Press Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Release #15-087
August 17, 2015
Scott Gastel/Jose Bayona – DOT (212) 839-4850
Shavone Williams – DDC (718) 391-1583
NYC DOT and DDC Announce Belle Harbor FEMA-Funded Street Rehabilitation Project Groundbreaking in the Rockaways
This project will include, but will not be limited to, sidewalk and roadway rehabilitation, as well as water main reconstruction, where necessary in Belle Harbor, Queens
New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner Dr. Feniosky Peña-Mora and the Mayor’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency today announced the groundbreaking of the Belle Harbor FEMA-funded rehabilitation project in the Rockaways to address the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. The rehabilitation project will reconstruct damaged portions of sidewalks, curbs, roadways, sewers and water mains along Beach 127th Street through 149th Street; Beach 9th Street from street end to Seagirt Avenue; East 10 Road from Cross Bay Boulevard to street end; 127th Place from 34th Avenue to Northern Boulevard; and 190 linear feet reconstruction of roadway at Ulmer Street, a small portion of the block between 28th Avenue and the Whitestone Expressway Service Road.
The project, also funded by Council Member Eric Ulrich, will include plant beds in front of the baffle walls for community beautification and safety elements such as bollards at the end of the roadway. Pre-construction started in May this year, and is expected to be completed in June 2016.
“On behalf of Mayor de Blasio, we are pleased to kick off reconstruction work here in the Rockaways, reversing damage caused by Hurricane Sandy and restoring neighborhood streets,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “This project is the result of an inspiring collaborative effort amongst all levels of government and community leaders. I want to thank FEMA, our sister City agencies, local elected officials and civic associations for their invaluable support in helping this community recover and become stronger than ever.”
“We are proud to have partnered with DOT, our Local Elected Officials and Community Stakeholders for the groundbreaking of the Belle Harbor reconstruction project. DDC is committed to Mayor de Blasio’s vision for a healthy and sustainable city and to building resilient projects that will protect New York City against extreme weather conditions. Although Hurricane Sandy damaged many areas in Belle Harbor, the reconstruction of the roadways, sidewalks, sewers and water mains are a testament to our vision of enhancing our communities and contributing to the City’s growth,” noted Dr. Feniosky Peña-Mora, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Design and Construction.
“Hurricane Sandy highlighted the vulnerabilities in our coastal communities and caused untold damage to the City’s streets and infrastructure,” said William Goldstein, Senior Advisor to the Mayor for Recovery, Resiliency, and Infrastructure. “Today, under the leadership of the Department of Transportation and the Department of Design and Construction, we are breaking ground on this important project to reconstruct the street infrastructure, enhance the streetscape experience, and support the long-term recovery and resiliency of Belle Harbor. Thanks to FEMA for their support of this project and to Councilmember Ulrich for providing additional funding to make this project possible.”
This groundbreaking marks another significant step forward in the post-Sandy rebuilding of Belle Harbor, and is in no small part due to the true collaboration between residents, local leaders and agencies, especially the Belle Harbor Property Owners Association, DOT and DDC,” said Queens Borough President Melinda Katz. “This Belle Harbor street rebuilding project will provide the neighborhood with upgraded and improved streets and sidewalks to enhance safety for both residing and visiting families.
“Today marks a milestone for our community as we break ground on this monumental project. Rockaway was one of the areas hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy, and the devastation the storm caused is still felt today throughout the entire peninsula. By focusing on the continued rebuilding of Rockaway, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Design and Construction are showing their commitment to the people of our city, and most importantly to the people of our borough and Rockaway. I thank the city for working hard to make sure that Rockaway is not only rebuilt, but rises up stronger than ever before,”said Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach).
