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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 16-115

November 4, 2016

DEP (718) 595-6600;
DOT (212) 839-4850;
DDC (718) 391-1583

City Set to Begin $100 Million Drainage and Roadway Upgrade in South Beach Area of Staten Island

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Construction of 225 New Catch Basins and Nearly 7 Miles of New Sewers Will Improve Drainage and Reduce Flooding

Roadways and Sidewalks will be Rebuilt to Improve Safety

A Map of the Project Area is Available on DEP’s Flickr Page

The New York City Departments of Environmental Protection (DEP), Transportation (DOT) and Design and Construction (DDC) today joined with Staten Island Borough President James Oddo to announce that work will begin this month on a $100 million infrastructure upgrade project in the South Beach neighborhood of Staten Island. The work will include upgrading the area’s drinking water distribution system, improving drainage to reduce flooding, and rebuilding the roadways. Currently, the neighborhood’s drainage system has an insufficient number of catch basins as well as limited storm sewer capacity and roadways are prone to flooding during heavy rain. The project is being funded by DEP and DOT and the construction is being managed by DDC. It is anticipated that the work will be completed by the end of 2020.

“By investing $100 million in the South Beach neighborhood, residents and businesses will enjoy some peace of mind knowing that the nearly 7 miles of new sewers and reconstructed roadways will help to alleviate flooding, improve safety and protect their property,” said DEP Acting Commissioner Vincent Sapienza. “I’d like to thank Borough President Oddo for working with us to help get shovels in the ground and bring this important infrastructure upgrade to South Beach.”

“We are excited to join DEP and DDC to provide these necessary improvements for the people of South Beach,” said Staten Island DOT Borough Commissioner Tom Cocola. “This capital project is among many others in a borough that also is experiencing unprecedented road paving, thanks to the commitment made by Mayor de Blasio, Commissioner Trottenberg and the DOT.”

“This project is a major step in improving the resiliency and sustainability of South Beach through comprehensive changes to existing infrastructure,” said DDC Commissioner Feniosky Peña-Mora. “The installation of catch basins and an independent storm sewer line will aid in drainage to ultimately reduce flooding in the area.  We look forward to working with our partner agencies to bring these necessary upgrades to Staten Islanders.”

“This is truly an exciting day,” said Staten Island Borough President James Oddo. “The unfortunate reality is it doesn’t take an historic storm or even a decent Nor’Easter for residents of this community to have to deal with unacceptable levels of flooding. Any decent rain literally has no place to go. This project will help address that. It is for that very reason that I fought so hard at the end of 2013 to convince the previous Administration to fully fund this project now instead of in 2022 as planned at the time. If my fight were not successful and it were allowed to stay in the 2020’s, the reality is it would have been about another decade before this project could even start. As with any project of this size and scope, there will be some temporary inconveniences, for sure, but the end result will be a system that helps alleviate some of the flooding that has always plagued this community.”

“Staten Island suffered devastating losses four years ago due to Sandy, and investments like this are crucial to ensuring that our coastal communities are better protected against severe weather and flooding,” said Congressman Dan Donovan. “This $100 million project will improve the South Beach community and help ensure that local roadways and drainage systems are as resilient as our residents.”

“These critical infrastructure improvements are sorely needed in Staten Island’s South Beach neighborhood and will improve the quality of life for thousands of residents and businesses in this flood-prone area,” said Senator Andrew Lanza. “I commend Borough President Oddo and Acting DEP Commissioner Sapienza for their efforts on this important project.”

“Communities throughout the East Shore have suffered from drainage issues for decades.  Even moderate rainfall causes flooding for some residents,” said Assembly Member Nicole Malliotakis.  “These projects are a significant commitment by the city to the residents and businesses of South Beach who have waited far too long for protection. I look forward to the completion of these measures when the people of South Beach will finally realize the relief they desperately need and deserve.”

“I am glad that we are seeing the start of this long awaited sewer project for South Beach. After Sandy, Borough President Oddo and I fought to get these drainage and roadway improvements moved up so that it would begin now rather than in the next decade,” said City Council Minority Leader Steven Matteo. “This project will bring a much needed infrastructure upgrade to help mitigate area flooding and will also provide curb to curb resurfacing of all affected streets.”

The work will include the removal of the existing cast iron water mains, which were originally constructed in the 1920s, and the installation of nearly 5 miles of new, stronger ductile iron water mains and 90 new fire hydrants. This will help to ensure a reliable supply of water for decades to come. In addition, 3.8 miles of sanitary sewers will be rebuilt and 225 new catch basins and 3.1 miles of new storm sewers will be constructed. This work will provide the area with a robust drainage system and mitigate flooding during heavy rain. Once the subsurface work is complete, the sidewalks, curbs and roadways will be rebuilt to ensure a safe, smooth surface for motorists and pedestrians, as well as ensuring the stormwater can drain properly into the catch basins and sewers. Additionally, 85 new street lights will be installed and over 400 trees will be planted.

DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing approximately 1 billion gallons of water each day to more than 9 million residents, including 8.5 million in New York City. The water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the city, comprising 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs, and 7,500 miles of sewer lines and 96 pump stations take wastewater to 14 in-city treatment plants. DEP has nearly 6,000 employees, including almost 1,000 in the upstate watershed. In addition, DEP has a robust capital program, with a planned $14 billion in investments over the next 10 years that will create up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

DOT’s mission is to provide for the safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible movement of people and goods in the City of New York and to maintain and enhance the transportation infrastructure crucial to the economic vitality and quality of life of our primary customers, City residents.  DOT, with a staff of over 5,000 employees, manages an annual operating budget of over $900 million and a five-year $10.1 billion capital program, along with 6,000 miles of streets and highways, 12,000 miles of sidewalk, and 789 bridges and tunnels, including the iconic East River bridges. DOT’s staff also installs and maintains over one million street signs, 12,700 signalized intersections, over 315,000 street lights, and over 200 million linear feet of markings.

The Department of Design and Construction is the City’s primary capital construction project manager. In supporting Mayor de Blasio’s lenses of growth, sustainability, resiliency, equity and healthy living, DDC provides communities with new or renovated public buildings such as such as firehouses, libraries, police precincts, new or upgraded roadways, sewers, water mains in all five boroughs. To manage this $10 billion portfolio, DDC partners with other City agencies, architects and consultants, whose experience bring efficient, innovative, and environmentally-conscious design and construction strategies to city projects. For more information, please visit nyc.gov/ddc.

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