New Deal Seeks $1M+ To Boost Look, Cut Crime
Big things are in store for Roosevelt Avenue.
City Council Member Julissa Ferreras announced last Tuesday, Mar. 19, the “New Deal for Roosevelt Avenue”- a seven-point plan to revitalize one of the busiest corridors in New York City.
The plan calls for improved sanitation, better public safety measures, updated zoning, an expansion of the Business Improvement District (BID) and a task force to address future issues along the avenue.
Ferreras, a native of the area said the improvements were long overdue.
“There’s no reason why our community cannot have a thoroughfare as nice as 5th Avenue,” she said. “The old days of neglect are finally coming to an end.”
Sanitation and beautification
The plan has already doubled the frequency of trash pick-up along Roosevelt Avenue. Garbage is picked up 14 times a week, Ferreras told the 110th Precinct Community Council, last Monday, Mar. 18. In addition, there are 14 new trash cans along the thoroughfare.
Ferreras allocated $14,085 for the expanded trash pickup, and additional funds came from the Department of Sanitation, according to Ferreras’ spokesperson. The new trash cans cost $21,000, her office said.
In addition, the city painted the trestles supporting the 7 train from 82nd Street to 104th Street. Ferreras said she plans to lobby the city to paint further east down Roosevelt Avenue.
“They painted up until my block and then stopped,” she joked with the council Mar. 18.
The plan also calls for community input regarding a proposed second phase of the Corona Plaza.
Improved public safety
In addition to painting, the plan allocates $500,000 for additional and improved lighting between 82nd Street and 111th Street intended to reduce crime in the area.
“We can’t have the shady activity if there’s light,” Ferrares said.
An stronger police presence aims to make the area safer for businesses and residents alike. The plan allocates $500,000 for the NYPD to install cameras along the avenue.
Ferreras said the police are now monitoring illegally parked cars more closely in order to free up parking for shoppers.
Ferreras’ office told the Times Newsweekly there is no set date for the installation of the cameras and lighting, but both projects should be completed by the end of 2013. The area is policed by the NYPD’s 110th and 115th precincts.
Ferreras also wants to resurrect the Roosevelt Avenue Task Force, which will focus on addressing quality of-life issues-specifically the proliferation of brothels along the strip.
According to her plan, the task force will act as a liaison between the community and elected officials.
“What is most needed is a level of commitment as determined as what we saw invested in the transformation of Times Square,” Ferreras said in a press release.
Better business environment
On top of safety and aesthetics, Ferreras’ plan has an economic thrust.
Roosevelt Avenue is not zoned as a commercial district-that is stifling business growth and improvements, Ferreras said.
Small businesses can’t improve, because they are not zoned for the kind of construction that would allow them to expand or update facades. The result is stagnation.
Improved zoning measures would allow businesses to flourish and grow while also providing additional revenue for the city, Ferreras said.
“We need to provide the proper zoning so that we have the proper tax base for Corona,” she told the 110th Council.
A number of elected officials have come out in support of the program, including Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson, Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, Rep. Joseph Crowley and members of the NYPD.
