A $12 million project is near completion in Rosedale to improve street conditions, alleviate flooding and upgrade infrastructure, according to the NYC Department of Design and Construction.
The project, which will be completed in spring, is one season ahead of schedule and is $1.36 million below the original budget. It is funded by the DDC and the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
It’s a $1.9 billion investment by the de Blasio Administration to build a comprehensive drainage system and alleviate flooding in neighborhoods throughout southeast Queens. The program, the largest of its kind, consists of 43 projects.
“Investing $1.9 billion to upgrade drainage in southeast Queens means there are shovels in the ground in many neighborhoods and we are pleased to report that we have completed our work in Rosedale one season ahead of schedule,” said DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza. “Thank you to our partners at DDC for bringing this project ahead of schedule and under budget.”
Work occurred on 27 individual blocks. Nearly one mile (5,265 feet) of new storm sewers and 115 feet of new combined sewers were added. An additional 2,050 feet of combined sewers were replaced over the length of the project to expand and upgrade drainage capacity. To better capture stormwater and direct it to the new storm sewers, 10 new catch basins were installed and 39 catch basins were replaced.
To improve the long-term reliability of the water delivery system, 425 feet of water mains were replaced. For increased access to the sewers and water mains, 57 new manholes were added and 22 manholes were replaced. Three accessways were newly installed on Brookville Boulevard in Conselyea Park and an accessway on Lakeview Boulevard in Baisley Pond Park was extended to give DEP better access to maintain the outfalls.
As part of the final street restoration, which will be completed in the spring when the weather is consistently 40 degrees or higher, 6,728 feet of roadway will be laid down with a two-inch overlay. Throughout the Conselyea Park area, 525 plants will be planted.
Local lawmakers commended the DDC and DEP’s efforts to improve the quality of life in the neighborhood with an upgraded infrastructure system.
“Rosedale residents have long dealt with chronic flooding on roadways and in their homes,” Senator Leroy Comrie said. “I commend Mayor de Blasio and Commissioners Grillo and Sapienza for not only making significant investments in infrastructure improvements in Rosedale, but also for getting the work done early. These enhancements will result in a higher quality of life for local residents.”
Councilman Donovan Richards said, “With every infrastructure project completed, southeast Queens gets closer to finally having the proper investment to address system flooding issues caused by the severe lack of stormwater infrastructure.”
According to DDC Commissioner Lorraine Grillo, the southeast Queens initiative is the largest investment of its kind by the city, and represents a major commitment to an area that has been historically underserved.
“There have been several recent projects to upgrade infrastructure in Rosedale, and we thank the community for their cooperation as the city works to alleviate flooding and improve streets in the neighborhood,” Grillo said.
To manage the needs of residents and businesses during construction, DDC has a full-time Community Construction Liaison (CCL) assigned to the project. CCL Rachel Zurita keeps the neighborhood appraised of construction progress, coordinates street closures and utility shut-offs and can arrange special requests such as deliveries to local homes and businesses. Ms. Zurita works on-site and is directly accessible to the public at 347-744-2524 or by email at brookvilleccl@gmail.com.
