The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Friday started construction on a $90 million Superstorm Sandy recovery and resiliency project at Coney Island Houses, home to over 1,100 residents in 5 buildings.
The 2012 storm devastated a good portion of Coney Island including the complex which saw flood waters completely filling the basements, knocking out power and heat, and filling the underground pipes with sand.
Following the storm, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) allocated $3 billion, to repair and protect 33 Sandy-Damaged NYCHA developments, including $108 million for recovery and resiliency work at Coney Island.
The de Blasio Administration, which is in charge of administering the federal funds, has been criticized for the slow rollout of several Sandy-related projects, and both City Council Member Mark Treyger (D-Coney Island, Bensonhurst) and Assemblymember Pam Harris (D-Coney Island, Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights) have been instrumental in keeping the projects on track.
“I am extremely pleased to finally see shovels in the ground at Coney Island Houses. While there is still a lot of work that needs to be done, this is tangible proof that our public housing residents will get the recovery and resiliency repairs and upgrades they so desperately need and deserve,” said Treyger, Chair of the Committee on Recovery and Resiliency. “I am proud to have helped secure $3 billion in FEMA funding for this work, and prouder still to see it underway. Everyone who was affected by the devastation of Hurricane Sandy – including thousands of our city’s NYCHA residents – deserves to be made whole.”
The work at the Coney Island houses includes full roof replacement, stand-by generators for back-up power, new electrical systems and flood-protected boilers and equipment annexes, resiliency measures to prevent flooding, new lobbies, upgraded playgrounds and recreational areas, new lighting, security cameras (CCTV) and state-of-the-art security doors (Layered Access Control), and a new multi-purpose room for residents.
“This critical investment by NYCHA will help fix the damage caused by Superstorm Sandy and ensure that residents are protected in the event of future storm surges,” said Harris. “This October marks the fifth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy and far too many members of our community are still rebuilding. I’ll continue fighting to secure additional funding to ensure our Brooklyn community is prepared for the next storm.”
In the past two years, NYCHA has completed preliminary construction at 23 developments and started major construction at 9 developments, taking steps to make essential repairs to restore and protect 52 buildings benefitting 10,000 residents. In Coney Island, work is underway at three developments, including Coney Island Houses, Coney Island I Sites 4/5, and Coney Island Site 1B. By the end of the year, work should be underway at all Sandy-impacted developments.
“I have been working closely and diligently with the NYCHA Recovery to Resiliency team to get the work started as quickly and safely as possible,” said Lauretta Brumfield, Resident Association President for Coney Island Houses. “As a resident Leader, I expect to have Coney Island Houses revived, to see people smiling, children laughing, playing and to see residents working to rebuild their homes again to see life as we know it.”
