Who wants to spend a million in Queens?
The ballot with 30th Council District community projects to potentially get funded with $1 million from the participatory budget is now finalized, so voters can see exactly how much money the projects will cost and what each project will consist of.
Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley has released a “voter guide” for her constituents taking part in the second round of participatory budgeting in her district. There are nine projects on the ballot, with voters being able to pick the five projects they would most like to see funded.
Education upgrades have the most proposals on the ballot with five.
Grover Cleveland High School in Ridgewood and P.S./I.S. 87 in Middle Village are on the ballot to receive 15 SMART Boards each, which will allow for the integration of various technologies within the classroom to improve the learning experience of students. This project’s budget will be $250,000.
P.S./I.S. 49, P.S. 87, P.S./I.S. 119 and P.S. 153 are all on the ballot to receive laptop carts for their classrooms to make technology more accessible. This will cost $280,000.
Air conditioning renovations at I.S. 73 in Maspeth will purchase and install a ductless split air conditioning system to cool the cafeteria or auditorium in the school and will have a price tag of $350,000.
The fourth education project on the ballot is the updating and renovations of the bathrooms at P.S./I.S. 49, P.S. 09 and P.S. 88. This project would cost $420,000.
P.S. 71 and P.S. 153 are in the running to receive seat replacements in their auditoriums for $786,750.
Park renovations were a major concern of the communities, so three parks projects made it to the final ballot.
The swing area at both Reiff and Little Bush playgrounds could get a renovation of new metal bars, a new safety surface and fencing repairs. This project would cost $200,000.
Little Bush playground is on the ballot two more times, vying for renovations to its basketball courts, including new backboards, basketball hoops, a sports coating and a new fence; as well as a beautification project that will consist of horticultural renovations to beautify the playground and create a noise barrier between the playground and residential homes. The projects will cost $250,000 and $100,000 respectively.
The ninth project to make the final ballot would bring in new desktop computers along with equipment and furniture to the Ridgewood and Maspeth Public Libraries, with a price tag of $36,000.
To learn more about these projects and on how to register to vote in the participatory budgeting, check their website or attend the project expo to be held on Thursday, March 24, at 6 p.m. at the Ridgewood Library, located at 20-12 Madison St. Voting for the projects begins on March 26 and run through April 3.
