Diaz secures capital funds for Orchard Beach
conditions rendered it unsafe.
During the early years
of operation, the pavilion created
a carnival-like atmosphere,
with orchestras playing
dance music in front of
the pavilion and fi rework displays
launched from offshore
The $6.1 million in capital
funds that BP Diaz is adding
to the renovation of Orchard
Beach is on top of the $10 million
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Borough President Ruben
Diaz, Jr. announced that
his offi ce has invested an additional
$6,107,400 in capital
funds for the renovation of the
historic Orchard Beach Pavilion
and South Yard, as part of
his FY2020 capital budget allocations.
“Orchard Beach is one of
the jewels of not only our borough
but all of New York City,
and it has the potential to be
an even greater tourist attraction
thanks to this forthcoming
renovation. A revitalized
Orchard Beach will undoubtedly
attract visitors from all
over the region, if not the
world,” said Borough President
Diaz. “This investment
is part of our ongoing commitment
to our grand vision for a
new Orchard Beach, one that
will help ‘The Bronx Riviera’
grow as both an economic engine
for our borough as well as
a destination point for visitors
from across the region.”
Orchard Beach is the
Bronx’ only public beach and
draws visitors from across
the city, seeing 1.9 million total
visitors in 2017. Its pavilion
has been closed to the public
since 2007, when deteriorated
on Chimney Island.
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he allocated in FY2017 for
the historical venue. Mayor
de Blasio has contributed $20
million in capital funding towards
the project, and both
Governor Cuomo and Assembly
Speaker Carl Heastie have
contributed $10 million in
funding each.
Diaz believes that, when renovated
and reopened, the Orchard
Beach Pavilion will once
again become an amenity to
thousands of beachgoers. Currently,
Orchard Beach serves
as the home to the annual ‘New
York Salutes America’ boardwalk
festival and fi reworks extravaganza,
the ‘Hoops in the
Sun’ basketball tournament,
as well as The Bronx Summer
Concert Series.
The borough president
hosts the concert series each
Sunday, from July through
August, featuring a wide-variety
of artists, including local
solo artists and dance
teams. This year’s concert series
lineup includes (subject to
change):
• Sunday, July 28: Raulín
Rosendo and Merengue Dorado
Band;
• Sunday, August 4: The
Nelson Gonzalez All Star
Band and Conjunto Clasico;
• Sunday, August 11: The
Mambo Legends Orchestra;
• Sunday, August 18: Tipica
73 and Hector Tricoche; and
• Sunday, August 25: Andy
Montañez and Funk Salsa Urban.
“Orchard Beach is not just
a Bronx beach, Orchard Beach
is for the entire city,” said
Diaz. “We have so many great
events, based out of Orchard
Beach, that bond our community.
But there is also so much
untapped potential for Orchard
Beach. Our investment
will allow for us to be able to
build fi rst-rate concessions,
top notch performance spaces
and the ability to host even
more top-notch events. Renovation
of Orchard Beach will
allow the area to evolve into
the economic engine it once
was and could be once again.”
Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. with youth group at Orchard Beach. Photo courtesy of the Borough President’s offi ce
Virtual reality adventure
to open at Empire Outlets
A new, state-of-the-art motion-based
virtual reality attraction is coming to
Empire Outlets—New York’s fi rst and
only outlet center—and it will come
equipped with a thrilling simulation to
honor the 50th anniversary of the historic
Apollo 11 mission launch. Pulseworks,
an industry leader in immersive
entertainment offerings and the company
behind the installation, has developed
an Apollo 11 simulation that just
launched at the Smithsonian National
Air & Space Museum, and it will make
its New York debut at Virtual Rush:
New York at Empire Outlets. The attraction
will open in late July.
Virtual Rush: New York will be a
groundbreaking motion-based VR adventure
with 4D-effects that will range
beyond the thrilling new Apollo 11
simulation. Visitors can experience
the thrill of fl ight, underwater exploration,
interstellar travel and other incredible
happenings through unforgettable
fi rst-person voyages. Pulseworks
has installed similar attractions at major
national destinations including the
Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum,
Space Center Houston and Navy
Pier in Chicago among others.
Visitors to Virtual Rush: New York
will be seated on board one of the Pulseworks
VR Transporter motion platforms
and don a special high-tech VR
head-mounted display. This innovative
technology allows users to look in any
direction and to interact and perceive
their adventure in their own unique
way. Meanwhile, the dynamic motion
platform propels them to new heights of
immersion and excitement. Special 4Deffects
add an acute sense of realism by
marrying the visuals with other cognitive
inputs, resulting in a jaw-dropping,
thrilling experience.
“Empire Outlets has already established
itself as New York City’s latest
can’t miss attraction, and now we are
taking that experience to the next level,”
said Joseph Ferrara, principal of BFC
Partners, developer of Empire Outlets.
“We are thrilled to partner with Pulseworks
as we continue to make every
visit to Empire Outlets a truly unique
and unforgettable experience.”
“There’s nothing like Virtual Rush
here in New York and we could not be
more excited to bring this thrilling experience
to Staten Island,” said Travis
Noyes, Senior Vice President, Marketing
at Empire Outlets. “
For more information about Empire
Outlets, visit www.empireoutletsnyc.
com. Find them on Twitter @EmpireOutlets
and on Instagram at @empireoutlets.
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