The de Blasio Administration released a progress report late last week on post-Sandy housing and business recovery and citywide climate resiliency.
“Nearly three years ago, Sandy provided a stark picture of the risks of climate change – and New York City has been working to protect our communities, infrastructure, and coastlines ever since,” said de Blasio.
The City, through the Mayor’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency, has established a $20 billion resiliency program. Working with expert climate scientists, the City aims to strengthen coastal defenses, protect infrastructure, and adapt buildings. In Coney Island and on the Rockaway peninsula, 4.2 million cubic yards of sand were put in place as a short-term measure.
The City and Health and Hospitals Corporation received $1.8 billion from FEMA for resiliency investments at New York hospitals, including Coney Island Hospital. The Ida G. Israel Community Health Center in Coney Island was also reopened.
Working alongside the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the City is advancing investments in Sea Gate, Red Hook, and several other vulnerable City shorelines in need of coastal protection.
The Mayor’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency will provide new funds for the installation of dunes in Coney Island as part of a comprehensive coastal protection plan. The City, with the Department of Parks and Recreation and New York City Economic Development Corporation, wants to place reinforced dune systems of public beaches in Coney Island and Brighton Beach.
In Sea Gate, a plan is in the works on a $25 million beach nourishment and t-groin project, an engineering solution to beach erosion and sand accumulation problems, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The City and State will invest $100 million to the design of an integrated flood protection system in Red Hook. Led by the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the City’s goal is to protect the waterfront community and increase its resiliency. A design contract has been signed and public engagement meetings will begin this year.
