Find community news, announcements from Council Member Powers’ office, and letters to public officials and agencies here.
Letter Urging a Resident Exemption to the Congestion Pricing Program
November 25, 2024
Dear Governor Hochul and Commissioner Dominguez:
We write to you as New York City Council Members representing the Central Business District of Manhattan (“CBD”). With the news of the coming start of the historic Central Business District Tolling Program, we look forward to positive changes in our neighborhoods, including increasing mobility in Manhattan, reducing the number of cars clogging our streets, decreasing pollution, improving the city’s air quality, and making the city safer and more enjoyable for pedestrians.
Letter to DOC, DHS Commissioners & Head of NYC Health+Hospitals Following Murders
November 21, 2024
Dear Commissioners Maginley-Liddie and Park, and Dr. Katz:
We are deeply saddened and angered by the stabbing murders that took place this week in our districts. Three people were murdered by an individual in the throes of a severe mental health crisis. Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of the victims of this crime.
Recommend a Capital Project for District 4!
October 29, 2024
Every year, my office funds certain capital projects here on the East Side. District 4 constituents can propose a new capital project, which requires a minimum budget of $50,000, for something that a City agency can build or improve in the district that will last for an extended period of time. And I need your help to do that!
Please send in your ideas for capital improvement projects in District 4 that you would like to see. To send in your idea, please fill out this form.
June 13, 2023
Good afternoon Chair Davidson,
My name is Mark Levine and I am the Manhattan Borough President. I would like to thank you and the members of the Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) for the opportunity to testify today on behalf of myself and Council Member Powers.
May 16, 2023
Dear Mayor Adams:
We are writing with regard to the recent announcement to convert the Roosevelt Hotel at 45 East 45th Street into a Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center (HERRC) for asylum seekers arriving in New York City.
We recognize the challenging situation that New York City faces with the arrival of over 65,000 asylum seekers in the past year, with more expected to arrive soon. We appreciate your administration’s efforts to provide places for individuals and families to reside, and acknowledge that the Roosevelt Hotel provides an opportunity to address this crisis immediately.
Letter to Landmarks Preservation Commission Regarding Link 5G
January 23, 2023
Dear Commissioner Carroll:
We write to you today regarding the proposed siting of Link 5G towers in historic districts on the Upper East Side. While this project aims to expand the city’s 5G infrastructure, the proposed 32-foot tall towers do not blend with the existing architecture of the Upper East Side, and have generated widespread concern throughout the community.
Letter on Roosevelt Hotel Preservation – November 2022
November 9, 2022
Dear Chair Carroll:
I am writing to you today to follow-up on my earlier letter from January 2022. In that letter, I joined colleagues in urging the Landmarks Preservation Commission to consider taking measures to preserve the Roosevelt Hotel.
November 1, 2022
Dear Commissioners Rodriguez and Sewell:
We write to recommend that the Department of Transportation implement a Rockefeller Center pedestrian congestion mitigation plan that includes the pedestrianization of 49th and 50th Streets between 5th and 6th Avenues during the upcoming holiday season, as the agency did to much success in 2019 and 2021.
Letter to EDC regarding Sea Plane Issues
October 27, 2022
Dear President Kimball:
I am writing to you in regards to the Skyport Marina, located in my district on the East River. Recently, my office has received a number of complaints from constituents in the Waterside Plaza, Stuyvesant Town, and Peter Cooper Village neighborhoods in my district. Residents in these neighborhoods have reported noise issues and safety concerns stemming from the seaplanes.
New York City Council Member Keith Powers Announces New Dog Run on the East Side
October 6, 2022
Today, Council Member Powers announced a new temporary dog run in Murray Hill. The dog run will be sited at New Wave Pier, located on the East River Esplanade between 38th and 39th Streets. This new space will provide more options to residents in the Murray Hill area, while also preventing overcrowding at already existing dog runs.
September 23, 2022
As a starting point, I want to speak in favor of a congestion pricing program for Midtown Manhattan, the area that I represent.
Congestion pricing is an opportunity to achieve our goals of reducing congestion, protecting our public transit infrastructure, lowering vehicle emissions, and making our neighborhoods more liveable.
Letter to the Department of Transportation regarding the Waterside Plaza Pedestrian Bridge
September 16, 2022
Dear Commissioner Rodriguez:
I am writing to you in regards to the pedestrian footbridge that extends over the FDR Drive and
connects East 25th Street to Waterside Plaza. Over the last year my office has received
complaints from residents that the footbridge is not safe, as it is steep and has uneven surfaces in
some areas.
Letter to the Consumer Product Safety Commission regarding Dangerous Lithium-Ion Batteries
August 26, 2022
Dear Chairman Hoehn-Saric:
We are writing to you today regarding the safety of lithium-ion batteries in electric bikes and scooters. This year alone, fires linked to these batteries have claimed the lives of five New Yorkers and caused untold damage to homes and businesses.
Letter to Department of Transportation Commissioner Rodriguez Regarding Broadway Vision Study
June 28, 2022
Commissioner Rodriguez:
We are writing to you with regard to the recent traffic crash at 29th Street and Broadway. Following this tragedy that critically injured five pedestrians, we write to request that your agency declare Broadway between 14th and 34th Streets a limited access open street to protect New Yorkers.
June 15, 2022
Today, New York City Council Majority Leader Keith Powers announced capital funding allocations for Council District 4 as a part of the 2022-2023 budget. These local funding initiatives will boost recovery in Manhattan and across the East Side by investing in schools, parks, hospitals, libraries, cultural institutions, and more.
