By Gus Saltonstall
The results are in for this year’s cycle of Participatory Budgeting on the Upper West Side and in Morningside Heights.
This week, both Councilmembers Gale Brewer and Shaun Abreu announced the winning neighborhood projects that they will each allocate $1 million in city funds to through this year’s budget.
In recent months, community members submitted Participatory Budget project ideas for both District 6 and 7, which were then whittled down to a set of finalists and voted on by members of the district. The projects that got the most votes will now receive funding in the 2025 New York City budget.
Without further ado, here are the projects that got the green light.
Upper West Side District 6: Gale Brewer
Expanding our Green Canopy: $150,000
- Trees and tree guards will get planted and installed at various locations throughout District 6. Each tree that gets planted will have a tree guard installed along with it.
Electrical Upgrade at William Sherman P.S. 87: $250,000
- The project will fund an upgrade to the electrical system at the school on West 78th Street, between Columbus and Amsterdam. The school will use it to install air conditioning.
Upgrade Broadway, Assess Redesign of Intersection with Pedestrian Plaza: $200,000
- The project will further the Department of Transportation study of both the existing plaza at Broadway between West 70th and 72nd streets, and if it could be at all expanded within the space. Brewer’s office specified that that this study does not relate to the proposed West 71st Street e-bike charging hub.
Hydration Stations in Riverside Park between 54th and 96 streets: $375,000
- The funding will allow five new water fountains to be installed throughout Riverside Park.
Brewer added that the projects that did not receive enough votes to receive funding will remain part of her agenda moving forward.
Upper West Side/Morningside Heights District 7: Shaun Abreu
- Repair steps at 108th Street and Riverside Drive: $250,000
- New air conditioners in the Mott Hall II school gym: $500,000
- Beautification of Morningside Park: $150,000
- Tree planting throughout the Upper West Side’s Community Board 7: $100,000
“You have spoken — Participatory Budgeting results are in!” Abreu wrote on social media. “We will be beautifying our green spaces and upgrading our schools in Upper Manhattan. Thank you to all the volunteers, delegates, and residents who participated.”
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$75k per water fountain? Wow. For that much it should be a champagne fountain.
Not a water fountain, a Hydration station
Was it competitively bid?
Wondering…
When I voted at the table by the AMNH, I was told that I did not need to show ID and that anyone who “had an interest” in the neighborhood could vote…..
So basically that anyone from anywhere could vote.
Has this always been the case with PB?
Worse is that at any CB7 board meeting or committee meeting people who do not live or work are allowed to comment. Many are lobbyists for various groups. The recent street use workshops were filled with people who had absolutely no connection to our neighborhood.
It’s about time!!!!!
I hope everyone attends the meeting at CB7 this Monday early evening (6:30pm).
Park & Environment Committee
Mon, May 20, 6:30pm – 7:00pm
CB7
250 W 87th St, New York, NY 10024
• Discuss current priorities with Tricia Shimamura, Manhattan Borough Commissioner of Park’s
Only a career NYC politician like Brewer could be excited about spending $200k to “further a study.”
I also am wondering how a water fountain could cost $75,000. I’ll contact Gail Brewer’s office.
Continuing…re: the study of Broadway 70-72?
This is to pay for a DOT consultant?
Things I’d be curious about…
Why hasn’t DOT allowed the M5 bus stop to return to Broadway to co-locate with the M104 (M5 was moved years ago due to construction of Trader Joe’s and then further west due to TJ loading area).
Wide sidewalk 70th-71st seems to be “permanent” ebike parking and street vendor spot – is Gale Brewer expecting
to change this?
Is there something that Gale has in mind for 70th-72nd?
Perhaps WSR could followup with her?
Can someone please count for me how many times the 70th st intersection has been “redesigned”?
Prior to 2009/prior to Trader Joe’s the City had a plan to redesign the area.
The City implemented those changes but as they were planned before TJs (which impacted traffic significantly), it was still a mess.
There have been other”edits” since then.
Plus the M5 was supposed to be returned to Broadway and resume co-location with the M104.
Instead the City narrowed Broadway so there was no room for the M5.
The City has made things worse for bus riders.
All of these things are so overpriced. There should be competitive bids. We need trees, more lighting, more cameras, and more cops.
With the water fountains my guess is they are so expensive because they need to run water lines to wherever they’re installing them.
But $200k on a study on a plaza that already exists? When there are two very nearby parks for people to gather and sit in?
Does anyone know who we can ask about fixing the mess made by the car whose driver drove it down the steps at 106th and Riverside Drive? And was there ever a follow-up of that story which I’m pretty sure I learned about from this website?
Those are the steps at the Franz Sigel monument. Repair is underway, thanks to an anonymous donor. Apparently it was a joyriding teen in a stolen car, which is why insurance couldn’t be tapped to pay for it.
I will say this, the stairs at 108th st that lead down to the skate park are so dangerous. It’s a good use of $.
Just checking
PS 87 is just getting AC? Or is it an upgrade? Be cause when I attended in the 20tj century, it was fans only.
I would love to live on the upper west side
Nothing for Morningside Heights.
$500,000 for air conditioners for a school gym? i think this should be the dept. of education’s responsibility. this helps only people who use that gym. i would think the funds should go to projects where all could benefit!!!!!!