–Businesses in Chinatown have seen a steep drop in business due to Coronavirus fears, even though there isn’t a single confirmed case in New York. [NY1]
–Some Chinatown restaurant owners say their business is off as much as 40%. [Grub Street]
–LGBTQ+ Asian and Pacific Islander groups have formed a coalition that will march in Sunday’s Lunar New Year parade in Chinatown. [Vice]
–Neighborhood activists are finding more success fighting large-scale development plans. Says Paula Segal, an attorney who helped community groups in the Two Bridges neighborhood win a potentially precedent-setting case: “The developers are on notice that if they don’t work with communities to come up with plans that work with everybody, we’ll see them in court.” [New York Times]
–Local groups have filed a lawsuit to stop the city’s plans to rebuild East River Park in the name of resiliency. [Gothamist]
–People living in Steve Croman’s many New York City buildings say living conditions did improve after his imprisonment and the passage of new tenant-friendly rent laws. But there are still problems. [Gothamist]
–Opinion: Why the mayor can’t handle the truth when it comes to Rivington House and so many other messes of his own making. [New York Post]
–The state comptroller says the NYPD has taken steps to deal with nightlife noise, but a new report concludes there’s still room for improvement. [Daily News]
–More press for the Market Line with barely a mention of its sunny neighbor, the Essex Market. [New York Post]
