Report From RIOC President Leslie Torres - Roosevelt Island FDR Hope Memorial Funding, DEP Water Tunnel Meeting, Main Street Construction, Motorgate LED Staircase Lighting, Hazardous Materials Investigation, Asian Long Haired Beetle Tree Investigation & More

FDR Hope Fundraiser from Michael Bergmann on Vimeo.

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

Greetings Roosevelt Islanders! I hope you are staying cool in the July heat and that all of the children in our community are having fun and staying safe as they enjoy their summer vacations.

Olympics Opening Ceremony Viewing

RIOC is pleased to announce that we are hosting a public viewing of the Summer Olympics opening ceremony on Friday, July 27 on an inflatable screen on the Riverwalk Commons lawn. We will start showing the pre-ceremony coverage at sunset – about 8:30 pm – with the ceremony beginning at 9:00 pm. You are welcome to bring blankets, lawn chairs and food. Enjoy!

Councilwoman Lappin Helps Roosevelt Island

Councilwoman Jessica Lappin came to Roosevelt Island on July 13 to announce that she has successfully secured over $4 million for Island projects and organizations in the new city budget passed by the New York City Council. The funding includes $2 million for the Roosevelt Island Library to move into a new space at 504 Main Street, $1.85 million for the completion of the FDR Four Freedoms Memorial, which is scheduled to open in October 2012, and $150,000 for the FDR Hope Memorial. We are grateful for all of Councilwoman Lappin’s work supporting Roosevelt Island.

Community Meeting about Water Tunnel

On Tuesday, August 7 from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm at the Manhattan Park Community Center, RIOC and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will host a community meeting about the work being done at the third water tunnel shaft site located to the south of the Octagon. DEP representatives will update the community about the project and its future. For more information, call 212-832-4540.

Main Street Reconstruction

We have begun Phase II of our Main Street Reconstruction Project. During Phase I, completed in 2009, we replaced Z-Bricks with asphalt pavement on the roadway from 40 River Road to the Fire House Station. Phase II will continue the same work from 40 River Road to the bottom of the Helix ramp. The asphalt surface is better at handling heavy vehicle traffic and the elements, and it won’t require the frequent and costly repairs involved in maintaining the Z-Bricks.

Motorgate Lighting

Work is also underway to procure and install new LED lighting fixtures on each floor and the stairwells at Motorgate, replacing the current incandescent fixtures. When the project is completed, the garage will be better illuminated, making it safer for users. The LED lights are also environmentally friendly and more cost efficient than the outdated incandescent lights.

West Road Closed Last Sunday

On July 22 a resident called 911 after discovering three dead squirrels in and around a tree near West Drive. FDNY sent a local fire truck, followed by responders from the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), as per standard City procedure. The agencies temporarily closed West Drive while they conducted tests for toxins. All tests came back negative. The responding city agencies, consequently, deemed the area safe and reopened the roadway.

Outdoor Movie Series Continues

The new date for RIOC’s free outdoor screening of Tangled, which was cancelled last week due to rain, is Sunday, July 29. The Summer Outdoor Movie Series continues as scheduled on August 4 with the Disney animated classic The Lion King. Each movie starts at 8:45 pm at Southpoint Park, but people are encouraged to arrive early for food, music and movie trivia.

Bicycle and Car Safety Day

RIOC’s Public Safety Department distributed 384 bicycle helmets to community members during our Annual Bicycle and Car Safety Day on July 19 at the Good Shepherd Plaza. Participants also learned safety tips for automobiles and car seats during the event, which was co-sponsored by PSD and Safe Kids NYC.

Tree Inspection

The United States Department of Agriculture and The Davey Tree Expert Company recently completed its inspection of trees on Roosevelt Island for the presence of Asian Longhorned Beetles, which can potentially infest various tree species we have here. The inspection was part of the overall eradication effort in New York City.

More information on FDR Hope Memorial is available here and previous post.