Securing NYC As Leader In Applied AI, Jobs Week, UN Plaza Development, Testimony To NYS Assembly Ways & Means, Expanding Jobs NYC Initiative, Small Biz Saved $50 Million+ In Fines: Mayor Adams

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President and CEO Andrew Kimball released “New York City’s Artificial Intelligence Advantage: Driving Economic Growth and Technological Transformation,” a report that outlines a roadmap series of findings, recommendations, and actions to secure New York City’s position as the premier Applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) capital of the world. The report includes 18 commitments to unlock New York City’s AI potential to drive economic growth and continue to develop a diverse workforce to power the future of the city and the sector’s economy. A key commitment of the plan includes a $3 million investment from NYCEDC to establish a first-of-its-kind “NYC AI Nexus,” a transformative initiative designed to facilitate collaborations between New York City-based startups and founders with local businesses to identify, build, and ultimately adopt Applied AI solutions to ensure the continued competitiveness of the city’s diverse set of industries. Finally, NYCEDC announced a partnership with OpenAI, which recently established its first east coast office at the historic Puck Building in Manhattan with 450 employees. Through this partnership, OpenAI will support several programs, including NYCEDC’s Founder Fellowship and the NYC AI Nexus, and serve on the AI Advisory Council. 

This announcement comes as the city celebrates recently breaking the all-time high jobs record for the eighth time with unemployment down across all demographic groups since the start of the Adams administration, continuing to advance Mayor Adams’ State of the City commitment to make New York City the best, most affordable place to raise a family.  

“The jobs of tomorrow are being created today in New York City, and artificial intelligence is key to making that happen,” said Mayor Adams. “As we hit another all-time record high for jobs in our city, our administration is looking to the future — and the future shows AI as the next emerging sector and source of job creation across our city, the country, and the globe. The five boroughs are leaping at the opportunity to be the global leader in AI, partnering with the leading AI company, releasing a first-of-its-kind report, and investing millions in the future. From tech and the green economy to life sciences and AI, the Big Apple, not Silicon Valley, is the city leading the way on the jobs that will make our city the best place to raise a family.” 

“New York City is the greatest city in the world. We have more jobs today than at any point in our 400-year history, and are the global leader in Applied AI,” said First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres Springer. “As today’s announcement makes clear, we have a vision and strategy to maintain that standing, and will work diligently in partnership to ensure that — building on the foundation of an unmatched tech ecosystem, the nation’s largest academic network, a robust talent pool, and abundant access to capital — New York City realizes the transformational potential of AI for the benefit and betterment of everyone in our city.” 

“New York City’s premier talent pool, diverse economy, strong access to capital, and leading researchers are cementing the city as a global hub for Applied AI, and this report highlights ways that we can best leverage this burgeoning technology for dynamic economic growth,” said NYCEDC President and CEO Andrew Kimball. “New York City is already leading in AI innovations, and we are thrilled to partner with pioneering companies like OpenAI and continue to foster groundbreaking advancements in this transformative field, while ensuring that all New Yorkers have the opportunity to contribute to and benefit from the growth of AI.” 

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The first-of-its-kind report identifies key recommendations that are essential to securing New York City’s leadership in AI to build an even stronger local economy while ensuring all New Yorkers can participate. Based on research and industry feedback, NYCEDC has identified three AI priorities: 1) Advance New York City’s position as the global leader in Applied AI, 2) Foster new business creation and partnerships to build a dynamic and prosperous AI ecosystem, and 3) Develop a diverse AI-ready workforce to power the future of the economy.   

In addition to the report’s identified priorities, the report includes 18 commitments NYCEDC is making to help unlock the city’s AI potential citywide and ensure New Yorkers from all five boroughs take advantage to ultimately drive economic growth. While some of these initiatives are currently underway, NYCEDC will be launching new initiatives, including:  

• Developing programs to support the adoption of AI technological transformations across city industries. NYCEDC will release a $3 million requests for proposal seeking an operator to establish NYC AI Nexus. The NYC AI Nexus initiative is designed to drive AI adoption and work to make AI accessible across all sectors and types of businesses to ensure certain segments of the city’s economy do not fall behind. The NYC AI Nexus will foster innovation and adoption, address coordination challenges between startups and private industry, and accelerate the development and implementation of AI solutions that unlock new opportunities across the city’s economy. 

• Promoting New York City as a leading hub for AI innovation. NYCEDC will partner with Tech:NYC to launch a campaign that establishes New York City as the global hub for Applied AI by highlighting its robust tech ecosystem, innovative startups, and groundbreaking AI applications. This new brand will be activated with high-profile events, conferences, strategic partnerships, and speaking engagements. The campaign will showcase New York City’s leadership in AI, attracting top talent, businesses, and investments.  

• Create and launch an AI Advisory Council. Create an AI Advisory Council, in partnership with Tech:NYC, consisting of AI leaders and investors. These ambassadors for the city’s AI community will advise the Adams administration on initiatives to ensure AI in the city supports the growth of the city’s economy across all sectors and businesses, both large and small.     

• Pilot AI literacy programs across public libraries. As an essential resource for youth and other residents across the five boroughs, NYCEDC seeks to pilot new AI literacy programs for librarians across the New York City public library system. Programs will be a mix of virtual and in-person training sessions on the fundamentals of AI, using AI tools safely and responsibly, and additional custom workshops to ensure library staff can support patrons in using AI embedded in library computer labs for homework assistance, career and professional development training, and other programs offered across local branches.   

