Report From RIOC President Charlene Indelicato - Roosevelt Island 2014 Outdoor Summer Movies, Waterfront Pier Concessions, Bike NY Kickoff Party, Lighthouse Park Repairs, New Parking Meters, Sportspark Heating, Roosevelt Island Day & More

Image Of 2012 Roosevelt Island Southpoint Park Movie Showing of Captain America By Irina Hage

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

Outdoor activities and events on Roosevelt Island have begun in earnest, and the dates for many new and well-loved Roosevelt Island events have been set. You can read more below about the fantastic calendar of events planned for this summer. Free community celebrations aren’t the only thing planned for the season, however. Construction projects, including repairs to the Lighthouse Park footbridges and the installation of new parking meters, are in the works along with plans to bring concessions to the newly refurbished West Pier.

Upcoming Events

This weekend, the Motorgate Gallery will be holding an opening for its new exhibit at the Motorgate Garage Atrium (628 Main Street) on Saturday, April 26 at 12 p.m. We invite you to join us in a celebration of the beautiful artwork that was painted at the 2013 Fall for Arts Festival, and to view the murals now on display at the Gallery. The opening is sponsored by the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation and curated by the Roosevelt Island Visual Art Association.

Bike New York Event

Mark your calendars – the Bike New York Spring Kickoff Party will take place on Saturday, May 17 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Capobianco basketball court on Roosevelt Island. This family-friendly community event will celebrate bike month and the start of the bicycling season on Roosevelt Island. Activities will include a Learn to Ride Kids class, pop-up bike shop, bicycle raffle, face painting, bike decorating, a ride around the island and more. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact  cgoodspeed@bikenewyork.org.

Summer Events

Roosevelt Island Day 2014 will take place on Saturday, June 21. Every year, this event is a celebration of the vibrant community on Roosevelt Island and serves as a day to come together and beautify our neighborhood. Come out and take part in the morning cleanup, then join in the free celebration at Good Shepherd Plaza for carnival rides, games, food and more. This event is sponsored by Urban American and Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation in partnership with the Roosevelt Island Youth Program.

Summer Movie Series

RIOC’s annual Outdoor Summer Movie Series will begin on Saturday, June 28 with a screening of Disney’s hit animated film Frozen. This year’s theme is “Heroes,” focusing on characters who overcome impossible odds. The planned screening schedule is as follows:

Saturday, June 28: Frozen
Friday, July 11: Thor: The Dark World
Saturday, July 12: The Avengers
Saturday, July 26: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Saturday, August 9: The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug
Saturday, August 23: Goldfinger

West Pier Invitation Proposal

RIOC has issued an invitation requesting innovative proposals to provide food vending options at the newly restored West Pier. The Pier, with its wonderful view of the Manhattan skyline, is an ideal location to have a meal and relax on the waterfront. Excellent visibility from the Tram and location near the subway also make this an appealing site for prospective merchants. Interested vendors are encouraged to go online at  rioc.ny.gov/proposal.htm  and look over the Proposal Invitation. For more information, please contact Donna Masly by email only at Donna.Masly@rioc.ny.gov.

Construction Update

On Monday, April 21, work began on a project to improve and repair the Manhattan and Roosevelt Island Tram Stations and platforms. Construction is scheduled to last 120 calendar days. In the event that work causes a disruption to Tram service, RIOC will issue an advisory to notify the public in advance. We thank you for your patience during this necessary work.

Work is progressing on the Good Shepherd Community Center’s entryways and narthex. Restoration of the ceiling and interior doors has been completed, and workers are moving forward with the cleaning of the entryway’s brickwork and limestone. This project is scheduled to be completed by the end of May.

Sportspark Heating

Sportspark’s temporary heating system has been successfully installed and is ready to be activated when the NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation closes the Steam Plant down. While the Plant is still in operation, it is more fiscally responsible for Sportspark to continue to use steam. However, the switchover to the temporary system can be made with very little notice and will not require a shutdown of the facility. Responses to the Request for Proposals for the design of Sportspark’s permanent heating system were received on April 17. After the bids for this project are evaluated and the contractor is selected, work on the design will begin.

Reminder: Red Bus Fare Elimination

The deadline for fare change card refunds is approaching quickly. As a reminder, the regular Red Bus fare of $0.25 was eliminated at the beginning of this month. A refund for any unused balance on your fare change card can be obtained at the RIOC Bus Garage (680 Main St.) until this Wednesday, April 30, 2014. For more information, contact us at (212) 832-4540 or email information@rioc.ny.gov.