Roosevelt Island Octagon Park Picnic Table And BBQ Area Closed For More Than One Year By Fence Keeping Residents Out - RIOC Does Not Know When It Will Re-Open Due To Impact Of NYC DEP Access Road Construction Requiring Area Reseeding

A Reader asked:

Any word on when RIOC is planning to remove the fence around the access road by octagon? Work was to be done LAST APRIL

I asked Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Susan Rosenthal:

Any update as to when the DEP fence adjacent to the Octagon will be removed.

RIOC Director of Community Affairs Erica Spencer-El replied:

Members from our Capital Planning & Projects and Parks departments met with DEP in early April and completed a walkthrough of Access Road B. It was determined that DEP will re-seed the area impacted by the construction with hydro-seed and, once fully established, remove the fence and transfer the park back to RIOC for regular upkeep and maintenance.

As of today, we have not received a definite date for when the fence will be removed. However, we are in constant communication with DEP reps and anticipate receiving an update on the removal schedule shortly.

I will provide you with new information on this matter as soon as we receive it.

Work for the NYC Department of Environmental Protection Water Tunnel Access Road adjacent to the Octagon Building was supposed to start in April 2018 and be completed by October 2018. The area, park space with picnic tables and BBQ grills, was closed off to residents by fencing starting that April.

Due to project delays, work did not begin until August 2018 and appears to have been completed in late November although the fencing with ugly green tarp remained into December as reported by Roosevelt Island Daily.

In January 2019, RIOC President Susan Rosenthal reported:

You may have noticed, since last month, that the green tarps along the fence line of the project have been removed. As you may know the City’s Department of Environmental Protection built an access road along the path from Main Street to the Promenade. RIOC had no control of the timing and or pace toward completion of the construction. When we inquired and met with the DEP staff in December, we were informed the fencing will be removed once the sod has an opportunity to knit i.e. become firmly rooted along the road. The tarps’ removal was a compromise to provide better street lighting and visibility in the area. And rest assured, we’ll have any hanging or downed tree limbs removed before the fencing is removed and the area is open again to the public. 

Seems not much has changed since last January and much of the Octagon Park picnic space and BBQ area

is still off-limits until who knows when.

UPDATE 5/9 - According to RIOC Spokesperson Jessica Murray:

Please be advised that DEP has informed RIOC that they plan to remove the fence at Octagon Park by Friday, May 17th.