• Connect The City University of New York (CUNY) students with internship opportunities at AI-first startups. Launch the NYCEDC Startup Internship Program with a targeted focus of connecting CUNY students to dynamic roles at AI-first startups, with anticipated placements commencing in summer 2025.  

Additionally, the City of New York and OpenAI have formalized a partnership to continue to foster advancements in this transformative field, ensuring that all New Yorkers, and local businesses, have the opportunity to participate and benefit from the growth of AI. Through this partnership, OpenAI will:  

• Provide a total of $500,000 Application Programming Interface credits to participants of a variety of NYCEDC programs, including the Founder Fellowship and the NYC AI Nexus.  

• Provide 500 free ChatGPT Plus accounts to participants in AI literacy programs organized by the Fund for the City of New York, Decoded Futures, and NYCEDC literacy programs. 

• Serve on the new AI Advisory Council. 

The report estimates that AI will have a game changing impact and benefit a variety of sectors in the city, especially life sciences and the green economy. In health care and life sciences, AI is driving breakthrough discoveries for patients at a faster pace and with greater accuracy. Additionally, AI will be an important tool in the fight against climate change with the creation of new climate technologies and solutions.  

Additional key takeaways from the report include:  

• New York City has already emerged as a leader in Applied AI, distinguished by its thriving tech ecosystem, unparalleled industry diversity, the nation’s largest academic ecosystem, a robust talent pool, and abundant access to capital.    

• New York City is the second-largest tech startup ecosystem in the world, employing over 360,000 tech ecosystem employees and is home to over 25,000 tech startups and over 1,200 active venture capital firms. Today, there are over 40,000 workers in the New York metro area with AI skills.  

• This AI boom has already produced over 2,000 AI startups based in New York City and, in 2023 alone, approximately one-third of venture capital raised by city startups was directed to AI.  

• New York City’s world-renowned universities, including Columbia University, Cornell Tech, CUNY, and New York University graduated over 87,000 AI-ready degree holders from 2018 to 2023.   

The Adams administration is actively investing in emerging industries through capital and programmatic investments to further position New York City as an economic and technology leader and to ensure that these sectors are at the forefront of innovation. The report highlights the numerous programs and initiatives already underway, including the NYC Catalyst Fund, the Greenlight Innovation Fund, supporting the opening of the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub New York, a $100 million backed request for expressed information to source a world-class anchor tenant that will establish and operate a cutting-edge life sciences center at the Science Park and Research Campus Kips Bay, supporting early-stage climate tech companies leveraging new technologies through programs, including NYCEDC’s Pilots at BAT, the Founder Fellowship, and the launch of the AI Policy Lab to support learning across New York City public schools.  

In October 2023, the Adams administration launched the nation’s first comprehensive Artificial Intelligence Action Plan for the responsible use of AI in city government. The action plan lays out 37 actions over seven initiatives to create governance for the city’s use of AI, to better engage with New Yorkers and other partners on timely and topical AI matters, to hone AI skills for the city’s workforce, and to support agencies in implementing AI solutions.  

“New York City has long been a global leader in innovation. Mayor Eric Adams’ and NYCEDC’s initiative to continue this leadership in our fast-changing landscape in the age of AI is a game changer for our economy and our workforce,” said New York State Assemblymember Clyde Vanel. “By investing in AI innovation, supporting startups, and expanding AI literacy programs, we can make sure that all New Yorkers have access to the opportunities this technology brings.” 

“The future of New York City’s economy is rooted in technology and innovation, with AI serving as the centerpiece of those industries. That means we must leave no stone unturned in responsibly making New York City the global AI capital,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “My office is proud to be a leader in connecting historically marginalized communities to the tech industry, including AI, through the creation of our Global Tech & Innovation Center, the Queens Tech & Innovation Challenge, and last week’s annual Queens Tech & Career Expo. I look forward to expanding our work with our administration and community partners alike to advance AI opportunities for all the residents of our city.” 

“We look forward to working with New York City to explore ways to equip librarians with the skills they need to best serve our communities in the rapidly evolving digital age,” said Brooklyn, Queens, and New York Public Libraries. “As institutions dedicated to free access to knowledge for all, we recognize both the opportunities and challenges that AI presents, including the risk of bias and misinformation. We thank NYCEDC for their partnership in this work.”  

“Connecting CUNY students to paid internships in Applied AI is a necessary step to ensure that they are prepared to be leaders in this growing field,” said Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, chancellor, CUNY. “Strong pathways into AI careers, including initiatives like the NYCEDC Startup Internship Program, will help them realize their career aspirations. As CUNY works towards tripling the number of paid internships for our students, we are excited to continue to collaborate with NYCEDC to open more opportunities to students in these pathways.”  

“We’re excited to go big with the City of New York to bring AI’s benefits to all of the Big Apple,” said Chris Lehane, vice president, global affairs, OpenAI. “This partnership is designed to support the mosaic that is New York City—from the city’s dynamic small businesses to its thriving tech ecosystem, and to the people from all walks of life across the five boroughs who collectively make New York the city where it happens and gets things done.”    

“AI represents one of the best opportunities to create new well-paying jobs, so it’s great to see NYCEDC getting out ahead of this opportunity by putting forth such a smart, innovative playbook to help New York City become one of the globe’s leading AI hubs and capture a large share of the jobs that will be created in the years ahead,” said Jonathan Bowles, executive director, Center for an Urban Future. 

