NYC Press Releases

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NYC Launches Building Code Reform to Cut Housing Costs

New York City's Department of Buildings has launched a task force to examine potential changes to construction regulations that could reduce development costs and support housing production across the five boroughs. The Affordable and Efficient Code Reform Task Force held its inaugural meeting with representatives from organizations involved in housing and construction to identify opportunities for streamlining building requirements without compromising safety. Additional stakeholder meetings are planned for fall 2026, followed by the development of proposals that may require City Council or state legislation. The department aims to introduce recommended code changes in 2027. The initiative is part of the City's Block by Block housing plan and will operate alongside the department's existing multiyear code revision process.

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NYC Expands Grant Program to Pay 800 Nonprofits Faster

New York City is expanding a grant program designed to accelerate payments to community-based nonprofits that provide essential services across the five boroughs. The expanded Discretionary Grant Pilot could benefit up to 800 organizations by removing nine administrative steps and allowing eligible providers to receive their full awards within 30 days after grant agreements are signed by both parties. During fiscal year 2026, the pilot distributed $1 million to more than 100 nonprofits, reducing average processing times from more than a year to approximately three months, according to the City. For fiscal year 2027, eligible organizations may include nonprofits receiving cumulative discretionary awards of $25,000 or less from mayoral agencies. Grant agreements are expected to begin going out in November.

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LaGuardia Community College Gets $4M for Arts Upgrades

LaGuardia Community College has received $4 million in New York City capital funding to renovate and modernize its arts and media facilities in Queens. Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. and City Council Member Julie Won each allocated $2 million toward the project, which is expected to leverage matching New York State funding and generate approximately $8 million in total investment. Planned improvements include upgrades to theaters, television production facilities, student learning spaces, production labs and dressing rooms. The project will also modernize lighting, electrical, communications, HVAC and other building systems while improving accessibility. The investment will support students studying theater, film and television, and music performance while strengthening the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center as a cultural destination in western Queens.

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Cooper Union, Tishman Speyer Finalize Chrysler Building Deal

Tishman Speyer has finalized a 150-year ground lease for the Chrysler Building and plans a $235 million investment to restore and modernize the iconic Manhattan office tower. The agreement with The Cooper Union covers the 77-story, 1.3 million-square-foot landmark at 405 Lexington Avenue and includes institutional investors led by PSP Investments. Planned improvements include restoration of the building's façade and distinctive crown, modernization of mechanical and elevator systems, new fitness and wellness facilities, and an indoor-outdoor amenity space on the 61st floor. Tishman Speyer also plans to prebuild much of the tower's available office space. Ground lease payments will provide financial support to Cooper Union as the college works toward restoring full-tuition scholarships for undergraduate students.

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NYU Langone Tests AI to Detect Heart Transplant Rejection

NYU Langone Health researchers are studying whether artificial intelligence can help identify heart transplant rejection while reducing the need for invasive biopsies. Researchers trained AI models using thousands of EKG readings from adult heart transplant recipients and combined the heart rhythm data with results from two blood biomarkers used to assess rejection risk. In a separate test group of 38 transplant recipients, the combined model correctly identified 94% of patients who were not experiencing rejection, according to the study. Researchers said the approach could potentially spare some patients from unnecessary heart biopsies while helping physicians identify rejection earlier. The team plans to test the model in more patients across multiple transplant centers before determining its broader clinical usefulness.

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Baruch Gets $776K Federal Grant to Expand AI Education

Baruch College has received $776,033 in first-year federal funding to expand artificial intelligence education and applied learning across its three schools. The Title III Strengthening Institutions Program award will support Baruch's AI Leadership Initiative, including curriculum development, faculty and staff training, student services and preparation for an increasingly AI-enabled workforce. Funding will also expand the college's AI Learning Commons and advance its Applied Intelligence Lab, where students will be able to participate in supervised projects and experiential learning. Baruch plans to incorporate responsible AI use into its curriculum, including evaluating AI-generated content, identifying misinformation and bias, protecting privacy and understanding when human judgment should take precedence. The initiative was launched in spring 2026.

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NYC Begins Brooklyn Bus Lane and Safety Redesign

New York City has started work on a major redesign of Bay Parkway and Cropsey Avenue intended to improve bus service and street safety for 35,000 daily riders in Brooklyn. The project will add offset and curbside bus lanes along Bay Parkway from Avenue J to Shore Parkway and Cropsey Avenue from Bay Parkway to 26th Avenue. The improvements will benefit riders of the B6 and B82, two of Brooklyn's busiest bus routes, as well as the X28 and X38. NYC DOT will also install 18 new median islands, pedestrian improvements and dedicated left-turn lanes at 14 intersections. Bus speeds currently fall as low as three miles per hour on portions of Bay Parkway, according to the city. New York City Government

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Man Gets 18 Months in NY for $8M AI Music Streaming Fraud

A North Carolina man was sentenced in Manhattan federal court to 18 months in prison for using AI-generated music and automated streaming accounts to fraudulently collect millions of dollars in royalties. Michael Smith previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud after prosecutors said he created thousands of accounts on major music streaming platforms and used bots to continuously play songs he controlled. Smith used hundreds of thousands of AI-generated songs to spread the fraudulent streams across a large catalog and avoid detection. His bot accounts ultimately generated billions of streams and more than $8 million in fraudulent royalty payments, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. Smith was also ordered to forfeit more than $8.09 million.

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NYC Transit Orders 92 New Buses for Express Routes

New York City Transit has ordered 92 new commuter buses to replace aging vehicles operating on the city's express bus routes. Motor Coach Industries, a subsidiary of NFI Group, announced that NYC Transit awarded the company a contract for its MCI D45 CRT commuter coaches. The vehicles are designed for high-capacity commuter and express operations and are intended to support more comfortable and efficient service for riders. Funding for the purchase is being provided through state, local and Metropolitan Transportation Authority sources. The order has been added to NFI's third-quarter 2026 backlog. NYC Transit is part of the MTA, which operates the largest bus fleet in the United States.