Letter from NY Elected Officials: Next Steps on East 14th St/First Avenue
April 1, 2022
Dear Mayor Adams:
Thank you to your staff for joining us on a walkthrough of the corridor on E 14th Street and First Avenue on March 26, 2022. For months, the conditions along this street have troubled local business owners, parents, children, and the thousands of New Yorkers who frequent the area.
Letter to Mayor re: Mask Mandates for Children Under 5
March 10, 2022
Dear Mayor Adams:
We write to you today seeking clarity on the city’s plan moving forward on COVID-19 protocols. As parents are preparing for the next steps in combating COVID-19, many have reached out to our offices with comments, questions, and concerns. We are writing to seek your guidance on COVID-19 protocols in public schools moving forward.
February 16, 2022
Dear Chair and CEO Lieber:
We write to urge the MTA to restore M15 Select Bus Service at 72nd Street. Before the Select Bus System was implemented, the M15 Limited stopped at 72nd Street. The area has a high bus-dependent population, infrequent local service, hospitals, and now a major subway stop. Now is the perfect opportunity to increase ridership by restoring M15 Select Bus Service at 72nd Street.
February 2, 2022
Dear Governor Hochul and Commissioner Bassett:
I write to you today regarding the current status of New York City’s protocol for standalone private education services that operate outside of New York City Department of Education purview, as it pertains to their mandatory COVID-19 prevention measures. Standalone programs include many Pre-K programs, 3-K programs, as well as many private and charter schools.
January 25, 2022
Dear Chair Lieber:
We write to urge the MTA Board to make its appointments to the Traffic Mobility Review Board (TMRB) with the utmost urgency and to ensure that at least one of the individuals appointed is a resident of Manhattan.
Letter on Roosevelt Hotel Preservation – January 2022
January 20, 2022
Dear Chair Carroll:
As the local elected officials for the districts encompassing the Roosevelt Hotel, we are writing to offer our strong support for landmarking this historic property. This proposal was outlined in a Request for Evaluation recently submitted to the Landmarks Preservation Commission by the City Club, Municipal Art Society, Historic Districts Council, and New York Landmarks Conservancy.
January 18, 2022
Today, as Chair of the East Midtown Public Realm Improvement Fund Governing Group, New York City Council Member Keith Powers announced an agreement to move forward on redesigning the Park Avenue malls in Midtown Manhattan. As part of the plan, the city will issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) to hire a landscape architect to create a master plan for replacing the existing Park Avenue malls with new, world class, active open space.
City Council Passes Historic Rezoning at 175 Park Avenue
December 16, 2021
Today, the New York City Council passed a historic rezoning at 175 Park Avenue. Currently occupied by the Grand Hyatt Hotel, the site is located directly adjacent to Grand Central Terminal on 42nd Street. An extraordinary opportunity for East Midtown, the project will deliver hundreds of millions of dollars in transit improvements, generate thousands of high-quality jobs, create a new, major public space for arts and culture, and reinvigorate the heart of New York City as we all recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
September 27, 2021
Dear Mayor de Blasio:
I write to you today regarding the conditions of East 14th Street between 1st Avenue and Avenue A. In the past year, my office has repeatedly requested assistance from city agencies with regard to the state of conditions on this block. I am asking today for an immediate fix to these conditions before the end of your administration.
August 26, 2021
The New York City Council today passed Council Member Keith Powers’ legislation to improve the pedestrian experience and strengthen public safety measures in Times Square. As the city prepares to welcome back throngs of tourists, Intro. 1811 will modify pedestrian safety zones within the Theatre District.
May 12, 2021
Today, City Council Member Keith Powers, the Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village (STPCV) Tenants Association, Congresswoman Maloney, State Senator Hoylman, Assembly Member Epstein, and Borough President Levine announce the cessation of plans for two combined heat and power (CHP) facilities in Stuyvesant Town. Over the past few years, the coalition has been engaged with Beam Living and Blackstone regarding concerns from the community about the plants. Based on these conversations, Blackstone has agreed to not move forward with construction.
March 5, 2020
Today, the Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village Tenants Association filed legal action in New York State Supreme Court to protect more than 6,200 apartments likely facing illegal deregulation. The Tenants Association’s action represents the first major tenant-led attempt to validate the intent of New York’s historic tenant protection legislation, the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act (HSTPA) of 2019.
Mark Your Calendar: Public Hearing on Rental Fee Legislation
June 19, 2019
One of the problems facing tenants — particularly younger and lower-income renters — is the slew of fees that must be paid even before the tenant occupies the apartment. A new renter can be expected to pay application fees, first and last month’s rent, a security deposit, and more.
With less than half of New Yorkers saving for an “unexpected expense or emergency” within the last year – the lowest rate among America’s largest cities – we know something needs to change.
City Council Approves Affordable Housing Deal at Waterside Plaza
January 24, 2019
The City Council today approved an agreement to protect tenants against growing rent increases and preserve affordable housing at Waterside Plaza for 75 years. The landmark deal comes with groundbreaking tenant protections and rent relief that will ensure existing tenants in certain units can remain in the community.
August 8, 2018
City Council Member Keith Powers today announced support of an agreement to preserve affordable housing units at Waterside Plaza through the year 2098. The Waterside Tenants Association voted unanimously to support the proposed deal on Monday, August 6. The deal comes with groundbreaking tenant protections and rent relief that will ensure existing tenants can remain in the community despite rising rents.