NEW YORK The Manhattan municipal building, at number 1 Center Street, was today named after former mayor David N. Dinkins in honor of his decades of public service. At today's naming ceremony, Mayor de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray announced that number 1 on Centre Street is now officially known as the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building, and will be marked with five plaques placed around the building.
The Marines graduated in Mathematics and Law, worked in the New York State Legislature, and served as New York City Clerk and later as County President. It's logical that the Manhattan municipal building is named after Mayor Dinkins, who built — as he used to say — the magnificent New York City mosaic, said Councilman Mathieu Eugene. Councilwoman Rosie Méndez said: Changing the name of the municipal building in honor of David Dinkins is an incredibly appropriate way to honor the work and contributions of the former mayor to this great city. I thank him for his service to New York City and I congratulate Mayor de Blasio for changing the name of the Manhattan City Hall in honor of Mayor Dinkins.
Since its creation, the PCDC has created thousands of new jobs and provided services to millions of New Yorkers, said Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal. Dinkins helped inspire a generation of black leaders to run for office, including Laurie Cumbo, the majority leader of the New York City Council. As the first African-American mayor in the history of New York City, he was a pioneer who worked tirelessly to make the “magnificent mosaic” a better and safer place to live and work. This is a mayor who moved New York City forward with Safe Cities, Safe Streets, making New York a better city with plummeting crime rates.
Although Mayor Dinkins never received due recognition for his decisive role in transforming what was then a city in decline into a city of the world, the legacy he left was a revival of tourist, sports and entertainment complexes that, before the pandemic broke out earlier this year, created a dynamic social and economic power. A pioneer in civic affairs and a revered African-American icon, much is owed to Mayor Dinkins for his stewardship of the city during its transition from the disorder of the 1980s to the prethousand-year revival toward which he ultimately led it. He is a man whose bold, forward-thinking political and political actions made him a man ahead of his time, and the decision of Mayor de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray to name the municipal building in his honor will immortalize his great contributions to New York City. The Dinkins Municipal Building is a testament to the work and achievements of Mayor Dinkins, which continue to leave their mark on this great city.
In 1989, he made history by first defeating current Mayor Ed Koch in the Democratic primary and then becoming the first African-American mayor of New York City.
