Dan Garodnick
Chair of the New York City Planning Commission
Assumed office
January 19, 2022
MayorEric Adams
Preceded byAnita Laremont
Member of the New York City Council
from the 4th district
In office
January 1, 2006 – December 31, 2017
Preceded byEva Moskowitz
Succeeded byKeith Powers
Personal details
Born (1972-05-05) May 5, 1972
New York, New York, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseZoe Segal-Reichlin
Children2
Residence(s)New York, New York, U.S.
EducationDartmouth College (BA)
University of Pennsylvania (JD)
WebsiteOfficial website

Daniel Garodnick (born May 5, 1972) is an American lawyer and a former Democratic New York City Councilmember for the 4th district. He is currently the Chair of the New York City Planning Commission. He also served as president and chief executive officer of the Riverside Park Conservancy.

Early life and education

Garodnick was born in New York City and is a graduate of Trinity School (1990). He received his B.A. from Dartmouth College (1994).[1] He earned a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School (2000),[2] where he was Editor-in-Chief of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review.

Between college and law school, Garodnick spent time in both Millen, Georgia and Portsmouth, Virginia helping to rebuild African American churches that had been burned by arson.[3] He also spent two years working for the New York Civil Rights Coalition as the director of a program to teach New York City public school ways to combat racial discrimination, and how to use government to effect social change.[3]

Career

An attorney, Garodnick practiced as a litigator at the New York law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison where he focused on securities litigation and internal investigations of companies. While there, he represented the Partnership for New York City in the successful Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit regarding public school funding., and same-sex couples seeking marriage equality in New York State.

Prior to joining the firm, he served as a law clerk to Judge Colleen McMahon of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. [4]

Personal life

In May 2008, Garodnick married Zoe Segal-Reichlin, senior associate general counsel and director of advocacy of Planned Parenthood.[5] They have two children.[6]

New York City Council

Garodnick was elected to New York City Council in 2005, winning 63 percent of the vote in the general election and defeating both the Republican and Libertarian candidates. In the five-way Democratic primary that year he won 59% of the vote. He won reelection in 2009 and 2013.

During his twelve-year tenure, The New York Times praised Garodnick for his “independent streak” and noted that he had “distinguished himself in the fight to preserve middle-class housing.”[7] The Wall Street Journal has called him “smart and fair”[8] and POLITICO New York noted that he is known as a “policy wonk” who has “bucked the establishment."[9]

In 2017, City & State called Garodnick a “no-nonsense negotiator.”[3] Garodnick earned this reputation for repeatedly bringing parties to an agreement in difficult negotiations. In 2007, Garodnick successfully stepped in to broker an agreement between renowned Chef Daniel Boulud and the staff at his eponymous restaurant, who sought redress and compensation after Asian and Latino employees had been discriminated against and passed over for promotions.[10] In 2008, when a developer proposed rezoning the largest stretch of undeveloped, privately owned land in Manhattan, Garodnick was able to adjust the plan to reduce the height of the towers, provide for acres of gardens and a school, as well as a $10 million contribution from the developer for a future pedestrian bridge over the FDR Drive.[11] In 2015, when the de Blasio administration and Council Member Carlos Menchaca were at a logjam over the $115 million redevelopment of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, Garodnick helped broker an agreement between both sides.[12]

Garodnick is best known for his work fighting for his childhood home in Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village, where he spearheaded the largest housing preservation deal in New York City history in 2015, with 5,000 units for middle-class families. He wrote a book on the subject, called "Saving Stuyvesant Town: How One Community Defeated the Worst Real Estate Deal in History," published by Three Hills Press, an imprint of Cornell University Press. He also negotiated the East Midtown Rezoning in 2017, covering an 80 block area in midtown Manhattan, which almost immediately began to generate new commercial space, and to deliver significant public improvements to the area.

Garodnick's last term as councilman ended on December 31, 2017, when he was succeeded by Keith Powers.

