Latest on Mayor Mamdani: Jan. 12 nurses strike, bathroom plan, Gracie Mansion move

NEW YORK - With just over a week in office, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is beginning to put his stamp on City Hall, advancing new proposals including a $4 million plan to expand public restrooms, filling out his administration and moving into the mayor’s official residence as thousands of nurses walked off the job in a historic strike.

FOX 5 NY is tracking Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s first 100 days in office as he settles into City Hall and finalizes his administration.

Here's the latest on Mayor Mamdani. 

SKIP TO: Latest proposals| Latest appointments | Gracie Mansion

Where is Mamdani today?

Early Monday morning, Mamdani appeared alongside thousands of striking nurses and New York Attorney General Letitia James at a protest, urging hospital leaders and union officials to return to the negotiating table. 

"These nurses are here for New Yorkers. They show up, and all they are asking for in return is dignity, respect and the fair pay and treatment they deserve," Mamdani said. "They should settle for nothing less."

Mamdani is expected to make an announcement at 11 a.m. Monday and hold another news conference from Gracie Mansion later in the afternoon, marking his first official event from the mayoral residence.

Latest proposals: Bathrooms, childcare

By the numbers:

On Saturday, Mamdani announced a $4 million plan to expand access to public bathrooms across New York City by using prefabricated, modular restrooms that can be installed more quickly and at a lower cost than traditional construction.

The city will issue a Request for Proposals through the New York City Economic Development Corporation within the administration’s first 100 days, seeking companies to build and install self-cleaning, fully accessible public bathrooms. City officials say the units could be in place within months rather than years.

Similar modular restrooms have already been installed in cities such as Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Portland at significantly lower costs than New York’s previous public restroom projects.

Mamdani announced the plan in West Harlem, where he and City Council Speaker Julie Menin finalized approvals for a new Department of Transportation–run public bathroom set to open later this year. City officials say the new program is intended to add bathrooms in plazas and other high-traffic areas outside of parks, which currently house about 70% of the city’s nearly 1,000 public restrooms.

Latest appointments, headlines

Rafael Espinal, Commissioner of the Mayor's Office Of Media and Entertainment

Introducing Espinal at a press conference, Mamdani said the appointment reflects his administration’s commitment to making New York City more affordable and sustainable for working artists and creative professionals.

Espinal, a lifelong Brooklyn resident, represented City Council District 37 from 2014 to 2021, serving neighborhoods including Bushwick, Brownsville, Cypress Hills and East New York. During his tenure, he chaired the Council’s Committee on Consumer Affairs and Business Licensing and oversaw implementation of the city’s Paid Sick Leave Law.

Cea Weaver, Director of Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants

One of Mamdani’s first major appointments was Cea Weaver, a longtime tenant advocate and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, whom he named director of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants on his first day in office. The office coordinates the city’s response to unsafe housing conditions, landlord violations and tenant harassment.

Before the appointment, Weaver served as executive director of Housing Justice for All and the New York State Tenant Bloc and advised Mamdani’s mayoral campaign.

What they're saying:

Weaver has drawn criticism over past, now-deleted social media posts highlighted by the New York Post, including comments calling to "seize private property" and describing homeownership as a "weapon of white supremacy." The outlet also reported that Weaver’s mother owns a Nashville home valued at more than $1.6 million, which critics say undermines Weaver’s credibility as a tenant advocate.

Read more on Cea Weaver here.

See list of appointments here.

Mamdani moves to Gracie Mansion

The weekend also marked a personal transition for the mayor. 

What's next:

Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, have begun moving from their one-bedroom, rent-stabilized apartment in Queens into Gracie Mansion, the Upper East Side residence that has served as the mayor’s official home for decades, according to The New York Times.

Mamdani has lived in Astoria since 2019, paying $2,300 a month, and has often highlighted the neighborhood as part of his political identity. He said the decision to move into Gracie Mansion was driven by security concerns and the demands of the job.

"This decision came down to our family’s safety and the importance of dedicating all of my focus on enacting the affordability agenda New Yorkers voted for," Mamdani said.

Zohran MamdaniPoliticsNew York City