The Octagon Building hosted a Grand Opening Gala Celebration last Wednesday, November 13, showing off new interior renovations to the Roosevelt Island community.
What did they say about outside improvements? Their outside - the pool, tennis courts, playground, bbq space etc - is already pretty great. It’s really just the location that’s the issue. But for people with a car I’m sure that’s less of a concern.
The Octagon residents connect to the Octagon Shuttle Express with quick arrival to Grand Central and Midtown. Recent interior renovations include a new fitness and spinning room, and exterior renovations will include enhancements to the outdoor pool and landscaping.
It was not up to my expectations and not a good souvenir for me. Food was scarce and it was poorly managed. Many residents were left without anything to eat and the waiters were not professionals. Regarding the amenities in the building, they are simply great.
We're sorry to hear about this and will certainly take this experience into account in the future. We hope we will be able to improve your experience and we value your feedback as well as your business. Thank you again for getting in touch.
According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):
Motorgate Garage repair work will begin on Wednesday, November 20, 2019 in Sections 6C, 7C & 8C (south building). No Parking will be allowed in these areas after Midnight, November 19, 2019. Violators will be towed at car owner’s expense. After November 20, 2019 customers may park in 6D, 7D & 8D. Please Note: Speed bumps have been installed for safety. Please look for the attached notice to begin appearing in and around Motorgate.
Neighborhood Coordination Officers, or NCOs, are your local problem solvers. They spend all their working hours within the confines of their assigned sectors, actively engaging with local community members and residents. They get to know the neighborhood, its people, and its problems extremely well....
Officers Espositio and Mathes spoke of their availability to community members and offered their email addresses to residents if you wish to contact them.
Officer Esposito reported on an upcoming NYPD Community Active Shooter Training Session being held on Monday, November 18 that Roosevelt Island residents are invited to attend.
This Monday, Nov. 18, 2019 at 7pm at Christ The King High School in Middle Village the #NYPD Counterterrorism Division will host an Active Shooter Training. This event is open to the public and is designed to prepare Individuals in the event they are involved in an incident. pic.twitter.com/9bz2vF6JT4
Join us as NYPD Shield conducts this vital training session. This training is designed to give recommendations in the event you are involved in an active shooter situation. Must be at least 18 to attend.
RIRA member Frank Farance added a recommendation for community members to consider applying to the NYPD Citizens Police Academy, an:
... accelerated civilian training program, established to provide members of the community with a background and understanding of NYPD policies and activities, as well as the structure and limit of police power. Familiarity with these principles is the key to understanding the actions and reactions of police officers in the greater community. The Citizens Police Academy training seeks to improve police/community relations through educating the public about police work.
The 10-week program replicates and condenses the NYPD recruit training regimen, allowing civilian New Yorkers to gain a finer understanding of skills and abilities that police officers bring to a community partnership. Since its inception in 1993, the program has trained thousands of New Yorkers in the very same concepts and content as taught to NYPD recruits.
Each session addresses key NYPD initiatives in lectures, videos, roleplaying events, tactical exercises, and interdisciplinary workshops led by Police Academy instructors and representatives of other specialized units. Curricular coursework touches on domestic violence, gang violence, mental health, firearms simulation, counterterrorism, and use of force. Lessons are continuously revised to ensure content is current and relevant....
Newtown Creek is a tributary of the East River, and found roughly at the center of New York City. Highly polluted, the industrial waterway is nearly four miles long, forming the border of the Boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. Mitch Waxman is historian with Newtown Creek Alliance, conducts regular walking and boat tours of the waterway, and has been photographing it for more than a decade. The photographs of Newtown Creek in this volume were all collected at night.
From the mid-1600s to the mid-1800s, ferries traveled westward on Newtown Creek, bringing farmers’ goods to marketplaces in Manhattan. The creek’s freshwater teemed with fish and shellfish, and it mingled with the seawater of the East River estuary. Today Newtown Creek is an overlooked waterway, primarily known for its industrial pollution and as the boundary between Queens and Brooklyn.
Mitch Waxman has explored and photographed the architecture and landscape of the Newtown Creek area and serves as historian of the Newtown Creek Alliance. Waxman will share photographs of In the Shadows at Newtown Creek, his recently published book. He will describe the rich history, industrial use and environmental challenges in the area, at a lecture presented by the Roosevelt Island Historical Society at the New York Public Library Branch on Roosevelt Island, on Thursday, November 14, 2019 at 6:30 p.m.
The lecture is FREE and open to the public. It is the first in Society’s annual series of fall lectures, which is supported by funds provided by Amalgamated Bank, Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation's Public Purpose Fund, and New York City Council Member Ben Kallos, with funding from the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development.