Garodnick authored and passed over 60 laws during his tenure on the New York City Council.[13]

New York City Comptroller campaign

On April 3, 2012 Garodnick announced that he would seek the Democratic nomination for New York City Comptroller.[14] On November 28, 2012 Garodnick dropped out of the Comptroller race, and immediately endorsed Scott Stringer, while pledging to run for re-election in District 4. Stringer had previously been running for Mayor.[15] Garodnick was opposed in his bid for re-election by attorney Helene Jnane.[16]

City Planning

On February 7, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams appointed Garodnick as Director of the Department of City Planning, and Chair of the City Planning Commission. In that role he is leading the administration’s ambitious land use agenda, including proposed changes related to the impact of zoning on climate, changes to the city zoning law related to business development and housing, including for office to housing conversions. Garodnick is also focused on support for proposed changes near the new Metro-North Stations coming to the Bronx, a key stretch of Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, Manufacturing Districts in Midtown Manhattan, and downtown Jamaica in Queens. In July 2023, Garodnick was named in the top ten of City & State Newspaper's Real Estate Power 100.[17]

Election history

New York City Council: District 4
Election Candidate Party Votes Pct Candidate Party Votes Pct Candidate Party Votes Pct Candidate Party Votes Pct
2005 Primary Dan Garodnick Dem 7,270 58.01% Jack Lester Dem 2,116 16.89% Meryl Brodsky Dem 2,015 16.08% Jack Karako Dem 1,113 9.03%
2005 General Dan Garodnick Dem 23,304 63.77% Patrick M. Murphy Rep 13,153 35.24% Jak Karako Lib 370 0.99%
2009 General Dan Garodnick Dem 23,431 74.60% Ashok G. Chandra Rep 7,972 25.40%
2013 General Dan Garodnick Dem 21,366 70.51% Helene Jnane Rep 8,911 29.49%

References

  1. ↑ "Campus Journal: "Dartmouth Seeks Ethics for the Age of Computers". The New York Times. January 5, 1994.
  2. ↑ "Alumni Briefs". Penn Law Journal. Fall 2008. Archived from the original on August 1, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 Powell, Nick (April 14, 2017). "Dan Garodnick is a no-nonsense negotiator. Does he have what it takes to run for mayor?". City and State NY. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
  4. ↑ "2005 NYC Voter Guide: Candidate Profile: Dan Garodnick". New York City Campaign Finance Board. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Weddings: Zoe L. Segal-Reichlin and Daniel R. Garodnick". The New York Times. May 11, 2008.
  6. ↑ Satow, Julie (May 19, 2017). "How Daniel Garodnick, a New York Councilman, Spends His Sundays". The New York Times. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
  7. ↑ Board, The Editorial (2014). "Opinion | The Next Council Speaker". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  8. ↑ Kusisto, Laura (September 13, 2014). "New York City Councilman Daniel Garodnick Faces Tough Tests in Real Estate Battles". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  9. ↑ Dawsey, Josh (February 21, 2017). "Jeffries rules out mayoral run, Garodnick explores bid". Politico. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  10. ↑ Izen, Megan (August 21, 2007). "Out of the Box Public Service". Colorlines. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  11. ↑ Bagli, Charles V. (March 13, 2008). "Plan for Ambitious East Side Project Clears Big Hurdle". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  12. ↑ Gay, Mara (April 9, 2015). "Officials Agree on Brooklyn Terminal Development". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Daniel R. Garodnick". New York City Council. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  14. ↑ Rauh, Grace (April 3, 2012). "Manhattan Councilman Sets Sights on 2013 Comptroller's Race". NY1. Archived from the original on January 12, 2014.
  15. ↑ Campbell, Colin (November 28, 2012). "Dan Garodnick Exits Stage Right". Politicker Network. Archived from the original on February 24, 2013. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Attorney running for Council". Town & Village. August 22, 2013. Archived from the original on September 4, 2013. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  17. ↑ "The 2023 Real Estate Power 100", City & State New York, July 5, 2023
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