“Even before Sandy devastated our community, our infrastructure in Rockaway and Broad Channel was dangerously in need of repair,” said Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder. “This FEMA-funded street and sewer rehabilitation project will provide much-needed relief and security for our families as we continue to recover. I want to thank DDC Commissioner Peña-Mora, DOT Commissioner Trottenberg and Borough Commissioner Garcia for their leadership in bringing the project to fruition; as well as my colleague and friend Councilman Eric Ulrich for his contributions to the funding for this important work.”garcia
“Prior to Hurricane Sandy, Belle Harbor and Neponsit residents enjoyed easy access to the beach. I am confident that once construction is complete, the new beach block access points will be more resilient and beautiful than ever before,” said Council Member Eric Ulrich. “I want to thank Hank Iori and the Belle Harbor Property Owners Association for spearheading the effort to enhance the quality and aesthetic beauty of the end of each beach block. I am pleased that I was able to secure some last minute funding which will allow their ideas and design concepts to be brought to fruition. This truly is just another example of how elected officials, city agencies and community leaders work together for the common good.”
“FEMA is very pleased to be a part of this community’s recovery,” said John Covell, Director of FEMA’s New York Sandy Recovery Office. “It’s a great example of the collaboration between the State, New York City and FEMA. We’re proud to have provided the New York City Department of Transportation with more than $100 million to fund repairs and resiliency measures throughout the Sandy-affected areas of the New York City metro area.”
“Today is the day to celebrate the collaborative working relationship our neighborhoods have with the Mayor’s Office, the NYC Department of Design and Construction, and the NYC Department of Transportation,” noted Hank Iori, President of the Belle Harbor Civic Association. “This new construction effort will result in “World Class Access Points” on the beaches in Rockaway from 127th to 149th Streets, and will truly reflect what Rockaway is, one the greatest communities to live and work, throughout the world.”
“With this new project we are embarking on our communities future of greater beach access and beautification. The beaches of the Rockaway’s from 127 to 149 street will soon take on the hometown feel and look that we had before Super-Storm Sandy. We thank the City of NY and Hank Iori for their hard work and dedication to our community,” said Amanda Agoglia, President Neponsit Property Association.
“Rockaway Civic is excited to be part of this next step in our community’s recovery. As Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” This project is further evidence of how the collaborative efforts of governmental agencies and community groups can produce positive results that will ensure a more resilient Rockaway while simultaneously guaranteeing loved aspects of community, like our beach block gardens to return,” said Noreen Ellis, President Rockaway Civic Association.
“We are very pleased that this project has started. This is one of the final pieces in Rockaway’s road to recovery,” said Jonathan Gaska, District Manager Community Board 14.
The Belle Harbor FEMA-funded Rehabilitation Project will include the reconstruction of storm damages in 23 sections of existing roadway from Beach 127th Street through Beach 149th Street, between the beach-access street areas and Rockaway Beach Boulevard. Various water mains will be replaced and storm sewers will be inspected.
At the Beach 9th Street area from the beach to Seagirt Avenue the project will include the reconstruction of existing roadway from the southern terminus of Beach 9th Street to Seagirt Avenue, as well as reconstruction of damaged curb and sidewalk reconstruction along the length of the segment. A shoreline rehabilitation end treatment will be constructed and will include sheet piles and rip rap scour protection. Also, the existing 10-inch sanitary sewer within the work area will be inspected.
At East 10th Road from Cross Bay Boulevard to the Jamaica Bay wetland the project will include the reconstruction of existing roadway approximately 360 Feet long by 21 feet wide from Cross Bay Boulevard to East 10th Road. This work will also include curb and sidewalk reconstruction where needed and the inspection of the existing 10-inch sanitary sewer.
At 127th Place from 34th Avenue to Northern Boulevard the project will include the replacement of existing roadway approximately 482 feet long by 30 feet wide at 127th Place from 34th Avenue to Northern Boulevard and the inspection of the existing 10-inch sanitary sewer.
This project is funded by a $10 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management (FEMA), $250,000 in funding from Council Member Eric Ulrich, and $1.1 million dollars in City funding for local match to the FEMA grant.
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