Councilman Barry Grodenchik will retire from office when his term ends in 2021, he announced Wednesday on social media.
Grodenchik said he will continue to serve the residents of eastern Queens until Dec. 31, 2021.
“Being a member of the Council has been, and will continue to be, a hallmark of my public service career, which extends back more than a generation,” Grodenchik said. “After much thought and reflection with family and friends, I have decided that it is time to put a period on this chapter of my life and retire from public service. At this time I especially thank the people of the 23rd Council District for the honor and trust they have twice placed in me.”
A lifelong Queens resident, Grodenchik grew up in NYCHA’s Pomonok Houses in Flushing, where he developed a deep understanding of the concerns that working and middle class families face in New York.
He was elected to the Council in November 2015 and reelected in 2017 representing the 23rd District Council in eastern Queens, which includes portions of Bayside, Queens, Bellerose, Douglaston, Floral Park, Fresh Meadows, Glen Oaks, Hollis, Hollis Hills, Holliswood, Jamaica Estates, Little Neck Oakland Gardens and Queens Village in Queens.
Since taking office, Grodenchik has helped to advance the cause of education, including the building of over 2,600 new school seats — nearly 900 of which are already open in three new schools, and three additions to existing schools.
“This represents a quarter-billion-dollar investment in the education of our young people; I have also secured nearly $20 million for new technology, covering every school in the district,” Grodenchik said.
Grodenchik’s efforts have also led to the restoration of three playgrounds with seven more on the way, and the Vanderbilt Long Island Motor Parkway which is receiving its first facelift in a generation.
For Grodenchik, it has been an honor to be a foremost advocate for feeding New Yorkers and enhancing funds for his district’s parks, he said.
The councilman said he has been privileged to work with giants such as Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the late former Queens Borough President Claire Shulman, and Assemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn helping hundreds of thousands of people and working with colleagues and staff to help millions more.
“I am incredibly proud of my outstanding team and the work they have done to help over 5,000 individual constituents with the myriad of issues that face New Yorkers every single day,” Grodenchik said. “We will continue to do this work over the next 14 months and continue to lead the recovery from COVID-19 in eastern Queens.”