“New York City has always been a center of innovation and opportunity across industries. As AI drives this period of rapid technological advancement, our city’s unparalleled talent pool, world-class academic and research institutions, and thriving startup ecosystem leave it uniquely positioned to capitalize on this moment,” said Julie Samuels, president and CEO, Tech:NYC. “Tech:NYC is committed to collaborating across the private and public sectors to help chart the path ahead and create a robust AI infrastructure that fosters sustainable growth and inclusivity. We look forward to working with the Adams administration to ensure that New York City remains at the forefront of applied AI innovation, setting the standard for the world.” 

“The actions recommended in this report will ensure New York City has an educated, trained, diverse workforce to enable it to be a leading center of AI and AI-driven tools that reflect the diversity of our society,” said Maria Gotsch, president and CEO, Partnership Fund for New York City. “The partnership with Tech:NYC to elevate New York City as a global AI hub will be key to attracting and supporting the next generation of AI entrepreneurs.” 

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today kicked off “Jobs Week” — highlighting the Adams administration’s efforts to ensure job opportunities reach every borough, block, and neighborhood — by unveiling “Race for Space,” a comprehensive strategy to revitalize and reimagine office space across the five boroughs and double down on a commitment to bringing New York City’s economy back by creating thousands of new jobs for working-class New Yorkers. Race for Space would attract both national and international companies to become anchor tenants — large, well-known businesses in search of large commercial space — at offices, advance an ambitious goal of 50 million square feet by end of 2025, and create thousands of jobs over the next three years. The comprehensive strategy meets the challenge of vacant office space across the city directly with a range of bold tools to attract new and growing businesses to New York City, while also renovating existing commercial spaces. Today’s announcement comes as the city, last week, celebrated breaking the all-time high jobs record for the eighth time and unemployment going down across all demographics since the start of the Adams administration.  

“The ‘Race for Space’ has officially started — and New York City is ready to fill our commercial office spaces with domestic and global companies, attract the very best talent, and create thousands of good-paying jobs,” said Mayor Adams. “When our administration sees vacant space, we see opportunity — an opportunity to revitalize and reimagine places like Midtown into economic engines and an opportunity to give New Yorkers access to good-paying jobs. And while we have, once again, hit an all-time record high for jobs in New York City, ‘Jobs Week’ is about doubling down on those efforts by announcing new programs that will make New York City the best, more affordable place to raise a family, starting with delivering the best jobs on the globe.”  

“While New York City’s economy has hit record high jobs and labor force participation, Mayor Adams’ ‘Race for Space’ initiative takes decisive action against the ongoing challenge of vacant and aging offices, while building upon the success we have had so far,” said NYCEDC President and CEO Andrew Kimball. “From new relocation incentives to a new ‘International Landing Pad’ for foreign companies, this package will be a shot in the arm for the commercial real estate community, reactivating our offices while creating even more jobs for New Yorkers.”  

“Race for Space” contains several programs that will create jobs, attract talent, and address the city’s vacant office space, including by: 

• Launching a pilot “Relocation Assistance Credit for Employees” program (RACE), which will incentivize out-of-state companies to move to New York City and sign leases for at least 20,000-square-feet of space at qualifying office buildings. Under this new program, the Adams administration is targeting 15 new anchor tenants by the end of 2025, activating over 800,000 square feet of office space and bringing an additional 3,000 jobs to New York City. The existing Relocation and Employment Assistance Program (REAP) incentive program will also be extended for an additional five years. REAP offers business income tax credits for relocating jobs from outside of New York City or below 96th Street in Manhattan to designated locations above 96th Street in Manhattan or in one of the other four boroughs. 

• Creating a new “International Landing Pad Network,” which will support growth stage international companies in their expansion to New York City, attract new sources of innovation and investment, and grow jobs for New Yorkers. 

• Opening a new application round for the Manhattan Commercial Revitalization Program (M-CORE) program through May 1st. Launched in 2023, M-CORE was a key recommendation from the ‘New’ New York panel’s “Making New York Work for Everyone” action plan — a set of 40 initiatives to reimagine New York City’s commercial districts as vibrant 24/7 destinations. M-CORE aims to convert up to 10 million square feet of aging and vacant office space to amenity rich, high-quality office space that meets the demands of the current workforce. The program is already supporting the overhaul of over 1 million square feet of office space at 850 Third Avenue and 175 Water Street. Last week, the New York City Industrial Development Agency confirmed the latest M-CORE awardee, the Hahn Kook Center, an affiliate of the Korean International Trade Association located at 460 Park Avenue.  

Race for Space builds on prior Adams administration efforts to address commercial vacancy in New York City. In June 2024, Mayor Adams celebrated passage of his “City of Yes for Economic Opportunity,” proposal by the New York City Council. City of Yes for Economic Opportunity is a set of citywide zoning changes the Adams administration introduced that will further fuel New York City’s economic recovery and pave the way for a more inclusive and prosperous future for New York businesses. Together, the proposed set of changes will help businesses find space and grow, support entrepreneurs and freelancers, boost growing industries, and enable more vibrant streetscapes and commercial corridors.   

