NYC Midday News: Brooklyn Housing Development, 5G on G Train, and Mayor's Race Update

Brooklyn Housing Development Update

• 🏠 The owners of a housing development tied to the Barclays Center deal will not face penalties for missing the May 31st deadline.
• 💡 Empire State Development will waive a $1.75 million monthly property fee that developers were set to pay for the delay.
• 📌 Over a decade after the original agreement, developers promised over 2,200 affordable apartments, but only about 1,400 have been completed.

5G Service Coming to G Train Tunnels

• 🚇 5G cell service is slated to launch in the G train tunnels between Court Square and Hoyt-Schermerhorn Streets as early as this fall.
• 💰 This is part of a $600 million investment by BAI Communications, which will fund the installation and collect revenue from the service.
• ⚡ The technology was implemented during the G-Train closure last summer, and the East River tunnel for the 4 and 5 trains will also receive service this fall.

New York City Mayor's Race and Minimum Wage

• 🗳️ With four weeks until primary day, the mayor's race is intensifying.
• 💰 Former Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed raising the minimum wage to $20 by 2027, a plan requiring legislative approval.
• 🗣️ Cuomo is leveraging his past success in raising the minimum wage to $15 in 2016, framing it as a boost to the economy.

Casino Proposal and Campaign Finance

• 🎰 A controversial casino proposal near City Field, backed by Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International, has advanced in the state legislature.
• 🏞️ The bill, passed by the State Senate, would reclassify public park land for an $8 billion entertainment complex, but still requires one of three state casino licenses.
• 💸 City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams is at a pivotal moment in her campaign, seeking over $2 million in matching funds from the city's campaign finance board to boost her late entry into the mayoral race.

Political Investigations and Criticisms

• ⚖️ Andrew Cuomo's management of the pandemic is facing scrutiny, with reports of a Department of Justice investigation into whether he lied to Congress.
• 📢 Cuomo's campaign has responded by framing the investigation as political weaponization by former President Trump.
• hospital care, blaming prior underfunding of public hospitals during his tenure.