Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday visited the 9/11 Museum & Memorial ahead of this Saturday’s 20th anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks. She was joined by former Mayor Mike Bloomberg as they laid a wreath at one of the reflecting pools to honor the lives lost.

Hochul’s predecessor, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, had proposed building a monument to the essential workers of the COVID-19 pandemic in nearby Battery Park City, but the plan was rejected by the local community who felt their input was not included during the planning.

What You Need To Know

  • Hochul wants to jumpstart a plan to build a COVID-19 essential worker memorial, after Cuomo’s plan was rejected by Battery Park City residents

  • Hochul expressed support for Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton, despite calls for his resignation

  • The governor defended the secret negotiations with the state legislature last week over extending the eviction moratorium

We asked Hochul about the status of that project.

“It will be very easy for me to reach out and get the opinions of the community, but this absolutely has to happen,” Hochul said. “He was correct: there needs to be an appropriate memorial.”

As she continues to announce her own inner circle, Hochul was asked about the many appointments Cuomo made to boards and authorities, some of whom can be replaced, and others who have fixed terms that cannot be amended should they refuse to leave.

One of the most prominent is Rick Cotton, a Cuomo Loyalist who is currently executive director of the Port Authority. Sources tell NY1 that Cotton has no interest in leaving early. His term expires in 2023.

Hochul offered him her support instead.

“I have confidence in Rick Cotton, that he is going to continue to lead, but I am also cognizant that there are many people on these boards. There are some vacancies occurring, where I’ll be seeking some vacancies,” Hochul said. “There are different reasons why they are on those boards, and I will leave it at that. What I am going to do is professionalize these boards.”

Last week, the state legislature met in a special session to extend the eviction moratorium. And while Hochul has vowed to break from Cuomo’s way of doing business — in which just about every negotiation was shrouded in secrecy — the same process played out with the moratorium. The details were not announced until the night before the vote was scheduled, despite lawmakers knowing them for almost two full days. 

“I don’t agree that there was a surprise element to that. Not knowing the terms — well, you were either going to extend the moratorium or not, and we extended it longer than anyone expected,” Hochul said. “We had one of the longest extensions in the country, Jan. 15. That was one of the few details. But I will always be guided by transparency and getting information out as soon as we can.”

One of Cuomo’s lasting legacies will be his many infrastructure projects, many of which were in process when he resigned. One of those is the controversial air train to LaGuardia Airport, which Hochul would not commit to continuing.