Last week, Mayor Adams and NYCEDC announced a roadmap to secure New York City’s reputation as the Artificial Intelligence (AI) capital of the world and bring AI jobs to the city. “New York City’s Artificial Intelligence Advantage: Driving Economic Growth and Technological Transformation” is a report that outlines a roadmap series of findings, recommendations, and actions to secure New York City’s position as the premier Applied AI capital of the world. The report includes 18 commitments to unlock New York City’s AI potential to drive economic growth and continue to develop a diverse workforce to power the future of the city and the sector’s economy. A key commitment of the plan includes a $3 million investment from NYCEDC to establish a first-of-its-kind “NYC AI Nexus,” a transformative initiative designed to facilitate collaborations between New York City-based startups and founders with local businesses to identify, build, and ultimately adopt Applied AI solutions to ensure the continued competitiveness of the city’s diverse set of industries. Finally, NYCEDC announced a partnership with OpenAI, which recently established its first east coast office at the historic Puck Building in Manhattan with 450 employees.   

As part of the Adams administration’s successful 2024 Albany legislative agenda, the city secured the historic “467-m” office-to-residential tax incentive, passed in 2024, to help turn vacant offices into critically-needed housing. While office vacancy rates remain elevated — at 15 percent per latest available data — they stabilized in 2024 and have begun to improve, with back-to-back quarters of declining vacancy at the end of the year.  

The Adams administration’s action today addresses a key challenge in an otherwise strong New York City economy. According to a new NYCEDC “State of the Economy” report published earlier this year, the city has hit record high levels of employment and labor force participation, remains the nation’s top destination for young talent, and has diversified into new, innovative sectors like life sciences, the green economy, and technology. Companies that are considering expanding to New York City can learn more about these new initiatives and a range of other resources by visiting Choose.nyc.  

“At a time when our city holds almost 100 million square feet of vacant office space—the equivalent of over 30 empty Empire State Buildings—we must reimagine how to utilize this space to drive economic growth,” said New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar. “In Albany I helped pass legislation to ease its conversion to housing, and the ‘Race for Space’ strategy will spur even more revitalization by reimagining it as valuable commercial space. This ambitious plan will attract businesses from across the country and around the world to create thousands of jobs, building upon the record job numbers in New York City today. Our work demonstrates how we can uplift thousands and bring new energy to our blocks when we transform our spaces to meet people’s needs.” 

“As New York City looks to continue to grow its economy, we must take the opportunities we have to revitalize our neighborhoods and create more good-paying careers for hard-working New Yorkers, and vacant commercial space now represents one of those opportunities,” said Gary LaBarbera, president, Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York. “Mayor Adams’ ‘Race for Space’ initiative will play a great role in not only filling empty real estate throughout our city but also generating more pathways for working people to find stable, family-sustaining work that will allow them to ascend to the middle class and reinvest in their communities.”  

“Creating more good jobs across all five boroughs will further the city’s recovery from the pandemic and help our state grow. It is why programs, like REAP and RACE, are important,” said James Whelan, president, Real Estate Board of New York. “Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul should be commended for championing efforts to strengthen New York.”  

“If we want to deliver on a more affordable New York, we must create good-paying jobs in every neighborhood. Across New York City’s outer boroughs, few initiatives have been as successful in supporting job growth as REAP. We’re thankful to Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams for both championing jobs and affordability by supporting the extension of REAP. In addition to REAP, they are doubling down on this commitment by supporting RACE,” said Tom Grech, president and CEO, Queens Chamber of Commerce, and Randy Peers, president and CEO, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, on behalf of the Five Borough Jobs Campaign. “The Five Borough Jobs Campaign, representing businesses and neighborhoods across New York City, is committed to working with Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams to advocate for hard-working businesses and workers in every corner of the city. We look forward to working alongside the state Legislature to ensure REAP and RACE get passed.”  

MAYOR ADAMS, GOVERNOR HOCHUL, AND UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ANNOUNCE $500 MILLION DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR UNITED NATIONS PLAZA THAT WILL HELP CREATE MORE THAN 1,800 JOBS

Historic Development Will Further Secure New York City’s Reputation as Global Capital, Create 1,800 Jobs, and Support City’s Efforts to Revitalize Commercial Office Spaces

Announcement Comes as City Celebrates Breaking All-Time High Jobs Record for Eighth Time Since Start of Administration, Unemployment Down Across All Demographics

Part of Adams Administration’s “Jobs Week,” Highlighting City’s Effort to Ensure Opportunity Reaches Every Borough, Block, and Neighborhood, and Working-Class Families Have Access to Good-Paying Jobs

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, and the United Nations Development Corporation (UNDC)  continued “Jobs Week” by announcing a $500 million development plan for One and Two United Nations Plaza that will help create more than 1,800 jobs and infuse billions of dollars back into the city’s economy. As part of the agreement, the United Nations (UN) has committed to long-term leases of space at UN Plaza, creating an estimated 1,800 jobs, securing New York City’s reputation as a global capital, and supporting the city’s effort to revitalize commercial office space. Today’s announcement comes as the city celebrates recently breaking the all-time high jobs record for the eighth time and unemployment going down across all demographics since the start of the Adams administration. This week, the Adams administration is celebrating “Jobs Week,” highlighting the city’s efforts to ensure job opportunities reach every borough, block, and neighborhood and advancing Mayor Adams’ 2025 State of the City commitment to make New York City the best, most affordable place to raise a family.

