Community

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NYC Begins $40M Box Street Park in Greenpoint

Construction has begun on the $40 million Box Street Park in Greenpoint, advancing a project envisioned for the North Brooklyn waterfront more than two decades ago. The 2.5-acre park will transform a former MTA facility along Newtown Creek into public green space featuring an elevated esplanade, ADA-accessible pathways, gardens, a lawn, basketball court, picnic area, dog runs and public restroom. The project will also connect with waterfront esplanades on either side of the site, helping close a gap along the northern Greenpoint waterfront. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of summer 2028. The park is planned to eventually expand by another half-acre following the relocation of an MTA facility.

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Bronx Recreation Center Reopens After $20.7M Upgrade

St. Mary’s Recreation Center in the Bronx has reopened following a $20.7 million renovation that upgraded the historic facility and expanded accessibility. Improvements include a reconstructed façade, entrance and lobby, a new elevator, widened doorways, updated mechanical and electrical systems and repairs to the center’s indoor swimming pool. The facility also received new fitness equipment, upgraded flooring and improved lighting. The city says 33 new staff positions have been funded to support programming, operations and maintenance at the center. St. Mary’s has served the South Bronx for generations and includes the only indoor public swimming pool operated by NYC Parks in the borough.

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Brooklyn Unveils Little Panama Way in Crown Heights

Brooklyn's Panamanian community has received permanent recognition in Crown Heights with the unveiling of Little Panama Way along Franklin Avenue. The ceremonial street co-naming honors generations of Panamanians who established families, businesses, institutions and cultural traditions in the neighborhood beginning decades ago. Panama 507 Roundtable Group organized the September 24 celebration with community organizations, elected officials and Panamanian dignitaries. The recognition comes as a related effort advances to establish a Little Panama Cultural District in the area, creating a framework for preserving Panamanian heritage while supporting cultural programming and economic activity. State legislation authorizing the cultural designation has passed both houses of the New York State Legislature

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Columbia Reports 32% Drop in Discrimination Filings

Columbia University reported a 32 percent decline in incident reports involving potential violations of its institutional equity policies during the 2025-26 academic year, according to newly released annual data. The University's Office of Institutional Equity documented 2,118 reports and 1,328 cases, with the number of cases declining 27 percent from the previous year. Columbia also identified 99 cases involving allegations of antisemitism, anti-Arab, anti-Muslim or anti-Palestinian discrimination and Islamophobia, representing a 67 percent year-over-year decrease. However, reports of sexual harassment increased from the prior year, while dating and domestic violence reports rose for a second consecutive year. A separate university report found relatively few potential conduct violations among thousands of campus events.

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East New York Concert Series Draws Over 10,000

More than 10,000 people attended the fourth annual East New York Concert and Wellness Series, according to organizers. The four-day community event took place September 17 through September 20 on Van Siclen Avenue. Presented by Assemblywoman Nikki Lucas and DJ Keith Watkins, the free series combined live performances with health screenings, wellness information and community resources.

The lineup included Doug E. Fresh, Nice & Smooth, Angela Winbush, Howard Hewett, Crystal Waters, Byron Stingily, Hildemaro, DJ Famoso, Bri Babineaux, The Walls Group and numerous DJs and other performers. Each day featured a different musical focus, ranging from Caribbean and Latin music to House, Hip-Hop, R&B, Gospel and Jazz, bringing residents together from across East New York and East Brooklyn.

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Bronx’s First Busway Opens on Tremont Avenue

The Bronx's first busway is now operating on Tremont Avenue, bringing bus-priority and street-safety improvements to a corridor used by 39,000 Bx36 riders each day. The route has historically experienced slow bus speeds and is designated a Vision Zero priority corridor, with four people killed and nearly 630 injured in crashes between 2020 and 2024. As part of the project, NYC DOT installed safety upgrades at eight intersections, including painted sidewalk extensions designed to shorten pedestrian crossings and slow turning vehicles. The busway operates from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week and is also expected to serve as the foundation for future bus rapid transit improvements along the broader Tremont Avenue corridor.

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New York Sues Over $1.4B Offshore Wind Deals

New York is leading a coalition of states in two federal lawsuits challenging $1.4 billion in federal agreements to cancel four planned offshore wind leases. The cases involve agreements with Bluepoint Wind and Invenergy, including projects off New York's coast that had been expected to connect to New York City's electric grid. State officials argue that the federal government improperly used money from the Judgment Fund to compensate the companies for abandoning the projects and are asking federal courts to void the lease cancellations. According to the New York Attorney General's office, the two canceled New York projects were projected to generate more than $16 billion in investment and create more than 2,800 jobs in the state.

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NYU Langone Reaches $8.5M DOJ Settlement in NYC

NYU Langone Health has reached an $8.5 million agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice resolving a federal investigation involving gender-affirming medical care provided to patients under 18. Under the agreement, the New York City-based health system will cease providing minors with specified treatments, including puberty blockers, hormones and surgical procedures. The resolution is part of a broader federal investigation involving hospitals and potential violations of federal health care and billing laws. NYU Langone said the agreement protects the confidentiality of patients, families and providers while avoiding prolonged litigation. The health system expressly denied wrongdoing or liability, and the Justice Department stated that the claims resolved through the agreement are allegations and that there has been no determination of liability.

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NY Moves to Protect Historic Queens Burial Ground

A historic burial ground in Elmhurst, Queens, believed to contain the remains of more than 300 New Yorkers, many of whom were formerly enslaved, is at the center of a state legal effort as the property approaches a foreclosure sale. New York Attorney General Letitia James is seeking to intervene in the case involving 47-11 90th Street so prospective buyers are informed about the human remains and their responsibilities under state burial-site protections. The property’s history as a burial ground dates to 1818 and is connected to the United African Society of Newtown, which later became St. Mark African Methodist Episcopal Church. State officials are seeking safeguards intended to prevent additional disturbance of remains still believed to be at the site.