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The Official Word

Announcements From the Public Officials of District 8



PARKS & RECREATION CELEBRATES RENOVATION OF WAGNER PLAYGROUND  


Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe today joined City Council Member Philip Reed, members of Community Board 11, and students from Junior High School 45 to cut the ribbon on a $1.1 million renovation of Wagner Playground in Upper Manhattan. The project included the installation of a multi-use synthetic ballfield, rebuilt handball courts, and a new basketball practice area. Funding for the project was allocated by Council Member Reed.


 

"This is a beautiful renovation of Wagner Playground," said Commissioner Benepe. "Synthetic turf is the way of the future for multi-use ballfields-it's safer for our children and better for the environment.  We are pleased to be able to bring the new ballfield and other athletic facilities and all the health benefits they provide to the children and young adults of East Harlem."  

 


The new synthetic ballfield replaces an aging asphalt play surface. The new field accommodates baseball, soccer, and football, and will provide much-needed recreation space for local students, residents of the Wagner Houses, and members of the nearby community. The Robert F. Wagner monument has been refurbished and the sitting area and sidewalks along 120th Street and 2nd Avenue have been renovated.

 



Senator Robert F. Wagner emigrated to the United States in 1886 and won election to the New York State Assembly in 1904. He was a justice of the New York State Supreme Court from 1918-1926. After gaining the support of Tammany Hall, he was elected to the United States Senate in 1926.



Mayor's Office, Dept of Education: New High School to be Built


Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein today announced a plan to construct a campus of four new small secondary schools on a six-acre portion of the rail yards in the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx.  This is the latest initiative by the Department of Education (DOE) to strengthen the City's high schools and relieve crowding, particularly in Bronx high schools.  The new $129 million complex will serve approximately 2,000 students in the four new schools.  The campus will include a mix of schools which the DOE has been creating under its Children First reforms, including small schools serving grades 6-12 and 9-12, as well as a charter school.  The project will also include playground and athletic field space, as well as other facilities, to be shared among the schools.  The four schools will be constructed on the six-acres of Mott Heaven rail yards with boundaries of 153rd Street on the south, Concord Village on the east, and the New York and Harlem railroad driveway on the west.  Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Klein, joined by South Bronx Churches’ (SBC) Sharon Josoin and Virginia Gonzalez, made the announcement at South Bronx Educational Campus, formerly South Bronx High School, located at 701 St. Ann’s Avenue, near where the four new small secondary schools will be constructed.   Today’s announcement was convened in a building that is the site of three small schools—Mott Haven Village Prep, New Explorers and the Academy for Careers in Sports.


“High school overcrowding is a problem throughout the five boroughs, but in the Bronx, the rate of overcrowding is sharply higher than it is in the City as a whole,” said Mayor Bloomberg.  “Today, Chancellor Klein and I are unveiling plans that will produce a second new campus of new secondary schools in Mott Haven.  These schools will give thousands of students and parents in this community the chance to have the kind of rigorous and satisfying education that every neighborhood deserves.  As part of our efforts to reform City schools, we have purchased, leased, and renovated facilities.  And now we’re going to build new schools where they are needed most.” 


“We face our greatest school reform challenge at the high school level,” said Schools Chancellor Klein.  “In the Bronx, where this challenge is acute, we have begun a major turn-around, and in the small schools that we have already created, once failing students are no longer.  In addition, attendance and promotion rates in these schools are showing encouraging results that indicate that we indeed can succeed.”


The site for the new campus is a six-acre portion of a larger parcel bordered on the north by two middle schools at 156th Street, the south by a new bridge at 153rd Street, and on the east by Concord Village East.  The project is part of a wider plan designed to provide high school seats to alleviate the shortage of space in Bronx high schools, the result of longstanding conditions of overcrowding and a recent demographic increase in the borough's high school-aged population.


In addition, the project will add to the thousands of seats already created in small high schools in the Bronx and across the City, an important element of the Department of Education's strategy to improve the educational quality of under-performing high schools.


The Mott Haven project is one component of the DOE's strategy to expand and improve high schools in the Bronx.  The DOE has cited the need for more high school seats across the City, and called for the creation of over 26,700 middle and high school seats Citywide, of which over one third, or 9,900, are planned for the Bronx.  Much of this construction will come in the form of small secondary schools, including those in this project.  In the past two years, utilizing both new and existing space, the DOE has created 47 new small secondary schools in the Bronx, which currently serve approximately 8,600 students, and 99 new secondary schools Citywide, which serve approximately 16,400 students.


During the last several months, the DOE has been working with South Bronx Churches (SBC), an affiliate of Metro Industrial Areas Foundation (Metro IAF), focusing on strategies to create new high school seats in the Bronx.  Metro IAF and SBC will partner with the DOE to design and complete the project, as well as develop one new high school on the campus.  Metro IAF and its affiliates, SBC and East Brooklyn Congregations, have launched five high schools since 1992.