“Having the United Nations headquartered in New York City is a powerful, symbolic reminder of our city’s proud reputation as a global capital along with being an economic engine and job creator,” said Mayor Adams. “As we kick off ‘Jobs Week,’ we’re proud to partner with the state for this groundbreaking development plan for the UN Plaza that will create1,800 jobs in the process, re-energize our commercial office space, and generate billions in economic impact for our city. ‘Jobs Week’ doubles down our efforts to make New York City the best, most affordable place to raise a family, starting with delivering the best jobs on the globe.”

“This $500 million investment by the United Nations Development Corporation is more proof that New York’s resurgence is in full swing,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul. “Projects like this create good-paying jobs, drive economic growth, and reinforce our position as the global capital of commerce and diplomacy. When we build, we create opportunity — and there’s no better place for it than right here in Manhattan.”

“New York City stands as an undeniable global hub, and the United Nations’ commitment to long-term commercial office space in our city underscores that distinction,” said First Deputy Mayor Maria-Torres Springer. “The redevelopment of the UN Plaza properties will not only revitalize Midtown’s office market but also modernize office spaces for the thousands within the UN community, all while generating high-quality jobs. We are grateful for the partnership with Governor Hochul and the UNDC in bringing this visionary plan to life”

“New York City’s global leadership is reinforced by our deep and enduring partnership with the United Nations. As the proud host of the UN, we recognize the immense value this institution brings to our city and the world,” said New York City Mayor’s Office for International Affairs CommissionerEdward Mermelstein. “It is an honor to represent the city on the UNDC Board and to support these efforts. This investment, occurring as the UN celebrates its 80^th anniversary, stands as a powerful testament to New York City’s continued leadership and the significant economic benefits the UN brings to New Yorkers.”

“The United Nations and New York City have a partnership that goes back nearly 80 years, and this announcement of a comprehensive repositioning of the buildings combined with new long-term leases continues that partnership for years to come,” said George Klein, chairman, UNDC.

The development plan is expected to support approximately 1,800 construction and related jobs, in addition to preserving thousands of existing jobs created directly or indirectly by the UN community. Finally, more than 20,000 full- and part-time jobs in New York City are attributable to the presence of the UN community, through both direct employment as well as through the number of jobs its presence is estimated to support.

The project will include building-wide renovations by UNDC, together with renovations by the tenants of their leased office space. CBRE acted as advisor to UNDC, and Newmark acted as advisor to the UN for the project. The total project will cover approximately 900,000 square feet. Building-wide renovations will include new systems with enhanced energy efficiencies under New York state’s BuildSmart 2025 program, which will help the state achieve its ambitious energy goals to make it more affordable, cleaner, and resilient for all New Yorkers. Additional projects include updates to current fire safety, and disability codes and regulations.

The architect for the project is Spacesmith; the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineer is Cosentini Associates; and the construction manager is Turner Construction Company. Construction is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2025, and the project will be completed in approximately 48 months. Turner Construction Company has signed a Project Labor Agreement with the Building and Construction Trades Council that will benefit trade contractors and result in cost savings for the project. UNDC plans to issue up to $380 million in bonds to fund the project. The underwriters for the financing will be Goldman Sachs and Siebert Williams Shank.

UNDC is a public benefit corporation established by New York state in 1968 to provide office space and other facilities for the UN community. UNDC developed and operates the UN Plaza buildings, which were designed in the 1970s and 1980s by Kevin Roche, recipient of architecture’s highest honor, the Pritzker Prize. One and Two UN Plaza, which include office space and a hotel on the top floors, together with Three UN Plaza, were developed to meet the needs of the UN as it expanded. The planned development of One and Two UN Plaza will enable further consolidation of UN personnel, maximizing efficiencies for the organization. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which maintains its world headquarters at Three UN Plaza, will own the building in 2026.

The Adams administration has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in creating good-paying, family-sustaining, public- and private-sector jobs for New Yorkers. The New York City Mayor’s Office of Talent and Workforce (NYC Talent), last year, announced that nearly 8,500 job-seeking New Yorkers were connected to employment, free training, and workforce development resources over six months through Mayor Adams’ “Jobs NYC” initiative. Jobs NYC is a multi-pronged citywide effort to reduce barriers to economic opportunities and deliver workforce development services directly to communities across the five boroughs that are experiencing high unemployment. To find job opportunities, free training, and employment resources, New Yorkers can visit the Jobs NYC website.

The Adams administration has also launched and advanced transformative projects in all five boroughs to support job creation, including projects ranging from the Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx, to the Brooklyn Army Terminal and Brooklyn Marine Terminal in Brooklyn, to SPARC Kips Bay in Manhattan, to Willets Point in Queens, to the North Shore Action Plan on Staten Island. Cumulatively, these projects will create tens of thousands of permanent and temporary construction jobs, generate more than $100 billion in long-term economic impact for the city, and cultivate good-paying, 21st-century job opportunities.

Additionally, last year, NYC Talent announced the city delivered more than 15,000 apprenticeship opportunities to New Yorkers in less than three years — more than halfway to the administration’s moonshot goal of creating 30,000 apprenticeships by 2030 announced in Mayor Adams’ 2023 State of the City address.  Further, last summer, NYC Talent announced expanded workforce services for New Yorkers with disabilities and celebrated a hiring milestone for the community. Finally, Mayor Adams, also last summer, announced the city’s first-ever community hiring effort, which leverages more than $1.2 billion in city contracts to create job opportunities for underserved New Yorkers. Community hiring allows the city to use its purchasing power, set hiring goals across city procurement contracts, and build on the success of existing project labor agreements and agency-specific hiring programs.

