The
Red Hook StarªRevue
APRIL 2016
SOUTH BROOKLYN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
FREE
$100 MILLION MISSING FROM RED HOOK IFPS FUNDING by George Fiala
aims to make the waterfront community more resilient and better protected from future storms.” It is further stated that “The Red Hook IFPS will cost approximately $200 million in total"
O
n January 7, 2014, Vice President Joe Biden came to Albany to announce-together with Governor Andrew Cuomo - a $16.7 billion federally funded package of programs to strengthen New York's infrastructure against future storms. The money was part of the $50.5 billion in emergency money that congress granted to New York and New Jersey following Hurricane Sandy. According to an article in Politico, “the state would build a $200 million flood protection system in Red Hook, Brooklyn.” A whole host of other projects were announced, including subway seals, bridge repairs throughout the state, new tidal gates and drainage systems including at the area airports, and the creation of micro-grids to provide emergency power. In a press release issued by the Governor’s office, dated December 16, 2014, another mention of the $200 million number is made. The release is headlined: “Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio Announce Integrated Flood Protection System Study and Design For Red Hook.” It is subheaded “State and City Each Commit An Initial $50 Million to Launch the Initiative, Which Will Make the Brooklyn Waterfront Community More Resilient – Part of Comprehensive, Citywide Resiliency Plan.” The release announced the issuance of the initial RFP for creation of the Integrated Flood Protection System (IFPS) and went on to say that “the project, for which the City and State are each committing an initial $50 million, for a total of $100 million,
Red Hook Star-Revue
This press release was filled with supportive comments from Governor Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio, Borough President Eric Adams, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, Assemblymember Felix Ortiz, Councilmember Carlos Menchaca, and Co-Chair of the Red Hook NY Rising Community Reconstruction Committee Gita Nandan. But the NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC), which has been executing the RFP process, now says that “The study began in October of 2015 and is expected to be complete in approximately one year. "For subsequent project phases, the City and the State have committed $50 million in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds and $50 million in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds for a total of $100 million in funding to be used for environmental review, permitting, design, engineering and construction.”
Public informed in January
This was first revealed locally on January 21, 2016, at a public meeting at the Miccio Center. One of the slides presented characterized the total funding of the IFPS at $100 million. Further research of documents available online reveal that this cut was already decided more than a year earlier. An EDC Q&A, dated February 27, 2015 includes the following: “Q - In the pre-proposal session presentation, it was stated that the total cost of the project including the feasibility study, design and engineering and capital costs for construction, is $100 million. Is that sufficient – does this reflect actual project costs?
The slide shown at the January 2016 public meeting showing reduced funding.
A - The Feasibility Study is being healthy children and families.” performed to better understand the Councilman Carlos Menchaca is scope and costs for an IFPS in Red sure that whatever it ends up costing, Hook. The Preferred Project advanced through the HMGP application and “The Red Hook IFPS will subsequent FEMA and HUD approvals will need to be assessed, designed cost approximately and built within the anticipated available budget.”
$200 million in total, as
Sometime between December 2014 announced in January.” and February 2015 funding for Red Hook’s flood protection program, December 2014 which would hopefully mitigate future flooding, has been cut in half, with no official announcement from the governor’s office, which is manag- whether $100 million, $200 million or more, the right storm protection sysing the money. tem will be built. "The money must be Borough President Eric Adams, com- found," he said. menting on the budget changed said: “We look forward to hearing more from the City and the State in the days The next public meeting of Red Hook’s ahead about how they plan to make NY Rising Committee will be held at the IFP program whole through crit- the Miccio Center this Thursday, April ically-needed funds. The residents of 7 at 7:30 pm. Questions and comments Red Hook deserve nothing less than will be taken by representatives of the a truly resilient and sustainable com- local rising committee as well as repremunity where they can safely raise sentatives from the City and State.
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April 2016, Page 1