Mayor finally gives green light for
repairs to East River Esplanade
BY DEAN MOSES
Local elected offi cials hosted
a celebratory meeting on
Jan. 31 after Mayor Bill de
Blasio pledged to allocate $284
million to the NYC Parks Department
in order to make much
needed repairs to the East River
Esplanade.
As fi rst reported by amNewYork
Metro last week, de Blasio
designated $284 million to the
restoration of both the East River
Esplanade and Pier 107, which
has fallen into disrepair in recent
years. Sections of the esplanade
have broken off into the East
River while some safety railings
sit on nothing but empty air causing
growing safety concerns.
Community members, elected
offi cials, and the NYC Parks
Department have been striving
to see fi xes implemented for a
matter of years now and are overwhelmed
with excitement that
those promised improvements
are now within reach.
Congresswoman Carolyn B.
Maloney and City Council Member
Ben Kallos — both co-chairs
of the East River Esplanade Task
Force—and other offi cials are
applauding the Mayor and NYC
Parks department for a new
reconstruction commitment
There are numerous structural issues that have caused certain parts of the East River
Esplanade to be closed to the public.
following consistent advocation
for the betterment of the Uptown
to East Harlem green space.
On Sunday morning, Rep.
Maloney, Manhattan Borough
President Gale Brewer, Assembly
member Robert Rodriguez,
Kallos, members of Community
Board 8, Community Board 11,
and Friends of the East River Esplanade
gathered on 96th Street
and the FDR Drive to formally
celebrate the renovation commitment.
Several members of the
community also joined in the conference
to share their excitement
of the upcoming repairs.
“With New Yorkers doing our
part, wearing masks and social
distancing to prevent the spread
of COVID, open spaces and parks
in this area is so much more important
than ever. The East River
Esplanade offers a place to play
for all the children in our district:
a place to run, bike, and just enjoy
the outdoors,” Maloney said.
In August, Maloney and other
elected offi cials pushed to have
a sinkhole along the East 76th
Street FDR Drive walkway rectifi
ed. These sinkholes and other
FILE PHOTO
structural issues are popping up
along the East River Esplanade,
and with the newly allocated funds,
many are now hopeful to once
again be able to access the area.
Maloney shared that she is also
reaching out for a grant from the
United States Army Corps of
Engineers to conduct a study of
the whole East Side to pinpoint
problematic areas that need
repairs.
amNewYork Metro was granted
access to Pier 107 on Jan. 28th
by the NYC Park Department
where it is hoped the rusted and
deteriorating structure will once
again host the public after the
project is completed. Manhattan
Borough President Gale Brewer
and Assembly Member Robert
Rodriguez have spent several
years attempting to have the Esplanade
and Pier 107 fi xed. Both
offi cials were overjoyed to see the
Mayor allocate such a large investment
in the beautifi cation.
The community-led project
has been a beacon of hope for
those residing in the area, wishing
they can fi nd respite from the
hustle and bustle of the big city
within the scenic, riverside space
provided by the pier and its surrounding
walkways.
“Our esplanade is more important
than ever during this
pandemic,” said Kallos.
Kallos broke down the dispersal
of funds, stating that $187
million would be spent on fi xing
94th Street up to 107th Street on
top of $1 million that was already
allocated for irrigating the plants.
Additionally, $69 million will be
spent on repairs from 118th Street
to 124th Street, and $28 million
for Pier 107.
All of this does not include
funds that each of the elected offi -
cials have helped raise throughout
the years to try and salvage the
esplanade.
Probe continues in Harlem blaze that injured 17 firefighters
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
Seventeen fi refi ghters suffered minor
injuries while battling a four-alarm
inferno that engulfed two fl oors of
a Harlem apartment building on Saturday
morning, the Fire Department reported.
The blaze broke out at about 7:29 a.m.
on a frigid Jan. 30 inside the fi rst fl oor of
the six-story residential dwelling at 357
West 115th St.
According to the Fire Department, the
fl ames quickly extended from apartments
on the fi rst fl oor up to the second level.
That prompted the fi rst responding FDNY
units to call for additional help.
“Our fi rst units arrived in four minutes.
Upon arrival, they had an advanced fi re
on the fi rst fl oor of a six-story multiple
dwelling. The fi re quickly extended to all
fl oors all the way up to the top fl oor,” said
FDNY Chief of Fire Operations Thomas
Richardson.
Thirty-nine FDNY units with about 200
FDNY and EMS personnel responded to
the four-alarm inferno. No civilian injuries
were reported, and it’s unclear at this time
how many families were displaced by the
blaze.
“Firefi ghters operated as usual with
great determination, it took a while to
extinguish this fi re, but they did a great
job,” Richardson added.
The 17 injured fi refi ghters were taken to
local hospitals for treatment, according to
FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Christopher
Bilz.
The blaze was brought under control at
about 10:10 a.m., according to reports. The
FDNY marshals will determine its cause.
More than a dozen firefighters were injured while battling a four-alarm fire at
a Harlem apartment building on Jan. 30, 2021.
4 February 4, 2021 Schneps Media