“This historic investment strengthens New York City’s position as a global leader, committed to supporting both local and global economies,” said U.S. Representative Gregory W. Meeks. “This project will create nearly 2,000 jobs for hard-working New Yorkers. Partnerships like these are a testament to the strength of our city and have the potential to benefit many. As we continue addressing employment challenges across the city, I encourage New Yorkers to take advantage of these new opportunities right in their own neighborhoods.”

“New York is proud to be home to the United Nations, the center of diplomacy and peacemaking for the world. Today’s announcement shows a commitment to those values, while creating 1,800 jobs and ensuring that this crucial commercial area remains a thriving and vibrant center of public space for New Yorkers,” said New York City Councilmember Keith Powers. “I’m glad to represent the UN in New York, and I applaud this investment in its continued presence in our city.”

“New York City has long been a cultural and economic hub on a national and global level, and we must continue to invest in projects that will not only uphold this status but also generate middle class opportunities for our hard-working people,” said Gary LaBarbera, president, Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York. “The redevelopment of United Nations Plaza will be a key part in continuing to revitalize Manhattan through the creation thousands of good-paying union jobs and economic stimulus that will support our communities. We applaud Governor Hochul, Mayor Adams, and UNDC for pushing this initiative forward and look forward to playing a role in seeing it to completion.”

MAYOR ADAMS DELIVERS TESTIMONY TO NEW YORK STATE SENATE LOCAL GOVERNMENT/GENERAL GOVERNMENT, FINANCE, AND NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE 

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today provided testimony to the New York State Senate Local Government/General Government, Finance and the New York State Assembly Ways and Means Committees, focusing on the administration’s agenda in Albany as Mayor Adams works to make New York City the best place to raise a family. Mayor Adams, today, asked for the state Legislature’s help in passing his “Axe the Tax for the Working Class” legislation that will eliminate and cut New York City personal income taxes for working-class New Yorkers, passing the “Supportive Interventions Act” to finally allow people with severe mental illness to get the lasting support they need, and passing measured reforms to the discovery law that will continue to protect defendants’ rights, while improving the efficiency of the criminal justice system. Finally, Mayor Adams outlined the city’s strong fiscal management and fiscal challenges, including state funding for asylum seekers, while asking for continued financial support to manage the international asylum seeker crisis that has landed at the city’s front door. 

Below are Mayor Adams’ remarks as prepared for delivery: 

Thank you, Chairs Krueger, and Pretlow, Cities Chairs Sepúlveda and Burke, Local Government Chairs Martinez and Jones, and members of the Assembly Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees.   

My name is Eric Adams, and I am the mayor of the City of New York.   

I’m proud to be here today with Jacques Jiha, director of our Office of Management and Budget, First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, Deputy Mayor for Intergovernmental Affairs Tiffany Raspberry, and former state senator and Senior Advisor to the Mayor Diane Savino.  

Since day one of our administration, our mission has been to make New York City a safer, more affordable city that is the best place to raise a family.   

While we have more to do, we have made significant progress. 

Crime is down on our streets and in the subways. In 2024, homicides and shootings reduced for the third consecutive year — and are both down double digits since we came into office.  

What’s more, our January crime statistics are now out, and for the second month in a row, overall crime in our city is down by double digits.   

Last month, crime was down 17 percent above ground and 36 percent below ground.    

Shootings were also down 22 percent last month — continuing the steady decrease we’ve seen as we have taken over 20,000 illegal guns off our streets. 

We currently have an all-time high number of jobs in our city and broke the record for the most jobs in New York City’s history eight times over the course of our administration.  

And — this is important — unemployment has dropped in all demographics, with Black and Hispanic both down more than 20 percent since we came into office. 

These achievements would not be possible without our strong fiscal management.  

We have delivered three balanced budgets; The nation’s leading, independent, credit rating agencies have affirmed our strong fiscal standing; And our most recent preliminary budget includes the largest-ever capital plan for housing, infrastructure, schools, libraries, and more.  

Last year, we worked closely with you and the governor to make progress on every single one of our legislative priorities.  

Together, we passed historic legislation that protects tenants and gives our city new tools to build the affordable housing needed to tackle a generational housing crisis; 

We won mayoral accountability for the second time.  We gained legal authority to close illegal cannabis shops, which has led to shutting down over 1,300 illegal shops through ‘Operation Padlock to Protect;’   

We passed legislation on red-light cameras and e-bikes to keep our streets safe; 

And, all this builds on our past work, in partnership, to: 

Expand the Earned Income Tax for the first time in 20 years that has now put more than $345 million back in the pockets of New Yorkers, allocate aid to the unprecedented international humanitarian crisis we face together, and so much more. 

That is why I am here today to talk about our shared priorities and how we plan to work with the Legislature to, once-again, deliver for working-class people.   We are seeking support in four key areas: 

• First, passage of our “Axe the Tax for the Working Class” legislation to make life more affordable for working-class New Yorkers. 

• Second, passage of the “Supportive Interventions Act” to finally allow people with severe mental illness to get the lasting support they need.  

• Third, passage of measured reforms to the discovery law that will continue to protect defendants’ rights, while improving the efficiency of our criminal justice system and keeping our city safe. 

• And, finally, continued financial support to manage the international asylum seeker international crisis that has landed at our city’s front door.  

