July 29th - August 4th, 2005

District Council 37 Opens New Downtown Affordable Housing Office

Thursday, August 4: This week marked the opening of District Council (DC) 37's new Affordable Housing Office at 125 Barclay Street, the Daily News reported. The new office will provide a range of information on homeownership, including down payment assistance, grants, and ways to improve bad credit.

"We will have a one-stop shop here," Henry Garrido, DC 37 assistant associate director told the News. According to Garrido, the office will provide two full-time counselors to help screen visitors, review credit histories, and identify applicable housing programs.

The new office is the result of a joint effort by DC 37, the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development and Neighborhood Housing Services and is funded by a grant from Amalgamated Bank, the News said.

Lower East Side Residents Called on to Conserve Energy

Thursday, August 4: Con Edison called for 64,000 customers on the Lower East Side to discontinue use of non-essential electrical equipment -- including washers, dryers, and air conditions -- on Wednesday evening, Newsday reported.

Con Ed issued the request after problems with electrical feeder cables that supply power to the area were reported. It did not provide an estimate of when repairs would be completed or how long the request would remain in effect, according to the paper. In addition to curtailing use of electricity-intensive appliances, residents were asked to turn off lights and televisions when not needed.

Port Authority Approves Revised Design for WTC PATH Terminal

Friday, July 29: Following the presentation of revised plans for the WTC PATH Terminal by architect Santiago Calatrava Thursday, the board of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey approved the $2.221 billion project, the New York Times reported.

Revisions to the original plan call for a reduction in the amount of glass above the transit hall and an increase in the number of supporting structural elements, as well as several other minor modifications. To read more about the updated plan, click here.

According to the Times, Calatrava was inspired when he passed a framed American flag that survived the September 11 attacks hanging in the Port Authority offices while en route to make his presentation. During the presentation, the architect suggested that the flag be hung on a blank wall at the west end of the terminal mezzanine.

"We would like to suspend a very symbolic object," the Times quoted Calatrava as saying. "It could be the flag who is hanging here in this house."

Port Authority Executive Director Kenneth Ringler Jr. told the Times that he supported the idea of hanging the flag in the mezzanine. "It would demonstrate the resiliency of Americans to the thousands and thousands of people who would be going through that transportation center every day," he said.