Roosevelt Island resident Matt Katz shares this message he sent
today to Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Shelton Haynes:
I visited Southpoint Park this past weekend and was appalled to see the new
benches located on the new east promenade walk.They are ugly, look uncomfortable and were placed bizarrely, facing, at one
point, the brick wall at Strecker Laboratory rather than the East Channel of
the East River.Clearly, no resident, no future user of the facility, was ever included in the
decision making for the project. There are several experienced resident
members of the RIOC board of directors, not to mention a Roosevelt Island
Residents Association, that could have been consulted should common sense been
lacking in the landscape architects hired for the project.It is not too late to reconsider the placement and nature of the seating and I
hope RIOC will do so before the benches are, literally, set in stone.
I took a look today too.
Roosevelt Island Historical Society (RIHS) President Judy Berdy agrees:
As I wrote in today’s
FROM THE ARCHIVES,
the new benches at Soutpointh Park should be put on a truck and hauled
away.The are ugly, do not sit more than one person, are too low, are not
accessible to disabled. GET THEM OFF THE ISLAND, or RiOC will be the
laughing stock of the City.
… RIOC WAS LEFT ON THEIR OWN TO MESS UP SOUTHPOINT PARK. THIS IS WHAT
HAPPENS WHEN EVERYONE WAS SUPPOSEDLY “WORKING FROM HOME.” AN PANDEMIC OF BAD
DESIGN.
I asked RIOC:
Why are new Southpoint Point shoreline renovations facing inside the park and not the East River?
Is there any seating facing the East River?
Will Rioc change benches so they face East River?
Will update if RIOC answers.
RIOC President Shelton Haynes’ Executive Assistant Aida Morales replied to Mr Katz:
Thank you for reaching out. Mr. Haynes and the team will review and provide an update very soon.
presented to the community for the Southpoint Park Shoreline project had benches facing the East River.