There are hundreds of privately-maintained public spaces scattered across the city, some of whose owners aren't keeping their promise to the city to stay open. It's the subject of a City Council hearing this week and getting more attention because of a certain presidential candidate. Our Courtney Gross has more.
Trump Tower is part campaign headquarters and part public space.
"My son is graduating and I wanted to bring him to Trump Tower so he could see the building," said one passerby.
It also is one of about 500 privately owned public plazas in the city where developers, like Donald Trump, received the OK from the city to build bigger as long as they also created public space.
But Trump and other developers have sometimes violated these agreements, which are now catching the eye of the City Council. Councilman David Greenfield is having a hearing on the issue later this week.
"He should make the public space in Trump Tower great again by welcoming in the public and by allowing for benches and by making sure it’s not used for any other purposes except to service the public," said Greenfield.
Just last week, Trump Tower was fined $10,000 for failing to show up to a violation hearing. The city is taking issue with the removal of benches in the main lobby which had been replaced with a kiosk selling his campaign swag.
That kiosk has since been removed and the merchandise is now being sold downstairs.
Trump's special counsel tells us the failure to show was a scheduling error. Michael Cohen said, "A rehearing will be immediately sought where evidence of compliance will be demonstrated."
NY1 had no problems accessing Trump Tower on Monday, but security did tell us if we were to interview people we would be escorted out. At an adjacent plaza, we received an even stronger reaction.
"I know it's a public place but you can't be taping in here," said the security guard.
NY1 was kicked out of this plaza located just next door because we were shooting video. So we traveled downtown to this building on Broad Street, which has not replaced its plaza since it was converted to condos.
NY1 told it was under construction. When NY1 started taking video, though, one employee tried to block our camera.
Another plaza in Midtown was entirely empty. An employee there told NY1 it had been closed for some time.