Council Member Adrienne Adams (John McCarten/ NYC Council)
July 5, 2021 By Allie Griffin
A number of southeast Queens schools, parks and non-profit organizations will get an injection of cash stemming from the city’s newly-passed Fiscal Year 2022 budget.
Council District 28, which covers Jamaica, Richmond Hill, Rochdale Village, and South Ozone Park, will receive more than $26 million in capital funding from the city’s largest ever budget, Council Member Adrienne Adams announced Wednesday.
Adams and the majority of her colleagues voted to approve the $98.7 billion city budget — which was helped by a flood of $14 billion in federal aid — Wednesday. The budget passed with a vote of 39 to 6.
“With New York City on the road to recovery, the City Council passed a historic budget with significant investments that will help New Yorkers get back to work, live in safer and cleaner neighborhoods, and receive the programming and services they need to thrive,” Adams said in a statement.
She secured millions in funding for schools, youth programming, infrastructure improvements and senior services among other items in the district.
“I am incredibly proud to have secured over $26 million in capital funding for critical projects in District 28, a remarkable win for our community and all of the residents, youth, and seniors who will benefit from these investments,” Adams said. “By allocating hundreds of thousands of dollars for youth programming, infrastructure improvements, and senior services, we are meeting the needs of District 28 in this budget.”
In a major budget win for Southeast Queens, Adams secured $17.26 million in capital funding for District 28’s public schools, including $11 million for a brand new, state-of-the-art athletic field at August Martin High School; $1.5 million for a new public address (PA) system at PS 80; and $750,000 for an auditorium air conditioning unit at PS 96.
She also secured funding to improve local parks and playgrounds, including $5.7 million to renovate South Rochdale Playground and $1.45 million to complete the overhaul of Maurice Fitzgerald Playground in Richmond Hill.
Adams also earmarked $1 million for senior housing development and $109,000 for a new vehicle for the nonprofit Project Hope Charities.
Through her discretionary funding, she also allocated $325,500 for youth development and programming; $605,000 for environmental and infrastructure improvements; $153,000 for senior services; $100,000 for community development; $81,000 for public safety and $78,500 for legal services.
- As co-chair of the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus (BLAC), Adams advocated for and secured $4.25 million in foreclosure prevention programs across the city.
- She also helped secure $4 million for the CUNY Research Institutes Initiative, which includes $1 million for the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, $1 million for the Dominican Studies Institute at City College, the Haitian Studies Institute at Brooklyn College, and $1 million for the Jamie Lucero Mexican Studies Institute at Lehman College.
The BLAC also secured $10 million for the Education Equity Action Plan to create a comprehensive K-12 Black Studies Curriculum.
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