Business leaders in New York City could have Mayor Zohran Mamdani<\/b>\u2019s ear as the administration convenes a quarterly advisory council to address private sector needs.<\/p>\n
Fifteen business leaders \u2014 including RXR<\/a><\/b>\u2019s Scott Rechler<\/b> \u2014 will provide the mayor with feedback through the Business Advisory Council<\/b> to keep momentum going behind high job numbers in 2026 so far, according to the administration.<\/p>\n SEE ALSO: Eliot Spitzer Gains State Approval to Redevelop 985 Fifth Avenue After Legal Bout<\/a><\/p>\n The mayor\u2019s office cited not only skyrocketing office leasing figures but also robust employment numbers. Employment in the five boroughs reached 4,852,400 jobs as of July 2026 with over 6,000 private sector jobs added in the first half of the year, according to data from a report released Thursday morning<\/a> by the New York City Economic Development Corporation<\/b>.<\/p>\n \u201cThis council brings together the people building the next generation of New York\u2019s economy \u2014 in finance, tech, life sciences and beyond \u2014 to help us double down on what makes this city the best place on Earth to start a company, grow a business and build a career,\u201d Mamdani said in a statement. \u201cWe want the most ambitious people in the world to come here, stay here and build here.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The announcement follows blowback against Mamdani by private industry leaders <\/a>such as Citadel<\/a><\/b>\u2019s Ken Griffin <\/b>and Vornado Realty Trust<\/b>\u2019s Steve Roth<\/b> over the pied-\u00e0-terre tax<\/a>, which Mamdani launched with a video targeting Griffin\u2019s multimillion-dollar second home in Manhattan.<\/p>\n Some of the other members of the Business Advisory Council, who are involved directly or indirectly in real estate, include Steiner Studios<\/a><\/b> Chairman Doug Steiner<\/b>, Jefferson River Capital<\/a> <\/b>Chairman Tony James<\/b>, celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson<\/b> and Amalgamated Bank<\/a><\/b> President and CEO Priscilla Sims Brown<\/b>.<\/p>\n \u201cSince Mayor Mamdani took office, I have found him and his team to be constructive and responsive partners,\u201d RXR\u2019s Rechler said in a statement. \u201cAs a New Yorker who cares deeply about this city, I look forward to working with them and my fellow council members to provide candid input on what it takes to keep New York the greatest city in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n It wouldn\u2019t be the first government advisory body Rechler has served on.<\/p>\n In 2022, he was selected as a member of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority<\/b>\u2019s Traffic Mobility Review Board<\/b>, which helped draft the recommended toll structure for what would become congestion pricing into Manhattan\u2019s central business district.<\/p>\n