More specifically, our administration is committed to making our city more affordable and has taken historic measures to do just that. 

Last year, we celebrated back-to-back record-breaking years for producing and connecting New Yorkers with new, affordable homes.  

We also passed our “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” plan — the most significant pro-housing reform in our city’s history.

And, with Governor Hochul and the state’s support, “City of Yes” will invest 5-billion-dollars.    

These investments, combined with our generational zoning reforms, will create over 80,000 new homes over the next 15 years across every neighborhood in the five boroughs. 

Working-class New Yorkers must also be able to afford groceries, medicine, transportation, and other necessities. Every penny counts for our families. 

To help them, we have put more than $30 billion back into the pockets of working-class people.  

Over the next three years, we will cancel over $2 billion in medical debt for over half a million of our city’s residents.  

But there is much more we can do to build on this progress.  

That is why, today, I am asking you to support our “Axe the Tax for the Working Class” plan that would eliminate or cut city personal income taxes for low-income New Yorkers.  

At a moment when our state faces a historic affordability crisis, this bold action will generate an average benefit of $350, putting a total of more than $63 million back into the pockets of low-income families, and help more than 582,000 filers and their dependents.  

As I’ve said over and over, public safety is the prerequisite to prosperity.  

We are providing even more support for New Yorkers living on the streets and in the subways, including those struggling with serious mental illness, and those at risk of entering city shelters through a historic $650 million plan.  

We are adding 900 more Safe Haven beds and 100 Runaway Homeless Youth beds to protect our most vulnerable. We have also restored all of the psychiatric beds in our public hospital system that were closed during the pandemic.  

We are launching our “Bridge to Home” program, an innovative model to provide homeless New Yorkers with serious mental illness the intensive support they need after discharge from a hospital, to break the cycle of returning to the streets. 

Our administration has already moved 2,800 people from streets and subways to permanent housing, and we have launched outreach programs, such as SCOUT and PATH, which bring law-enforcement and trained clinical professionals onto our subway system to get people the help they need.   

I have been very clear: our subways are not a hospital and the days of ignoring people in need are over. 

That is why it is time to enact the Supportive Interventions Act, which clarifies that a person requires hospitalization if mental illness is preventing them from meeting their basic human needs of food, clothing, shelter, or medical care. 

It will also help ensure people remain hospitalized until they are truly ready for discharge and receive “assisted outpatient treatment” afterwards if they need that level of ongoing support.  

We are grateful for the governor’s embrace of many of these proposals and look forward to working with you to pass meaningful reforms this year.  

Next, we also must do more to ensure repeat offenders are truly held accountable and keep our communities safe.  

Well-meaning criminal justice reform has led to an unintended consequence. This includes dismissals of cases due to minor violations of burdensome discovery rules, also causing remaining cases to take longer, leading people to linger on Rikers Island longer.   

We ask you to support an approach that balances a defendant’s rights with the smooth functioning of our criminal justice system, speeding along cases and preventing needless technical dismissals.  

This will help us reduce our jail populations and keep our people safe.   

Finally, as I have said many times, no city should have to shoulder the costs of an international humanitarian crisis on its own.

Our Fiscal Year 2026 Preliminary Budget is balanced and includes $2.4 billion in savings in this fiscal year and the next related to the decline in migrant arrivals over the past 31 weeks.  

This trend is due to the steps we have taken to put more than 184,000 migrants on the path to self-sufficiency, and federal border policies we had advocated for.  

These measures helped reduce the number of asylum seekers in our care from a high of 69,000 in January 2024 to less than 47,000 today. 

However, we have still spent more than $6.9 billion to care for the immigrants over just three fiscal years and anticipate spending billions more in the years to come. 

While we appreciate the contributions the state has made, we urge you to include asylum seeker funding for the city in the state enacted budget. 

Without your help, we will have to close a $1.1 billion budget shortfall for this program within 12 weeks and ask for the state’s assistance to do so.  

This is on top of the costs of complying with new state budget provisions that will cost New York City taxpayers $165 million more annually for MTA needs and $347 million from lower-than-expected Foundation Aid. 

To conclude, we appreciate the successful legislative session we had together last year, and in the two years prior, and the resources you have directed to New Yorkers. 

From housing reform to mayoral accountability, to increasing our debt capacity so we can continue to build the New York City of the future, your partnership has helped this city prosper and thrive. 

We have high hopes for this year as well.  We are looking forward to working with you as we fight to make New York a safer, more affordable city, and the best place to live and raise a family for generations to come.  

Thank you, and I look forward to answering your questions.

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES $2 MILLION INVESTMENT TO EXPAND “JOBS NYC” INITIATIVE, DELIVERING JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND TRAININGs TO ECONOMICALLY-DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES  

Targeting Areas with High Unemployment, Hiring Halls Will Bring More Public- and Private-Sector Job Opportunities Directly to Communities Announcement Comes as City Celebrates Breaking All-Time High Jobs Record for Eighth Time Since Start of Administration, Unemployment Down Across All Demographics  

Part of Adams Administration’s “Jobs Week,” Highlighting City’s Effort to Ensure Opportunity Reaches Every Borough, Block, and Neighborhood, and Working-Class Families Have Access to Good-Paying Jobs 

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Dynishal Gross  continued “Jobs Week ” by announcing a $2 million investment to expand the “Jobs NYC” model, which uses hiring halls and community partnerships to bring job opportunities and trainings to communities facing high unemployment. Today’s announcement comes as the city, last week, celebrated breaking the all-time high jobs record for the eighth time and unemployment going down across all demographics since the start of the Adams administration. This week, the Adams administration is celebrating Jobs Week, highlighting the city’s efforts to ensure job opportunities reach every borough, block, and neighborhood and advancing Mayor Adams’ 2025 State of the City commitment to make New York City the best, more affordable place to raise a family. To find job opportunities, free training, and employment resources, New Yorkers can visit the Jobs NYC website. 

