Report From Acting RIOC President Don Lewis - Roosevelt Island Public Safety Demonstration, Recreational Hotline, Motorgate Murals & FDR Park Signage

 Image Of Acting RIOC President Don Lewis From RIOC

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Acting President Don Lewis sends the following report to Roosevelt Island residents.

I hope everyone and their loved ones made it through snowstorm Nemo safe and sound. All was well here on the Island, which is great news. Let's hope Mother Nature takes it easy on us for the rest of the winter.

PSD and Residents' Demonstration

We are all aware that a number of Island residents have expressed concerns regarding the RIOC Public Safety Department (PSD) and took part in a peaceful demonstration over the weekend at the Good Shepherd Plaza. We are mindful of these concerns and have taken steps to address the same. These steps include: internal review, deciding to hire an outside firm to conduct an operational audit of PSD, and referral of recent incidents to the Office of the New York State Inspector General for review.

Keeping Current on Island Issues

We have a very active and vibrant community here on Roosevelt Island. We encourage residents to use available resources to stay informed of Island issues and what we are doing to address them. A good way to keep current is to attend RIOC Board and Committee meetings, which are open to the public. Notices of these meetings are posted on the RIOC website, the front door at 591 Main Street and are communicated through our RIOC Advisories which are e-mailed to those who have signed up to receive alerts. If you cannot attend the Board or Committee meetings, they can be accessed on the RIOC website at RIOC.ny.gov. To receive RIOC Advisories, sign up at subcribe@RIOC.ny.gov.

Parks and Recreation Hotline

As we look forward to spring, the RIOC Parks and Recreation Department has updated its hotline to be your go-to source for information about the many wonderful indoor and outdoor recreational opportunities on Roosevelt Island. The new and improved hotline contains general information about the following resources: tennis permits, pool memberships, schedules for open swim, ping pong, open basketball, zumba, film permits, park hours and closures. To access the new hotline call 212-832-4514.

Murals at Motorgate

Longtime Island residents may recall the days many years ago when the Motorgate Garage housed art installations. We are pleased to announce that, through some creative repurposing, art will once again adorn the walls of Motorgate's atrium. Murals originally seen during the 2011 and 2012 Fall for Arts Festival, depicting popular images of Roosevelt Island, nature, cultural themes and abstract designs, will be installed at Motorgate early next week. Artists from Roosevelt Island and the Greater New York area painted the beautiful murals, which range in size from 4-by-8 feet to 4-by-16 feet. I would like to thank Tad Sudol, President of the RIVAA Gallery, for coming up with this creative proposal, and Erica-Spencer-EL, RIOC's Community Relations Specialist, for helping to make this a reality.

Four Freedoms Park Signs

The Operations Advisory Committee of the RIOC Board of Directors has approved the installation of signage for Four Freedoms Park at sites throughout the Island. Aimed at helping visitors find their way to the Park, the signs will be posted inside the Tram station, on select lamp posts along Main street and at bus stop shelters. A banner will also be placed on the construction fence directly across from the subway station exit. We look forward to additional advances in general way-finding on the Island in the near future.