Report From RIOC President Charlene Indelicato - Roosevelt Island Fall For Arts, Blackwell Park Playground Grand Opening, Bike New York Workshops, Four Freedoms Park Closed For General Assembly Meeting, PSD Partners With RI Youth Program Soccer & More

Image From RIOC

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Charlene Indelicato sends the following report to the community.

School has started and Fall is moving forward at full tilt. Our Fall slate of activities is coming up quickly! Be sure to keep your eye on our website and Facebook page to keep as up-to-date as possible.

Fall for Arts

The date is set for our annual Fall for the Arts Festival. In partnership with Gallery RIVAA, RIOC will be hosting the Festival on October 5th at Southpoint Park and on the lawn south of Rivercross. There will be music, art, food and fun for all!

I understand that the painting of large outdoor murals is the Festival’s most loved tradition. I look forward to viewing them both in the Park and later at the Motorgate Gallery.

The theme for this year's event is "A Mystical Island." It is free to participate - paint and brushes are provided!

We invite you to submit a sketch of your design or any inquiries to Anna.Rankin@rioc.ny.gov along with a title and short description. The deadline for sketches is September 21, 2013.

UN General Assembly

The United Nations General Assembly will hold its 68th session from September 16 to October 5, 2013. Accordingly, there will be heightened security across the river on the East Side surrounding the UN Building and on the Island as well. Four Freedoms Park will be closed to the public for the duration of the General Assembly. Also, expect to see heightened security around transit stations during this time.

Bike New York Comes To Sportspark Roosevelt Island

Bike New York, the bicycle-focused not-for-profit organization highlighted in my last column, will hold pilots on September 22nd and 28th at the outdoor basketball court on the east side of Sportspark. Classes and workshops will be offered for kids and adults ranging from Bicycling Basics to Learn to Ride. The full Bike New York event calendar can be found at http://www.bikenewyork.org/learn/classes-workshops/overview/

Blackwell Park Tot Lot

We are happy to announce that the new tot lot located at Blackwell Park will open Thursday, September 19, 2013 with a ribbon cutting to take place at 3:30 pm. The tot lot will replace the current lot, which will be removed to begin the construction of Riverwalk Building 7 by Hudson/Related. This 200,000 square foot residential building, featuring 260 rental apartments, will take approximately 2 years to complete, according to the developer.

PSD Partners with the Roosevelt Island Youth Program

Last weekend marked the beginning of a new partnership between the Roosevelt Island Youth Program and RIOC PSD. This fall a PSD officer will serve as an assistant soccer coach with the Youth Program. I would like to thank all involved, especially Interim PSD Director McManus and Officer Martinez for all their help in organizing this event.

Motorgate Parking Structure Project Update

On September 19, work will begin in Section 4B North. The renovations have been moving steadily along throughout the garage and we would like to thank our residents and visitors for their cooperation as we modernize the facility. When the project moves to Section 4B North, new signage will be posted to help navigate the garage. The entire project is expected to be completed in Winter 2014.

New Advertising Policy

RIOC’s newly introduced policy for advertising and posting on the Tram, Red Bus, and Main Street Kiosks is available on our website at http://rioc.ny.gov/pdf/AdvertisingPolicy.pdf

Ms Indelicato gave the following report to the September 12 RIOC Board of Directors meeting thanking RIOC staff for their hard work preparing for the meeting. The thanks were echoed by RIOC Director David Kraut.



Mr. Kraut added that, with certain exceptions due to Hurricane Sandy, Roosevelt Island is in better shape now that at any time in his 35 years of living here.