Potential location of school (Parcel C)
Jan. 21, 2016 By Christian Murray
Mayor Bill de Blasio has set aside funds for three new schools in Long Island City, according to Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer.
The mayor released his 2017 preliminary budget today, which allocates $200 million for schools in Long Island City and Woodside.
Van Bramer said that the funds make provisions for three schools in Long Island City, with one in Woodside. He said two of the Long Island City schools will be elementary schools, with the third yet to be determined.
Van Bramer said that various agencies are zeroing in on possible Long Island City sites. He said that he spoke to Lorraine Grillo, President and CEO of the School Construction Authority, and the Mayor today about the need for schools.
“I told them the need is everywhere in Long Island City but clearly Hunters Point and Hunters Point South,” Van Bramer said.
Van Bramer said that one of the elementary schools is very likely to be built as part of the Hunters Point South development. He said that he is in discussions with TF Cornerstone, which is handling the next phase of the HPS development, about locating a school there.
He said TF Cornerstone would still provide the approximately 1,200 residential units that is part of its original design plan.
Van Bramer said the administration heard residents loud and clear in their demands for additional schools.
“Everyone in Long Island City has organized and raised their voices for years,” Van Bramer said.
Parents have circulated petitions demanding a school be included as part of the Hunters Point South developments. Furthermore, there are fears that the middle school at PS/IS 78 maybe phased out to make room for younger children.
Van Bramer said he has made it a priority getting schools to Long Island City.
“I have worked hard,” he said. “Every conversation in Long Island City involves new schools and this is why this happened.”
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10 Comments
Absolutely agree regarding a MIDDLE school! There will be close to enough elementary but no middle schools. Please lets all let Councilman Van Bramer and others know our thoughts. Our kids deserve it.
Very pleased to see the Mayor is listening to our concerns about the growing school-aged population in LIC/Sunnyside/Woodside. But in addition to these 2 elementary schools, we MUST have a new middle school in District 30. Preferably on the south side of Northern Blvd so kids are not crossing that very busy, and very dangerous street twice a day. Call Councilman Van Bramer and let’s keep the pressure on these planners. Our kids are relying on us!
Yes LIC needs schools. Even in our well established neighborhood of Woodside/Sunnyside Gardens, we’ve been asking/demanding and protesting for middle school. Our hoods are linked together. When they built Hunters Point Middle School, DOE said we can send our students there. In the 1980s, 1990s and again recent in 2014/2015 the fight continues again for us. I love living in our peaceful melting pot. When a natural disaster happens on the other side of the world, it affects our borough. Looking out & helping your neighbors is what makes America strong and amazing.
Transportation!
Building 3 schools in LIC is going to be just the first step to control the damage of neglecting explosive growth and massive zoning changes in last 5-10 years, bringing 100 000 new residents coming to this area. LIC is just one dramatic example how city planning repeatedly fails to calculate the need for adequate public school construction to follow residential growth. Once true crisis is created then small steps like this should not paralyse residents and parents – we need to remain vigilant and demand many more schools to be planned to be completed before 2020. Given the fact that most schools will be built on City land by lucrative benefits given to developers, 200 million dollars should go a long way – many more then 4 schools can be built for this amount of money. Therefore we should closely watch how this money is spent.
I also hope that if they do build a middle school it is south of northern boulevard. There has been some rumors of available land north of the boulevard. Try to imagine hundreds of middle school children crossing Northern Boulevard at 48th street or woodside avenue this coming Monday morning after the first blizzard of the year.
Lots of grade schools going up and more planned. BUT where will these children go after 6th Grade ??? Badly needed are Middle Schools in Woodside, Sunnyside and LIC
Chancellor wants to organize the schools to be PK to 5 or PK to 8. PS152q was truncated to be the PK to 5 model.
My wife and I started SunnysideWoodsideMSP on Facebook last year to try to raise interest in getting a middle school built in the area. I hope the money for the school in Woodside is for a middle school.
I’m sure if they happen to build an elementary or high school you’ll just take everything up and leave…