Manhattan Community Board 3 Jul 2026 Report
A change in board leadership, a two-phase Canal Street redesign, ConEd grid work on the Lower East Side, and a new name for a Tompkins Square Park field
As always, the below summary of the Full Board Meeting is not complete but represents my best attempt to highlight key takeaways from the meeting. If you attended the meeting and believe I missed or misstated any important points, please comment below or reach out!
Any opinions expressed below are solely my own and do not represent the views of Manhattan Community Board 3.
Find your community district and key information about it here.
Manhattan Community Board 3 Jul 2026 Full Board Meeting
Tuesday, Jul 28, 2026 - 6:30pm
Beacon Center at MS 131 - 100 Hester St
Meeting Highlights:
Board leadership changes: MCB3’s Chair is stepping down, with the First Vice Chair moving into the Chair role and the Second Vice Chair becoming First Vice Chair. A special election will be held to fill the Second Vice Chair seat.
Canal Street redesign split into two phases: Phase 1, from Broadway to West Street and including a two-way bike lane, will be implemented by this fall. Phase 2 will follow next summer or fall to allow for more community input.
ConEd grid work coming to the LES: ConEd is launching a three-year load transfer between its Avenue A and Cherry Street substations to build out grid resiliency, citing extreme summer heat, energy demand forecasts, and continued development in the neighborhood. Work may cause obstructions, and ConEd will release a one-page FAQ soon.
Harold Hunter Court: The Parks Committee passed a resolution supporting naming the multi-purpose field in the northwest corner of Tompkins Square Park “Harold Hunter Court.”
Notes from board meeting:
Public Session
Climate scientist concerned with the increased occurrence of inclement weather and other risks driven by climate change
removal of climate data and community services by the government is also of concern
looking to connect with other community members to discuss actions to take
contact Kylie at [email protected] if you are interested or want to learn more!
ArtBridge does murals around NYC, part of their goal is to cover eyesores like construction fencing with public art
currently working with ConEd on a building on Avenue A, between 5th and 6th Streets, to beautify a wall covered in graffiti
ConEd is doing a load transfer between substations (Avenue A to Cherry Street) to build out the resiliency of the electric grid in the LES
necessary given the extreme hot summers of recent years, current energy demand forecasts, and the continued development of the LES
3-year project, work may cause some obstructions in the meantime
1-pager FAQ with more information is currently being created and will be released by ConEd soon
Speaker from NYC Commission on Racial Equity introducing the office
created as a voter initiative in 2022 to hold government accountable to advancing racial equity in NYC
community equity priorities are used by agencies to inform two-year strategies on how they will advance racial equity
Elected Officials Reports
Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Liaison
Representative from Mayor’s Office of Mass Engagement (OME)
OME was created two days after Mayor Mamdani assumed office
working on building up the structure of the office and how it will support community boards
currently focused on tenants’ rights, planning to do political education town halls called NYC 101
Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal’s Liaison
Assemblymember Grace Lee’s Liaison
Hosting mobile office hours across Lower Manhattan - exact details to come out in social media posts/newsletter from the Assemblymember
Giving out free backpacks and other resources at an event on 8/21 - more details to be released soon
Assemblymember Deborah Glick’s Liaison
Free school meals for NYC children 18 and younger, more information here
Community health advocates can help people find new health coverage, resolve medical debt, and any matters dealing with insurance companies
Assemblymember Keith Powers’ Liaison
Recycling event on 8/2
Mobile office hours on 8/4
Coffee with Keith event on 8/28 10-11:30 AM
Councilmember Christopher Martre’s Liaison
Councilmember Harvey Epstein’s Liaison
Co-authored an op-ed about the horse carriage ban with CM Martre
Hosting outreach events about student loans, including addressing recent changes to student loans regulations
Hang with Harvey event at Washington Square Park, 7/29 4-6 PM
Board Reports
Board Chair’s Report
State Open Meeting Law and MCB3’s resolution passed in May 2022 state which circumstances allow board members to attend meetings remotely
Find historical resolutions and transcripts from CB meetings (currently the database includes 11 of 12 Manhattan Community Boards, more being added soon!) on Block Party’s website. [source] MCB3 Chair is stepping down from the position; First Vice Chair is stepping into the Board Chair role
Second Vice Chair is stepping into the First Vice Chair role, there will be a special election for the Second Vice Chair role
District Manager’s Report
No full board meeting in August, no committee meetings in August except SLA and Cannabis Task Force
New portal for outdoor dining applications is difficult to use, even compared to other city portals
On 9/21, MCB3 will have a Charter-mandated meeting to hear from all in the district on budget priorities
encourage anyone in the district to come and talk about what they think deserves attention
Committee Reports
See Committee Meeting recordings here!
Parks, Recreation, Waterfront, & Resiliency
Resolution on naming the multi-purpose field in the northwest corner of Tompkins Square Park to “Harold Hunter Court”
MCB3 passed the resolution to support renaming the skate space! [source]
Transportation, Public Safety, & Environment
Chinatown Connections update: funding came in from the state
expect to vote on the project in the fall
Delancey Street construction project will start next spring
Canal Street Redesign has been broken into two phases
Phase 1 will be implemented by this fall, Broadway to West Street, including a two-way bike lane
Phase 2 will be implemented next summer/fall to gather more community input
Landmarks
Resolution to support approving certificate of appropriateness for Middle Collegiate Church to create greenspace at 112 Second Avenue
