Suburbs are missing from Hochul/Adams city recovery plan
Gov. Kathy Hochul and NYC Mayor Eric Adams' "New New York" plan proposes big ideas for the city but gives little attention to the suburbs, including Long Island. Credit: Office of the Governor/Don Pollard
Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams are dreaming big this holiday season.
But even Santa Claus might not be able to fulfill their wish list.
In the world Hochul and Adams dream about, areas of New York City now primarily business-oriented would be home to a "live-work-play" mix. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority would have a "sustainable operating budget model," transit would be "more accessible," and congestion pricing would become a reality. "Regulatory and legislative changes" would pave the way for significant housing growth. All New Yorkers would have "access to affordable, high-quality childcare." And the state and city would invest in everything from public spaces and the arts to employment hubs around transit, bikeway infrastructure, and "future-focused [job] sectors."
In this bright new world, New York City would "establish itself as the best place to work in the new world of the 21st century."
If only wishing — and writing it all down in a 159-page report — made it so.
Hochul and Adams' "New New York" plan that emerged this month proposes big ideas for the city — but, unfortunately, gives little attention to the suburbs, including Long Island. It does, however, paint a clear and troubling picture of the vast disparities in the city's pandemic recovery to date. While consumer spending on city retail and entertainment has surpassed pre-pandemic levels overall, it varies considerably from neighborhood to neighborhood. Twelve percent of city private sector jobs lost during the pandemic have yet to return, and office vacancies are still up by a stunning 94%. The report estimates that New York City could have an excess of 7 million to 64 million square feet of office space by 2037, a wide range that "reflects the uncertainty of the situation."
The report promises a blueprint that's "not a plan designed to sit on a shelf." And in between data and charts, historical context and pretty renderings, the proposal does include some important recommendations, from regulatory and legislative changes to infrastructure improvements and tax incentives, along with loosely-described implementation strategies and target metrics on commuting, office vacancies, and employment.
But for each proposal, promise and goal, one question goes mostly unanswered: "How?"
How will the MTA establish a sustainable operating budget model when its finances are in shambles? How will the state move forward with legislative changes to create more housing when it's hard even in the city to get big housing efforts through? How will the state finance or invest in new projects and improvements when its own finances remain uncertain? And how does anyone think the various levels of government — from the City Council to suburban lawmakers — have the political will to get any of it done?
And what about the rest of the region? "New New York" was always intended to spotlight New York City, but without a regional focus, it's missing an enormous piece of the equation. Long Island gets a few shoutouts, including for its fledgling life sciences industry and robust research institutions, but the report fails to explore what impact its proposals would have on the city's suburban neighbors.
New York City can't transform itself in a vacuum. Hochul and Adams emphasized their partnership — that for once, city and state are on the same page. But suburban voices — and attention to what the region as a whole needs — must be part of the conversation.
Otherwise, it's likely to be just another plan that sits on a shelf.
Columnist Randi F. Marshall's opinions are her own.
Randi Marshall is a member of the Newsday editorial board.