Learn more about the Newtown Creek, and toilet flushing tips to prevent rainstorm sewer overflow, from this hilarious Newtown Creek canoe adventure by Jimmy Kimmel, Bill Murray and Guillermo
Roosevelt Island residents will be buying their Saturday Farmers Market fruits, vegetables and other goodies at the Motogate Plaza for the next few months.
Winter is coming so the Roosevelt Island Farmers Market is temporarily moving back to its former space at Motorgate Plaza for protection from the weather this week
from the current location at
Good Shepherd Plaza.
According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):
From 11/16/19 until Spring 2020, the Farmers Market and the Food Scrap Drop Off will be relocated under the helix. Please be sure to visit all of your favorite vendors there.
Also, as part of our RIOC Goes Green initiative, the used battery disposal tube is now in the lobby of the Public Safety Department. Please note that drop-off for batteries will be until 9 PM
The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) is holding a Special Board of Directors meeting tomorrow, 5:30 PM November 11, at the Cultural Center (548 Main Street). Only 2 items are on the Agenda.
The first Agenda Item is deferral of rental payment from Southtown developer Hudson Related for the soon to start construction Riverwalk building 9 and the second is approval of construction funding by RIOC of the long delayed FDR Hope Memorial sculpture that depicts President Franklin Roosevelt sitting in a wheelchair.
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a Special Meeting of the RIOC Board of Directors will be held on Tuesday, November 12, 2019 at 5:30 p.m. at the Cultural Center Theater, 548 Main Street, Roosevelt Island, New York, 10044.
AGENDA:
Approval of Deferral of Specified Rental Payment and Related Modifications for Southtown Development Building # 9 (Board Action Required)
Authorization to enter into Contract with Sea Crest Construction Corp. for construction services in Connection with the FDR Hope Memorial Project (Board Action Required)
Apparently, no public session prior to the Special Meeting.
According to this memo from RIOC Chief Financial Officer John O'Reilly to RIOC President Susan Rosenthal in support of deferring Hudson Related's rental payment of Southtown's Riverwalk Building 9 development:
The Southtown Plan and Project approved by the Board of Directors on September 22, 1999 included general requirements for the development of Building #9. Additional conditions of the development were outlined in five separate amendments to the development agreement.
As part of the Fifth Amendment to Development Agreement, Hudson Companies Incorporated & the Related Companies L.P. (Hudson/Related) was required to pay RIOC a Specified Rental Payment in the amount of $16,800,000 for Building 8. According to the terms, such payment was due on the Rental Commencement Date, but the developer could defer payment of the Specified Rental Payment until the earlier of (i) a period not to exceed thirty-six (36) months from the Rent Commencement Date, or (ii) developer’s sale of development rights under the Inclusionary Housing Program, set forth in section 23-90 of the New York City Zoning Resolution (ZR), and in either case, all unpaid Specified Rental Payment would bear simple interest at the rate of 4%.
Per the amendments to the development agreement, Rent Commencement Date is defined as “the earlier of (i) the date upon which one or more Temporary Certificates of Occupancy is issued by the New York City Department of Buildings for at least ninety percent (90%) of the Completed Units in the Building, and (ii) the second (2nd) anniversary of the date of this lease.”
For Building 9, the Fifth Amendment to Development Agreement states that the Specified Rental Payment “shall be equal a Blended Land Value of $152.33 per square foot floor area, minus $60 per square foot floor area, if the Ground Lease is signed in calendar year 2019”; that the Blended Land Value would increase annually, at a rate of 2.75%; and such payment would be due upon Substantial Completion of the project.
Unlike for Building 8, the development agreement does not provide a right to the developer to defer such payments. The Specified Rental Payment for Building 9 is estimated at $24,800,000.
Issue: Hudson Related is requesting that the Specified Rental Payment be deferred for 18 months from the Rent Commencement Date instead of Substantial Completion. Hudson Related is also asking that the definition of Rent Commencement Date be amended to “the earlier of (i) the date upon which one or more Temporary Certifications of Occupancy is issued by the New York City Department of Buildings for at least 90% of the Completed Units in the building; and (ii) 30 months from the signing of the ground lease.” Hudson Related is making such request due to the size of the building, it being larger than the other Riverwalk buildings; and because the construction is expected to last about 28 months. Moreover, the balance of payments from the institutional purchaser is scheduled to occur 12 months following the Rent Commencement Date, and the deferred payment would ensure that funds are available to Hudson Related from the institutional sale to pay the Blended Land Value payment due to RIOC. This request would also move the time in which ground rent would be due by 6 months.
