Roosevelt Island Cultural Center Closed Due To Flooding Damage Since July 2012 - RIOC Provides Update, Expects To Complete Renovation By End Of Summer 2014

Reported last August:

... The Main Street Theater & Dance Alliance (MST&DA) and the Roosevelt Island Jewish Congregation (RIJC) have been unable to use the space they formerly occupied at the Cultural Center following a July 2012 flooding incident which caused substantial damage to the premises.

Since that time RIOC has been in the process of repairing the damaged Cultural Center and establishing procedures for future use of the space by Roosevelt Island community groups including former occupants such as the MST&DA, RIJC and other groups seeking space. To date, the additional community groups seeking to share space in the Cultural Center are the Roosevelt Island Islamic Community and the Jewish Chabad congregation who are seeking places of worship for their members...

... If you know of a Roosevelt Island non profit community group seeking space, have them contact RIOC so that RIOC is aware of their needs....

Today, RIOC sent the following update:

Construction on Roosevelt Island Cultural Center

In 2012, the Roosevelt Island Cultural Center suffered water damage from flooding and unfortunately, was severely harmed several months later during Hurricane Sandy. Work is ongoing to restore the Center in order to make it available to the community once more. Debris and damaged areas will have been cleared as of this Friday; restoration work is currently in the design stage.

Currently, RIOC is working to complete the construction plans and specifications by the end of November 2013. Once these documents are complete, a formal Request For Proposals will be issued and final bids to complete the work should be received by January 15, 2014. RIOC will review the bids, select the contractor and award the contract for the necessary construction during the month of February. Renovation is expected to be completed by the end of summer 2014.

Our main priorities for the renovation of the Cultural Center are to restore the space for community use and to prevent water damage in the future. We know that the Center is an important space on Roosevelt Island, and RIOC is working hard to make sure that the work is conducted accordingly.

Here's a discussion of Roosevelt Island Cultural Center space needs and allocations from the July 16 RIOC Real Estate Advisory Committee meeting.