Roosevelt Island Residents Of 1003 Unit Roosevelt Landings Complex Without Regular Hot Water Service Since Early March, Residents Say "We Have To Shower In Cold Water, It Hurts" - Building Management Says Cause Is Malfunction With Cogeneration Plant That They Are Working To Fix

Roosevelt Island residents living in the 1003 unit Roosevelt Landings building complex are angry and frustrated at living without regular hot water service since last March.

According to building residents: 

• "Hot water has been out off and on for the past month or two. It has now been nearly 5 whole days without hot water",
• "No hot water & the laundry rooms were out of service for a couple of weeks- all while residents were getting lease renewals with $1000 increases in some cases. Quality of life in these buildings (546 especially) is pretty terrible with noise and smoking and drinking in the hallways all night long (even on weekdays)",
• "I’m sick of dealing with the water issue. This has been going on for way too long and they’ve known about it for weeks now. Give us hot water!!!,"
• "It’s been 2 months with this hot water situation. Then we also had the laundry room closed on and off for a month. They are increasing rent, soon to be charging for electricity and the refuse rooms are filthy with bugs and dog 💩 it’s gross and insane",
• "No hot water for a week straight now and elevator in 560 has audible scraping noises. The other day it shook violently as it approached the 10th floor",
• "No hot water, laundry rooms closed consistently for weeks at a time, elevators broken in 560 after being reported and we’re told that management is waiting for HVAC assistance which is a partial truth"
• "We have to shower in cold water and it hurts".
  

Some are talking about a rent strike over the lack of hot water.

On April 12, I asked Roosevelt Landings C+C Apartment Management Regional Manager Doryne Isely

I've received almost a dozen complaints this week about lack of hot water over an extended period of time in the Roosevelt Landings buildings.

For example

• Roosevelt Landings apartments have NOT had consistent hot water since the beginning of MARCH. We are taking ice showers….. a lot of people I’m in contact with (including myself) are “scared” to speak up to call 311 out of fear of retaliation.
• Are you aware that for quite some time building 510 has had - at best - lukewarm water, but generally no hot water at all? Management gives no timetable for when things will return to normal. It’s been off and on this way for well over a month.
• Roosevelt Landings has no Hot Water and Mgmt office do not know when the problem will be fixed. There's been no hot water or warm water for the last 5 weeks from 4-6am till 11am-12pm and then at night after 11pm (no hot only warm). So all residents that were not able to shower in freezing cold water today must be very stinky and in need of extra deodorant

I've seen the April 12 notice management is distributing explaining the problem. 

I recall Urban American's Josh Eisenberg reporting in 2014 (correct year is 2013) on a state of the art Combined Heat and Power Plant systems being connected to the buildings electrical and hot water systems. Are they still working?

Does Roosevelt Landings management have any comment on the matter? 

Yesterday, a C+C Apartment Management spokesperson replied:

We apologize to our residents for the hot water interruptions and understand the inconvenience this has caused. Our team has been working diligently to address service interruptions and to permanently fix the hot water heaters. We thank residents for their patience and will continue to provide updates as we work to resolve this issue.

The C+C Apartment Management spokesperson added today:

The interruptions in hot water service are linked to a malfunction within the cogeneration plant that services the property. - We are working closely with engineers and specialists to resolve it as soon as possible. 

And on April 17, C+C Apartment Management sent this notice to Roosevelt Landings residents:

On April 19, a Roosevelt Landings resident wrote to me:

There has been no hot water for over a month. The laundry room situation has been crazy. Why isn't this being discussed? The buildings are dirty. Main street looks the worse it has ever been. This publication has to address island life. Its getting worse.

Roosevelt Island elected officials, including State Senator Liz Krueger, Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright and City Council Member Julie Menin have intervened with Roosevelt Landings building management on behalf of residents.

Council Member Menin reported on April 19:

It is unacceptable that any New Yorker would be without hot water for weeks at a time. My office has been in contact with HPD many times about Roosevelt Landing and today the agency issued two C-class violations for no hot water and another for no access to the boiler, which the landlord needs to correct immediately. We will continue to advocates for the tenants of this building until all issues are resolved.

The Roosevelt Landings co-generation power system currently out of service was installed in 2013 by former owner Urban American. According to Josh Eisenberg who spearheaded the installation:

... When activated, our onsite power plant and heating system will be capable of generating 15% of the building's electricity on site and all of the hot water for more than 1000 apartments 30% more efficiently than before....

Mr Eisenberg spoke about the system during an interview on a 2013 episode of the Michael Stoller real estate TV program.

 

Stay tuned. Will update when more info available.

UPDATE 4/21 - A spokesperson for Assemblymember Seawright reports at 5:20 PM

We are hearing an update from HPD as of 5:06pm- they sent the emergency repair unit to conduct a final inspection on 2 of the water heaters that have been repaired. The equipment is going to be monitored to ensure it doesn't fail. We have been in touch with the Mayor's Office, HPD and the management company and asked to receive updates as they are available.

and adds at 7 PM:

HPD update- The Emergency Repair Program (ERP) unit indicated the HW temp is 100 degrees Fahrenheit at the furthest point from the heating equipment, and 116 at a closer point. They’ve assessed this is inadequate and technicians are on site working on the equipment.