U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Astoria) said the wheels of government are moving to repair a dilapidated 200-foot portion of the Queens Seawall, which runs along the East River near Queensbridge Houses in Long Island City.
Adrian Benepe, commissioner of the city Parks Department, said the department would work to repair the wall, which is a danger to both the nearby residents and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s cathodic protection devices beneath the seawall, Maloney said.
“The crumbling Queens Seawall is a disaster waiting to happen,” Maloney said in a statement. “After years of delay, it’s a great step that the Parks Department will take the lead on repairing the seawall.”
After the lead paint falling from the Queensboro Bridge has been cleared from the seawall, the Parks Department will repair what it can of the wall by using the city Department of Transportation’s mitigation obligation to restore part of the shoreline. The DOT was required to fix other areas after it had to take away part of the shoreline across the river when it repaired the FDR Drive in Manhattan, Maloney said.
It was not known how much more would be needed to restore the seawall, but Maloney predicted more resources would be necessary.
— Rebecca Henely