In exchange for such request, Hudson Related has agreed to pay interest at a rate of 4.5% on the unpaid principal portion of the Specified Rental Payment until the end of the 18-month deferral period, when the principal and interest would be due in full.
Recommendation: Based on the above, we recommend the Board approve the request to modify the definition of the Rent Commencement Date, to defer the ground rent that will be due by 6 months; and to allow for an 18-month deferral on payment of the Specified Rental Payment from the Rent Commencement Date (instead of the date of Substantial Completion), at a 4.5% interest rate for the duration of that time period. As a result, RIOC would gain an interest income in the amount of $1,692,693.59 in addition to the principal amount owed.
Also, here's RIOC Assistant VP of Capital Planning & Projects Jonna Carmona-Graf memo to RIOC President Rosenthal in support of funding construction of the long awaited FDR Hope Memorial sculpture depicting President Franklin Roosevelt in a wheelchair.
Background: In 2010, when the Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt Institute (FERI) sought approval from the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) to build FDR Four Freedoms (FFP), the Roosevelt Island Disability Association (RIDA) protested the lack of representation of FDR as disabled in the park’s design. In response, FERI pledged $100,000 toward a sculpture project sponsored by RIDA that would portray FDR in his wheelchair at a site nearby. The Board of Directors approved the siting of the FDR Hope Memorial in Southpoint Park north of the Small Pox Hospital in May 2010.
Subsequent to the Board’s approval of the siting, RIDA formed a committee to solicit a call for Artists to commission a monument. This competitive selection process resulted in RIDA’s hiring of Meredith Bergmann. Following a period of extensive research, the two-person scene within the circular plaza was conceived and was presented to the community and other oversight groups such as NYC Public Design Commission, NYC Parks and NYC Community Board 8. Fabrication of the bronze statues commenced upon approval of these groups.
In April 2018, as RIDA did not have the funds to complete the project, RIDA requested the assistance of RIOC. Materials were submitted and approved by the Board authorizing RIOC to:
a. Assume responsibility for the FDR Hope Memorial project execution estimated at a cost to RIOC of approximately $300,000; based upon an estimation prepared by Accu-Cost Construction Consultants, Inc. (Accu-Cost)
b. Enter into an agreement with NYC Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) for reimbursement of up to $150,000 in construction costs;
c. Enter into an agreement with RIDA donating the statue to RIOC; and
d. Procure Mt. Airy White granite and St. John’s granite from North Carolina Granite as a sole source.
Since the Board approval on April 18, 2018, a contract with NYC Parks was executed and registered with the NYC Comptroller’s office on July 12, 2019; an agreement with RIDA was executed and the sole source procurement of the granite pavers was initiated. The actual cost incurred for the stone was $175,088 vs. a budget of $193,147 (which includes contingency), yielding a savings of $18,059. We also moved forward with the development of contract documents for bidding purposes, including drawings and technical specifications. The artist’s team only prepared preliminary construction documents for the plaza. As such, RIOC engaged the services of an Architect of Record to complete the construction documents for bidding and issued a purchase order to the Lawrence Group, one of the Architecture/Engineering firms on our panel.
Final technical drawings and specifications were delivered to RIOC for review in June 2019. These contract documents were reviewed by the LiRo Group (RIOC’s Owner’s Representative) for completeness, constructability and estimating prior to issuing an RFP for construction services. The estimated value for work included in the RFP documents prepared by LiRo, is approximately $620,000.
Procurement: A request for proposals was advertised in the New York State Contract Reporter and RIOC website on August 26, 2019. Bids were due on October 10, 2019 and two proposals were received.
Contractor bid proposals were reviewed by Capital Planning & Projects and LiRo (Owner’s Representative). We assessed pricing included in the RFP bid proposals, the final cost estimate prepared by LiRo and the design estimate of approximately $300,000 provided to RIOC by the artist’s team and Accu-Cost.
Upon RIOC and LiRo’s review of the bid pricing and the Accu-Cost estimate we found essential scope items were not included in the Accu-Cost estimate, including demolition, lighting, fill, erosion control and concrete aggregate (an approximate value of $164,000). In addition, there was a variance in the quantity of pavers and general conditions costs were very low (an additional cost of approximately $263,000). We met with both contractors to understand their assumptions included in the pricing and requested clarifications.
The proposals were then reviewed by Capital Planning & Projects and LiRo (Owner’s Representative) and found to be fair and reasonable and in accordance with RIOC’s procurement guidelines. Sea Crest’s proposal was most responsive to the criteria set forth in the RFP and was within industry range of the LiRo estimate of $620,000.
