RIOC Gives Very Short Notice Blacklist TV Program Filming On Roosevelt Island Tomorrow Removing Public Parking Spots For 2 Days Saying Filming Shines Light On Our Beautiful Island And Drives Commerce - Grandmother Says Children Put In Danger By Losing Parking For School Drop Offs And Pick Ups

Last Friday evening, May 14, at about 5:30 PM, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) announced that The Blacklist NBC TV show 

will be filming scenes Monday, May 17 on Roosevelt Island removing public parking areas used by Roosevelt Island residents, workers and parents of students attending PS/IS 217. According to RIOC: 

On Monday, May 17^th, Sony Pictures Television will be filming portions of The Blacklist, NBC’s hit criminal mastermind drama starring James Spader and Megan Boone, from approximately 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM in various locations throughout Roosevelt Island. Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) is proud to work with the film and television industry to not only shine a light on our beautiful island, but drive commerce as well. 

On Sunday, May 16^th, production will be clearing and holding parking in advance of the shoot for equipment trucks and production vehicles in the following areas:

• In front of and across the street from Foodtown between 10 River Road and 40 River Road
• The west side of Main Street between 405 and 475, as filming will be taking place in and around Riverwalk Commons, Granny Annies, Duane Reade, and Piccolo Trattoria

 

In a letter addressed to Roosevelt Island residents, Woodridge Productions Inc. has emphasized that they “will make every effort to minimize [their] impact on the neighborhood and accommodate residents and businesses while filming.” You may view the full letter, attached.

Today, traffic cones were set up next to Riverwalk buildings reserving the public parking spots for The Blacklist filming.

Upon learning Friday evening of The Blacklist filming the following Monday, Roosevelt Island grandmother Raye Schwartz wrote to RIOC President Shelton Haynes:

Hello Shelton,

Once again, RIOC has not only dropped the ball but has endangered many children in the way this filming was announced to our community. There are two schools which bring children in to the island, either by school bus or parents driving them here in the morning and picking them up when the school day ends.

The area opposite Foodtown, starting at 10 River Road is adjacent to our public school 217, and because of social distancing requirements caused by the pandemic, parents cannot just drop the kids off at the front of the school, but must proceed to the west promenade behind the school. Thus the parents must park the car temporarily and escort the younger children to the back of the school yard. Same is true with the school busses. And I’m sure that you must have seen the trucks used by filming crews in many locations in our city…and they often will not pay attention to parking barriers. Further, there’s a string of school busses bringing kids from all over the city to the Child School next to the current 591 Main Street offices. These busses pull alongside 580 Main Street and next to the helix. We’ve had Sony Pictures here on the island many times, but we’ve also had enough notification to make necessary arrangements: remember Spiderman? And we often have had many other film and TV crews.

The fact that this notice was sent Friday night, suggests that the directors at either PS 217 and The Child School did not receive it early enough to make needed arrangements for modifications for ensuring safe arrival and dismissal of the students and faculty. Did your RIOC staff make any needed safety provisions? Will your Public Safety staff take time off from issuing parking tickets for the city and assist the schools? Based on this enclosed notice I would think probably not!

... And even if you aren’t the one who did this, you are the CEO of RIOC and the buck stops with you!

As of Sunday evening, there's been no response from Mr Haynes or anyone from RIOC to Ms Schwartz's concerns. 

UPDATE 5/17 - Roosevelt Island playing a stand in for Russia 

during Blacklist TV program filming today at Motorgate Plaza.

UPDATE 5/18 - There were no problems with the PS/IS 217 student drop offs and pick ups yesterday due to The Blacklist TV filming nearby and no reports of any significant disruptions caused either.