••• A New York Times article on the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area casts New York Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver in a poor light: “An extensive review of the archives of four mayors and more than two dozen interviews show Mr. Silver and [William E.] Rapfogel diligently working behind the scenes to promote specific plans and favored developers. Mr. Rapfogel made clear that the goal was to maintain the area’s Jewish identity, seemingly at the expense of other communities. Mr. Silver and Mr. Rapfogel steadfastly opposed any mention of affordable housing, which would have altered the demographics of the neighborhood and put Mr. Silver’s political base in question. And Mr. Silver appears to have occasionally misrepresented the desires of his Chinese and Hispanic constituents in conversations with city officials to quash housing plans for the site.”

••• There was a fire on the eighth floor of the Municipal Building yesterday. —Downtown Post

••• The New York Times‘s class-warfare columnist looks into the problem of tourist helicopters: “On Christmas Eve last year, one member of the group, Delia von Neuschatz, who lives on the 22nd floor of the Visionaire in Battery Park City, logged the number of northbound helicopters, counting 35 between 2 and 3 p.m.” A group called Stop the Chop NYNJ is seeking to limit the flights.

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