Mayor Eric Adams Visits Roosevelt Island Today With Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright, Meets With Residents To Hear Their Questions And Concerns - Takes The Tram Back To Manhattan Station And Says Roosevelt Island Is An Exciting And Special Place

The New Yorkers who call Roosevelt Island home have some of the best views in the city. Good to join @Rebecca76AD to visit with our community and hear their questions and concerns. pic.twitter.com/evY1Gh6jFz

— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) August 24, 2022

NYC Mayor Eric Adams visited Roosevelt Island today together with NY State Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright.

This morning I welcomed @NYCMayor to Roosevelt Island to meet with constituents and community leaders to discuss the issues facing residents. Thank you to all those that participated and I look forward to working with Mayor Adams to address the concerns of our community. pic.twitter.com/55AiwAdoV5

— Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright (@SeawrightForNY) August 24, 2022

The Mayor and Ms Seawright attended a community meeting at the Carter Burden Roosevelt Island Senior Center with residents and listened to their questions and concerns

NYC @nycmayor Eric Adams visited Roosevelt Island today with Assemblymember Rebecca @seawrightforny meeting with local residents and @RIOCny @RiocCeo to discuss community concerns and took ride back to Manhattan on the Roosevelt Island Tram (with mask). pic.twitter.com/kZqDvryJX7

— Roosevelt Islander (@Rooseveltisland) August 24, 2022

A Roosevelt Island Tipster attending the meeting with Mayor Adams reports:

It was very noisy as Mayor Adams was coming into the Senior Center meeting room

and Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright immediately stood up and introduced him with a few nice words about him wanting to come to the Island and saying that this is one trip but he'll be back again soon.  

She mentioned that one big issue was getting a Pickleball court here.  He said he plays Pickleball and everybody laughed.  He then began speaking and basically it was the usual - glad to be here, some people think of RI as not being part of the city, but not him. Joyce Short then yelled out "Not just the city, Manhattan".  That brought a round of applause.

Then he went to questions.

Matt Katz said we're part of the city but we don't have a say in how we're governed.  We need to elect our board members...

Joyce Short spoke again agreeing with Matt and reinforcing that the redistricting map needs to keep us in Manhattan.

Lynne Shinozaki invited him to an October 11th event at the Girl Puzzle.  He said he'd come.

Margie Smith asked if he would fill both of his Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board seats with residents.  He said he knew he could fill two seats, but didn't commit either way to filling them with residents.  Ms Smith then mentioned the need for medical facilities on the Island and at that point he said he's "a list guy".  He wanted us to work with Assemblymember Seawright to put all of our issues on a list and he would address them that way.

Joyce then mentioned that Roosevelt Island sent more letters about the NYC Council preliminary redistricting plan than any other Council District, and a woman from Community Board 8 also spoke about redistricting and gave him the CB8 resolution.

Barbara Parker said there are issues with the new affordable building on the Island and he said to put it on the list and he'll address it.

That was pretty much it.  So, nothing really happened, except we were able to mention some of the Island issues, but didn't get any resolutions, not that we expected any in that type of meeting.  He sounded sincere and I'm going to be optimistic that we'll get something done. 

Resident Matt Katz adds:

The questions were short and sweet and Mayor Adams had his assistant taking notes.  I went first to advocate for elected administration for Roosevelt Island.  The bulk of the remaining time, a total of 15 minutes I think, centered around the Manhattan redistricting issue and I thought the point was made.  Mayor Adams said he would follow up as this was only a preliminary contact  We shall see.  

Mayor Adams then walked down Main Street to visit the Roosevelt Island Library where he met with NYPL President Tony Marx, Roosevelt Island Library Manager Carlos Chavez, RIOC President Shelton Haynes and some young residents

Images From Roosevelt Island Library

After the library visit, Mayor Adams walked to the Roosevelt Island Tram and waited 

 

 for his ride back to the Manhattan Tram Station. 

Mayor Adams said during the Tram ride that Roosevelt Island is an exciting and special place.

After the Tram Ride, I spoke with Assembly Member Seawright about the Mayor's visit to Roosevelt Island.

 

 

The community meeting with Mayor Adams was closed to the press, meaning Roosevelt Island Online news was not allowed to attend the meeting. Mayor Adams visit to Cornell Tech last June was also closed to the press.

 

As Mayor Adams left the Senior Center walking down Main Street to visit the NYPL Roosevelt Island branch I asked him why the local press was not allowed to attend.

 

The Mayor said he was not taking questions from the press and was here to listen to the residents.

Hopefully, the Mayor will be available to the press next time he visits. 

UPDATE 10:00 PM - Here's video of the meeting with Mayor Adams at the Senior Center.