Recommendation: Based on the above, RIOC Capital Planning and Projects recommends subject, to the satisfaction of all contracting requirements, that the Board of Directors authorize and approve entering into contract with Sea Crest Construction Corporation to provide Construction Services for the FDR Hope Memorial Project for a total amount of $650,000 with a 5% contingency of $32,500 bringing the total authorized not-to-exceed amount to $682,500. We expect construction work to be complete within four (4) months.
Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM) physicians actively educate their communities beyond standard appointment times. Wellness seminars, as well as presentations in collaboration with community-based organizations, create forums for attendees to learn about particular health topics, ask questions and engage in a communicative dialogue with our physicians. The WCM Division of Government & Community Affairs organizes these critically important opportunities to educate and expose common questions, misconceptions or concerns....
Watch the video below to learn more about Weill Cornell Medicine's public outreach programs
including the Health & Wellness Seminars and STEM Education.
On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in the First World War, then known as "the Great War." Commemorated as Armistice Day beginning the following year, November 11th became a legal federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became Veterans Day, a holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars...
If you know a Veteran or see one on the street today, please take a brief moment to thank them for their service to our country. Also, don't just thank them today but do it throughout the year and thank our active duty soldiers as well.
Ms Cole describes her motivation, preparation and experience running the 2019 NYC Marathon and looks forward to running in the 2020 NYC Marathon too. According to Ms Cole:
Running the marathon was a long term goal. Last summer, I met Nosipho Dhladhla she was training for the marathon and I was inspired as a result.
As a volunteer Girl Scout leader, the marathon became more meaningful when I was given the opportunity to run on behalf of the Girl Scouts.
Girl Scouts teaches girls, confidence, courage but more importantly character. It’s exciting to support an organization with a mission to make the world a better place. This was a cause bigger than myself and it was important for my daughters who are Girl Scouts to witness the process.
I am a NEW runner and I trained for six months. Most of my training was done on the Roosevelt Island running around the beautiful promenade enjoying the breathtaking views of LIC and Manhattan skyline.
I also ran for 8 consecutive Wednesday in Astoria Park for an hour from 6:30am to 7:30am.
I ran a total of 10 registered races with New York Road Runners (NYRR), 3 half marathons, one 18 miles, one 12 mile, and the TCS NYC marathon as a result now I am qualified for the 2020 NYC marathon.
I ran numerous virtual races which required enormous commitment because despite feeling tired or dealing with setbacks, it was important to push forward.
I had to learn about fueling while running and how often to fuel. I experienced digestive problems while running and it was due to eating too soon, the wrong food or not emptying before the race.
Wearing the right sneaker was a hard lesson learned. My toes have suffered as a result. Learning to pace myself was challenging as I would run too fast at the beginning and burn out at the end.
I don’t have a gym membership, and that affected my training because it lacked cross training which is less strenuous on the knees and legs. I did have access to the gym at the hotels when I traveled which was helpful.
I travel for a living which can be dehydrating. I had to hydrate twice as much. Some days I felt extremely tired and I had to remind myself that I was flying and running which increased dehydration.
Towards the end of my training, I had the privilege of meeting former Marathoner and Roosevelt Island resident Antonio Gonzalez who provider vital training tips, and although I couldn’t apply many of his recommendations for this marathon, I will be able to apply them for the 2020 50th anniversary Marathon.
Running the marathon was an amazing experience. I enjoying running in all the boroughs giving Hi Fives to children and adults. Watching the abundance of smiling faces cheering loudly and excitedly was exhilarating. Seeing my family during the race was like fuel to soul. It regenerated and re-energized my spirit.
Overall, the marathon training was an arduous journey and a balancing act. It was well worth it and I am looking forward to next’s year marathon.
I am happy that I’ve inspired others not only to run, but to run for a cause that’s bigger than themselves.
World Series is over, we're in the middle of football season and winter is coming but thoughts of spring came to mind today watching Roosevelt Island kids
playing baseball today at Capobianco Field.
Play ball.
Good to see Roosevelt Island kids still playing baseball in November - before you know it pitchers and catchers report in February to spring training @MLB@Yankees@Metspic.twitter.com/WfoxuEA1qp
Roosevelt Island is a mixed income, racially diverse waterfront community situated in the East River of New York City between Manhattan and Queens and is jurisdictionally part of Manhattan. The Roosevelt Island Tramway, which connects Roosevelt Island to the rest of Manhattan, has become the iconic symbol of Roosevelt Island to its residents.
The Purpose of this Blog is to provide accurate and timely information about Roosevelt Island as well as a forum for residents to express opinions and engage in a dialogue to improve our community.