“In three years, our administration has re-energized our economy — delivering a record number of jobs and small businesses and recovering all the jobs lost during the pandemic. However, our success must be measured by our ability to help those most in need receive the workforce training and job opportunities to participate in our shared economic prosperity,” said Mayor Adams. “‘Jobs NYC’ is a hands-on model — going directly to neighborhoods battling with high unemployment and bringing opportunity to their front doors. Together, we can make sure our rising tide lifts all boats and every New Yorker, regardless of their zip code, has the skills and resources to find a good-paying job.” 

“Since the start of the Adams administration, SBS has provided over 71,000 New Yorkers with training and connections to jobs in high-growth, in-demand sectors through our Workforce1 system,” said SBS Commissioner Gross. “‘Jobs NYC’ and the hiring halls have supercharged our efforts, and this new investment will open even more doors to New Yorkers across the five boroughs.” 

The Jobs NYC model helps bring job opportunities and trainings directly to communities experiencing high unemployment, including through in-person hiring halls. Hiring halls focus on bringing public- and private-sector job opportunities and career services to economically-disadvantaged communities on a monthly basis in each borough. First laid out in Mayor Adams’ Fiscal Year 2026 Preliminary Budget, this new $2 million investment will go towards identifying venues, liaising with the local community to identify interested employers, and advertising locally within communities experiencing high unemployment. Additionally, new features are being added to the Jobs NYC website, including a centralized regional jobs board —“My Next Move”— career exploration tool, and streamlined landing page that will make it easier for users to find good-paying careers in their community. The upgrades to the website were led by the New York City Mayor’s Office of Economic Opportunity,  Mayor’s Office of Technology and Innovation, and Mayor’s Office of Talent and Workforce Development (NYC Talent) and developed in partnership with Occupational Information Network, the New York State Department of Labor, and the National Labor Exchange. Thanks to efforts like Jobs NYC, the city has celebrated an over 20 percent reduction in Black and Latino unemployment since the start of the Adams administration. Additionally, the Jobs NYC campaign led to job-seeking New Yorkers being connected to employment, free training, and workforce development resources over a nine-month sprint.  

The Adams administration has also launched and advanced transformative projects in all five boroughs to support job creation, including projects ranging from the Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx, to the Brooklyn Army Terminal and Brooklyn Marine Terminal in Brooklyn, to SPARC Kips Bay in Manhattan, to Willets Point in Queens, to the North Shore Action Plan on Staten Island. Cumulatively, these projects will create tens of thousands of permanent and temporary construction jobs, generate more than $100 billion in long-term economic impact for the city, and cultivate good-paying, 21st-century job opportunities. 

Additionally, last year, NYC Talent announced the city delivered more than 15,000 apprenticeship opportunities to New Yorkers in less than three years — more than halfway to the administration’s moonshot goal of creating 30,000 apprenticeships by 2030, as announced in Mayor Adams’ 2023 State of the City address.   

Further, last summer, NYC Talent announced expanded workforce services for New Yorkers with disabilities and celebrated a hiring milestone for this community. To build on creating jobs for underserved communities, SBS announced earlier this week, that over 1,900 New Yorkers with disabilities, 3,200 veterans and their spouses, and 1,000 “new” New Yorkers were connected to jobs through its Workforce1 system. Finally, last summer, Mayor Adams announced the city’s first-ever community hiring effort, which leverages more than $1.2 billion in city contracts to create job opportunities for underserved New Yorkers. Community hiring allows the city to use its purchasing power, set hiring goals across city procurement contracts, and build on the success of existing project labor agreements and agency-specific hiring programs.   

“Investing in job creation is investing in the future of our city,” said New York State Senator James Sanders Jr. “Expanding ‘Jobs NYC’ will open doors for those who need it most, ensuring that opportunity reaches every corner of our communities. Let’s keep building a stronger, more inclusive workforce for all New Yorkers.” 

“Mayor Eric Adams keeps proving that New York City is truly the city of opportunity for all; hitting record-high employment for all demographics for the eighth time,” said New York State Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn. “The $2 million investment to expand ‘Jobs NYC,’ builds on that marvelous momentum by bringing job opportunities and training directly to communities that need them most. I applaud Mayor Eric Adams and SBS Commissioner Dynishal Gross along with my elected colleagues — our commitment to making NYC the best and most affordable place to raise a family are not just words, it’s action.” 

“This week we celebrate achieving a record number of jobs in New York City, and the trajectory continues upward with the ‘Jobs NYC’ expansion,” said New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar. “Through hiring halls and community partnerships, the program connects disadvantaged communities to public and private sector careers and vocational training. This allows more New Yorkers to stand on their own two feet and enjoy meaningful careers. I am proud of my work with the administration, partnering for a hiring hall that attracted over 1,000 people, and helping pass legislation for community hiring on city projects. Together, we will do everything we can to uplift every New Yorker in every corner of our city.”