SBC and Metro IAF first proposed the Bronx campus project.  SBC is a consortium of faith-based congregations, homeowners associations, and schools in the South Bronx that has built 1,000 Nehemiah homes and has supported small schools in New York City for over a decade, opening the Bronx Leadership Academy in 1992 and the Bronx Leadership Academy II in 2002.


Design for the Mott Haven project is expected to be completed by the spring of 2006, as decisions are made on school configurations and programs.  The plan anticipates that at least one of the new schools will open in September of 2008, with the others opening in time for the 2009 academic year.



Councilmember Phil Reed - $1 million to renovate M.S. 45 and four other items.

As part of the city’s $47 billion budget, individual City Council members lobby for money for specific projects in their district, often called “member items.” For more about the budget and member items, read Bringing Budget Dollars Back to the Neighborhood.

The following is a list of local budget items provided by Phil Reed, City Councilmember for East Harlem.

“I am most proud of the Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income New Yorkers, for which I was a prime sponsor. We have funded the renovation of baseball fields at M.S. 45 as well as the library, the computer lab, and the playground for almost $1 million.”

Also:
Funding for West Side Law Project

$27,000 for Child Welfare Organizing Project which works with single mothers.

$100,000 El Museo del Barrio

$68,715 restoration Museum of the City of New York



Parks: Nobel Monument Unveiled

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg...unveiled the Nobel Monument in Manhattan's Theodore Roosevelt Park. The City of New York and the Consulate General of Sweden in New York erected the monument in New York City in honor of Alfred Nobel and the American Nobel Laureates. The Mayor was joined at the unveiling ceremony by H.R.H. Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden Margareta Winberg, Science Advisor to President Bush and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Dr. John Marburger III, Ambassador of Sweden to the United States Jan Eliasson, Consul General of Sweden in New York Olle Wästberg, Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe, Deputy Mayor for Administration Patricia E. Harris, Commissioner for the New York City Commission for the United Nations, Consular Corps and Protocol Marjorie Bloomberg Tiven and thirty Nobel Prize Laureates.

"New York City is a fitting home for the Nobel Monument which recognizes the efforts Americans have made towards creating a more peaceful, safe, and healthy world," said Mayor Bloomberg. "Last week, Nobel Prizes were awarded to six Americans - two of which were New Yorkers. And I am especially proud to say that of the 271 Americans that have received the Nobel Prize, 24 have been graduates of New York City's public schools. We are honored to be joining our Swedish friends in marking this historic moment in New York City history and in the history of the Nobel Prize…"

Theodore Roosevelt Park, home to the American Museum of Natural History since 1869, is named for the U.S. President who in 1906 was the first American to win a Nobel Prize (for Peace). The $400,000 installation and long-term maintenance endowment for the monument was funded primarily by Merck Company Foundation, with additional support from Skanska, Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation, Ambassador and Mrs. Lyndon L. Olson, and NCR Corporation.

The monument is a monolith with four sides of rough-hewn red Swedish granite. Two steps lead to the monolith and each corner is framed by a rounded piece of polished black diabase (granite). At the top, each corner is punctuated by small bronze spheres. A bronze relief medallion, depicting a likeness of Alfred Nobel, is installed on the front face on the monolith. Below the medallion text reads "Founder of the Nobel Prize, Swedish Inventor, Industrialist, Philanthropist and Humanist" and above reads "Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, Peace, Economics." The remaining three sides bear the inscription "American Recipients of the Nobel Prize." Beginning on the west face, a chronological list of 271 American recipients of the Nobel prize is inscribed. Space has been reserved to inscribe the names of future American Nobel prizewinners. Parks & Recreation renovated the small plaza surrounding the Nobel Monument. Immediately around the monument there is a ring of red granite. Beyond that there are rings of belfast black granite pavers, octagonal bands of granite and asphalt paving blocks.

The Nobel Monument was first proposed by the Consulate General of Sweden in New York and American Nobel Laureates. Work began in November 2001 after it received approval from the New York City Art Commission and Landmarks Preservation Commission. The monument was designed by Sivert Lindblom, one of Sweden's foremost designers of urban spaces and who designed the Holocaust Monument in Stockholm. It was produced by Skånska Granit in Sweden and the typography was designed by Lars Hall AB…



Bloomberg: Redevelopment of La Marqueta

– Oct. 23,
2003
Project to Provide Venue for New Retail Businesses and Produce An Estimated
100 Jobs

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced that East Harlem Business Capital
Corporation (EHBCC) has been designated to redevelop La Marqueta, an
approximately 50,000-square-foot retail market and open-air plaza in the
heart of El Barrio in East Harlem. The City-owned property consists of
three parcels beneath the Metro-North viaduct between 111th and 116th
Streets and includes vacant land, two buildings from the original La
Marqueta development, and an open plaza. EHBCC, a highly regarded local
economic development organization, plans to renovate and revitalize the
property into a Latin-themed food market to be renamed the Marqueta
Internacional. The Mayor made the announcement at the New America
Alliance’s 3rd Annual Wall Street Summit. The Alliance is an organization
united to promote the economic advancement of the American Latino community
with a focus on economic and political empowerment, education, strategic
philanthropy, and public policy advocacy.

