Report From RIOC President Leslie Torres - Heated Tram Platform Enclosure, New Tram Stairs, Additional Tram Station Renovations, Public Safety Update, Applied Sciences School, Sportspark Young Adult Recreation & Upcoming Roosevelt Island Events

You Tube Video of RIOC President's Report To RIOC Board

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Lesie Torres sends the following report to Roosevelt Island residents.

I hope you are all adjusting nicely to the cooler weather. I know one concern many of you have related to cold weather is how chilly it gets on the Tram platform. I am happy to report that this winter, the Tram platform on both the Roosevelt Island and Manhattan side will have an enclosure that will be heated on cold days. You can read more about Tram Station updates and about other Roosevelt Island news below.

Tram Station Entrance Renovation

We recently commenced construction on the Roosevelt Island side Tram Station entrance steps. We are widening them from three feet to approximately six feet, in order to ease congestion, especially during the morning and evening commutes. All work will be conducted daily, following the morning rush hour, and is scheduled to be completed shortly. During this construction, the ramp beyond the existing stairs will serve as the temporary entrance and exit.

The scope of work on the steps includes removal of the concrete stairs and the south wall of the staircase. A new concrete wall and code compliant stairway with railings will be installed. The contractor will be using an air compressed jack hammer to remove the stairs. To ensure the safety of pedestrians passing by, a protective screen will enclose the site while contractors demolish the stairs.

In addition to the stairs, we are planning to renovate the Tram Plaza to improve its overall appearance. Plans for the renovation on the Roosevelt Island side include:

• Replacement of the railings at the Tram boarding platform
• The addition of a see-through roof
• An enclosure for the Tram boarding area, which will be heated in the winter Scrapping, sanding, and painting of the railings
• Installing a new no-slip floor and patching where necessary
• Power washing the entire Plaza

The Manhattan side of the Plaza will get the same renovations as above with the following additions:

• A new Courtesy booth
• New security gates
• New tread toppings for the stairs
• New textured warning strips at the bottom of the stairs to help the visually impaired

We have already selected the contractor and Phase 1 of the work, which also includes renovations of the restrooms, and is scheduled to begin at the end of September. We anticipate completion of all the work in the fall of 2012.

Public Safety Update

As you know, Roosevelt Island is one of the safest neighborhoods in the City. But that does not mean we do not have occasional crime. I want residents to be vigilant and careful, but also to recognize that we have a great Public Safety Department (PSD). On Thursday, September 15th, two young adults were robbed and assaulted near Blackwell Park by three individuals who removed several items from a backpack and purse, including money and a cell phone.

After descriptions were gathered, Public Safety apprehended two of the three individuals. They were processed at the 114th precinct on Saturday, September 17th. There is currently an arrest warrant out for the third individual.

We have all come to rely on PSD’s quick action. This is just one example of their work in keeping us all safe.

Applied Sciences Campus

As has been reported in numerous news articles, it seems as though Roosevelt Island is the front-runner for the location of a new applied sciences campus that the City would like to see built. According to a recent article in Crain’s NY, “University officials are leaning heavily toward proposing a $1 billion campus on the southern end of Roosevelt Island that won't be available for lease and development until the end of 2013.”

Several schools have already applied for the chance to open a NYC campus, including Cornell University and Stamford University. Both Cornell and Stamford have explicitly stated their interest in Roosevelt Island.

Final proposals are due to the city in late October and the City has stated it will make a final choice by the end of the year. The new campus would be located on the Goldwater Memorial Hospital site (the hospital has been slated to shut down in 2013) and we look forward to working with the City as plans for the site unfold.

Sportspark Young Adults Recreation Update

We are pleased to announce that there were over 35 participants this past weekend (Friday the 15th and Saturday the 16th from 9:00pm to 12:00pm) for the Sportspark Young Adults Recreation. Starting this Friday the23rd, in addition to the open lounge (Netflix, Wii, computers & music), ping pong and the weight room, there will be referees provided for the basketball league. Any questions please call Othniel Maragh at (212) 832-4540 ext. 321 or othniel.maragh@rioc.ny.gov.

Upcoming Events

We have several events coming up:

• Outdoor Production of Seven Against Thebes and Oedipus Rex, Saturday and Sunday, October 1st and 2nd, both shows at 2pm at the Roosevelt Landing Amphitheater

• Fall for Arts Festival, Saturday, October 15th, 11am- 4pm at the lawn south of Rivercross

• Latin Jazz Concert celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, Saturday, October 15th, 6pm at the Child School Auditorium

• Halloween Day Parade, Saturday, October 29th, Main Street

A version of the RIOC President's column also appears on RIOC's web site and the 9/24/11 issue of the Main Street WIRE.