams: Listen, the action was unacceptable and all of us who looked at the video, we just… it was… we were probably sick to our stomach, and our team is doing an analysis. We never have taken a key back from anyone, but the team is doing an analysis of what the next steps are.
Stanford: Finally mayor, you mentioned those Rangers. What can you tell Knicks fans this morning? No parades this spring, huh?
Mayor Adams: No, but we still celebrate them. They showed their heart and soul and even when they were injured, some difficult times came, they still never surrendered. They fought to the end and that is what life is about. Leave everything you have on the court and this way you can look yourself in the mirror and they could do that this morning and all New Yorkers should be proud of that team, they represent the grit of New Yorkers.
Stanford: New York Mayor Eric Adams director of City Planning Dan Garodnick, gentlemen, thank you so much for taking a few minutes. The City of Yes, that's what we're calling it. We are now the City of Yes, my friends. Guys, thank you so much for joining us this morning.
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