“EHBCC’s plan will complement East Harlem’s ongoing commercial and
residential revitalization and has the potential to create a new center for
the East Harlem community,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “For the past 50 years, La
Marqueta has been an important symbol of local Latino culture. EHBCC’s
proposal is consistent with the job creation and economic development
strategy I outlined earlier this week, and the market is another targeted
capital investment that makes use of vacant City-owned land to promote the
economy and diverse community of East Harlem. When the Marqueta
Internacional is completed, it will provide quality space for area
entrepreneurs to establish new retail businesses and flourish in their own
community and could create as many as 100 new jobs. We look forward to
working closely with EHBCC to finalizing their ambitious plan and making it
a reality.”

[suggest edit this graf out] “I am delighted at the news, and most grateful
to Mayor Bloomberg for his administration’s evident support for the economic
revitalization of El Barrio,” said State Senator Olga Mendez. “The
development of La Marqueta will be a cornerstone in the renaissance of East
Harlem. It will create jobs and help small businesses grow. I am committed
to work with the Mayor to make sure that this historic public market becomes
a great success for our community and this great city.”

As envisioned, EHBCC’s plan calls for the construction of three to four
one-story buildings ranging in size from 10,500 to 15,000 square feet,
featuring unifying glass façades, signage, street furniture and plantings.
Potential tenants include businesses that sell fish, meat, poultry, fruit,
vegetables, baked goods, coffee and flowers. Additional operations could
include a restaurant, gift shop, kitchenware store, bookstore and an
information booth. Open space for dining, playgrounds, exhibits and
community uses are also being considered.

“The ‘Marqueta Internacional’ will be a great asset to our City, and a
significant anchor
in East Harlem’s future development,” EHBCC Executive Director Elizabeth
Colón. “It will be a market for East Harlem and all the people of our City
to enjoy. It will also be another great destination point for tourists who
come to enjoy the diversity and flavor of the many ethnic communities and
neighborhoods that make New York the capital of the world. East Harlem
Business Capital Corporation is honored to lead this effort.”

Under the proposal, EHBCC will work with EDC, the City agency that has
managed the property since 1992, in a three-phased designation period with
specific milestones to be achieved during each phase. During the first
three months of the designation, the developer will refine and complete its
proposal and develop a budget and realistic timeline for the two phases to
follow. Upon successful achievement of these milestones and development of
a feasible plan, EDC intends to execute a long-term lease with EHBCC.

Mayor LaGuardia had established La Marqueta in 1936 to create a permanent
home for the outdoor pushcart markets that were located around the City at
the time. Since the 1950’s, La Marqueta has been recognized as a popular
Latino marketplace. At its peak, it was a busy retail center that housed
510 stalls. In the summer and fall, the market hosted a Farmers Market on
its open-air plaza, which also served as the venue for numerous community
and cultural events featuring live entertainment and activities for
children.

This project is another example of the City’s commitment to bring economic
development every neighborhood in the City. It will continue the
revitalization that was begun on 125th Street with Harlem USA, a $65
million, 275,000-square-foot retail and entertainment complex on West 125th
Street. The revitalization moved east on 125th Street with a new Pathmark
that is one of the chain’s most successful operations. 125 Gateway Ventures
and Gotham Plaza brought more quality retail and office space to East 125th
Street in recent years. To the west, EDC in cooperation with other City and
State agencies has developed the West Harlem Master Plan and is in design
phase for waterfront improvements that will provide public access and other
amenities such as a waterfront esplanade and piers for fishing, boating and
possible ferry landing. Potamkin Automotive and General Motors will soon be
starting construction on a new auto mall on East 127th and East 128th
Streets and Second and Third Avenue. These will be the first new auto
dealerships located north of 60th Street in over 50 years.

EHBCC is a 501(c)3 non-profit economic development organization located in
East Harlem that was incorporated in 1997. With funding from City, State
and Federal programs, EHBCC provides access to capital and business
development assistance to local businesses. EHBCC is certified as a
Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), designated as
administrator for NYS Empire Zone and Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone
funds, and registered as a Community Development Enterprise. The group also
has an excellent reputation in the community primarily as a small-business
lender. Its leadership includes State Senator Olga Mendez as Honorary Chair
and Elizabeth Colón as Executive Director.



Homepage of the Community Gazette for District 8










THE OFFICIAL WORD
FOR DISTRICT 8

PARKS & RECREATION CELEBRATES RENOVATION OF WAGNER PLAYGROUND  
(Apr 13, 2005)

Mayor's Office, Dept of Education: New High School to be Built
(Dec 03, 2004)

Councilmember Phil Reed - $1 million to renovate M.S. 45 and four other items.
(Jul 02, 2004)

Parks: Nobel Monument Unveiled
(Nov 04, 2003)

Bloomberg: Redevelopment of La Marqueta
(Oct 25, 2003)

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