2025 Comptroller Race
Comptroller Brad Lander announced last week that he will be challenging Eric Adams in the 2025 Democratic mayoral primary, meaning that he will not be running for re-election as Comptroller. Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine has signaled interest in running for Comptroller, and late last week he filed paperwork to transfer his Manhattan BP reelection fundraising account to a Comptroller fundraising account. The transfer allows Levine to accept larger contributions from individual donors. Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar also announced that she will be running for the position.
Pier 35 Chosen as Location for + Pool
Pier 35 on the Lower East Side has been announced as the location for the “+ pool,” a floating pool in the East River. The pool will utilize a water filtration system to make river water clean enough to swim in. The design of the pool separates it into four swimming sections for children, laps, sports, and recreation. The + pool is part of the New York Statewide Investment in More Swimming (NY SWIMS), which aims to increase access to swimming lessons across the state. The water filtration technology will be demonstrated on a barge at Pier 35 in the next three-month period, followed by assessments by the city and state.
Increased Police and Cleanups Planned for East 14th Street
Mayor Adams announced that multiple city agencies, including NYPD, have been directed to address public safety and quality-of-life issues on East 14th Street in Manhattan. NYPD has plans to set up a $1M mobile outpost, increasing the presence of uniformed officers in the area. The interagency effort also brings in the Sanitation Department, Homeless Services, and the Health Department. Officials will also look to close unlicensed cannabis shops and combat retail theft in the area.