We won’t know the results of the presidential primaries in New York for several hours, but the results of another election have been announced.
Residents in neighborhoods such as Astoria, Long Island City and Sunnyside cast their votes for several projects in the participatory budgeting process from March 26 through April 3. Councilmen Costa Constantinides and Jimmy Van Bramer announced yesterday the winning projects for their districts.
In District 22, which encompasses Astoria, parts of Woodside, East Elmhurst and Jackson Heights, residents voted most enthusiastically for a water fountain project in Astoria Park. With 709 votes, Constantinides will put $500,000 toward repairing and installing water fountains within the park.
Another project slated for the park is the installation of gaming and picnic tables. The $250,000 project received 704 votes and the Astoria community will be able to choose the locations of the tables at a later date, a spokesperson for the councilman said.
A total of 24 real-time bus countdown clocks will be installed on the M60, Q18, Q19, Q33, Q47, Q69, Q101, Q102, Q103 and Q104 bus lines. Each clock will cost $20,000, and 682 residents voted for the project.
Boluva Park in East Elmhurst will receive $400,000 worth of upgrades to the fitness equipment and handball courts.
“I’m very pleased by the enthusiasm that the community showed during this year’s participatory budgeting process,” Constantinides said in a statement. “The district has spoken, and we can see that residents value our parks and green spaces, as well as public transportation. Seeing all the efforts from our budget delegates and volunteers shows that participatory budgeting is democracy in action.”
In the 26th City Council District, Van Bramer’s constituents overwhelmingly voted for a special needs playground for P4 at Skillman, a school serving kindergarten through eighth grades. The project, a sensory playground that will cater to students with autism, received 1,437 votes and will cost $250,000.
Van Bramer also announced that he will allocate an additional $800,000 to the $1 million already pledged so that all of these projects can be completed.
The playground at P.S. 112 in Dutch Kills will receive a $500,000 renovation and P.S. 111 in Long Island City will receive $100,000 in bathroom repairs.
Basketball courts in Ravenswood and Queensbridge Houses will receive $350,000 each in repairs after 891 residents voted for the project.
Constituents also voted to upgrade pedestrian safety in Dutch Kills with the installation of bus bulbs on 31st Street at 36th and 39th avenues — a $300,000 project that garnered 888 votes.
“Residents came together and said loud and clear how they wanted to spend our city’s money, and every project they chose is a fantastic investment in our community,” Van Bramer said. “From school playgrounds and new basketball courts to bathroom upgrades and pedestrian safety, I’m sure these projects will make our community a better and more vibrant place to live.”
