Activists discuss Renewable Rikers
Plan seeks to fi nd environmental solutions for affected communities
Dariella Rodriguez, director of community development, Point CDC,
speaks about Renewable Rikers Screenshot
State suspends liquor licenses from three Bronx bars
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,BTR AUGUST 7-13, 2020 3
BY JASON COHEN
As Rikers Island is set to
shutter in 2026, elected offi -
cials and activists are hoping
the land will be put to use that
will environmentally benefi t
the city.
Survivors of Rikers have demanded
that any future use of
the island help the communities
that have been most harmed by
mass criminalization, by environmental
injustice and by
disinvestment. Low-income
neighborhoods and communities
of color are often home to
“peaker” plants, waste transfer
stations and other polluting
infrastructure, which emit
particulate matter and other
toxins linked to respiratory illnesses
among others.
On July 29, a panel, “The
Case for Renewable Rikers:
Community Conversations”
(The Bronx) was held where
activists and survivors of Rikers
discussed what they want
to see done. The speakers included
Harvey Murphy, NYC
community organizer, Pamela
Villa, director of development
at BronxConnect, Ramona
Ferreyra, Bronx community
activist and Dariella Rodriguez,
director of community
development at Point CDC.
“We’re fi ghting for justice
in our communities,” said Harvey,
a Mott Haven resident who
was incarcerated at Rikers. “It
brings clarity to my heart to
know that Rikers is closing. As a
Rikers Island survivor, I fought
blood and tears for this.”
According to Harvey, a renewable
Rikers will improve
the quality of life in the south
Bronx and provide better jobs.
The Renewable Rikers Act
was introduced in the City
Council in 2019 and it has
three bills:
Requires New York City to
assess whether a new wastewater
treatment facility can be
constructed on Rikers Island,
as well as determine capacity
for organics processing and
how many gallons of wastewater
from surrounding areas can
be diverted there.
It transfers jurisdiction of
Rikers Island from the Department
of Correction to other
agencies for renewable infrastructure,
sustainability and
environmental purpose once
the jails close.
Requires New York City
to determine the feasibility of
what renewable energy sources
can be generated on Rikers Island,
as well as what of largescale
batteries to store the
power that can be built there.
In order for NYC to meet
its goal of quadrupling its solar
energy capacity by 2030, it
needs to locate numerous unshaded
rooftops or large open
spaces that could host these solar
installations. Spanning 413
acres, a newly available Rikers
Island would be perfect for
such a large-scale solar project.
CUNY Law School’s Center
for Urban Environmental Reform
hypothesized that using
just 100 acres of Rikers Island
for solar energy generation
and storage would justify beginning
to close peaker plants
located in environmental
justice communities.
Ferreyra of Mott Haven is
a staunch supporter of Renewable
Rikers. She explained
that 15 percent of Mott Haven
is below the poverty level
and a lot of the neighborhood
smells bad because of the waste
management plant.
“I know in Mott Haven, a
green space is our priority,”
Ferreyra stated. “I think the
Neighborhood Advisory Council
of Mott Haven has really
understood the opportunities
to be able to negotiate the
type of investment Mott Haven
would receive.”
She stressed that although
Rikers is part of Queens, the
majority of the people there
are from the Bronx and Brooklyn.
Like Harvey, she hopes
that when Rikers shutters,
it can be used to benefi t the
south Bronx.
“I think it’s imperative that
we start imagining what Rikers
can become,” she remarked.
With poor air quality in
the south Bronx, high asthma
rates and mass incarceration
of Bronxites, Rodriguez wondered
how how people can expect
to succeed. The hope is less
people will be locked up and
Renewable Rikers will create
more jobs and safer living conditions,
she said.
Rodriguez, a survivor of
Rikers, will always remember
the fi rst time she entered
it at 17. She stressed the need
for “retroactive justice” in
the communities.
“When I talk about Rikers, I
can smell it on me,” she said.
BY JENNA BAGCAL
Three bars and restaurants
in the Bronx had their liquor
licenses suspended at the
beginning of August for
“egregious violations” of the
governor’s pandemic-related
executive orders.
Governor Andrew Cuomo
announced that Shanghai Red
in Westchester Square, Crush
Bar and Lounge in Mount
Eden and Court Deli Restaurant
on East 161st Street were
subject to fi nes up to $10,000
per violation in addition to
their liquor license suspensions.
Following 945 compliance
checks led by State Police and
the State Liquor Authority
(SLA), Cuomo said that NYS
suspended a total of 11 liquor
licenses from establishments
across the city.
Between Aug. 2 and 3,
members of the task force visited
the three Bronx eateries
and found the following violations.
On Sunday, Aug. 2, investigators
observed three patrons
eating and drinking inside
Shanghai Red with two others
at the bar. Outside, “several”
patrons were standing
and drinking while “ignoring
social distancing guidelines.”
Investigators also saw
a server without a facial covering.
Also on Aug. 2, task force
investigators said that DJ
was playing music outside of
Crush Bar and Lounge, creating
a “nightclub-like atmosphere”
for the over 25 patrons
present. Most of the patrons
were also without mask and
were “partying, mingling and
drinking.”
Based on complaints of patrons
eating inside Court Deli
Restaurant on Monday, Aug.
3, investigators said that four
customers at two separate tables
were eating and drinking
inside the establishment.
They also observed evidence
of “other inside service.”
“New Yorkers crushed
the curve of the virus and
their actions have allowed us
to maintain a low infection
rate throughout our reopening,
but we must continue to
be smart and cautious, especially
as we watch cases rise
throughout the rest of the
country,” Cuomo said. “While
I commend the vast majority
of bar and restaurant owners
who have taken extraordinary
precautions and remained
vigilant during this
crisis, our top priority is protecting
public health and the
task force remains laser focused
on holding accountable
those who willfully violate
the law.”
To date, the task force has
charged and fi led 612 bars and
restaurants that have been in
violation of Cuomo’s executive
orders, with 38 of the establishments
located in the Bronx.
“These compliance details
are about protecting public
health and keeping people
safe, and the SLA will continue
to crack down on businesses
who fl out the law,
placing New Yorkers and our
continued economic re-opening
at risk,” said State Liquor
Authority Chair Vincent
Bradley.
Shanghai Red in Westchester Square Photo via Google Maps