Thanks to the efforts of City Council Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer, local community leaders, and concerned residents, the much-needed and long-awaited renovation project at our Queensbridge community center finally broke ground this past March. The project couldn’t have started sooner. Our seniors have expressed grievances over the state of the building for many years. The bathrooms have not been updated in over two decades, and the lack of air conditioning has been a major source of discomfort to the numerous seniors, families, and youth who use the center during the summer months.
On hand to celebrate the groundbreaking, and pictured above, were Mr. John Smith, Riis Settlement participant and Queensbridge resident; Christopher Hanway, Executive Director of Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement; Majority Leader Van Bramer; Carolyn Jasper, NYCHA Program Director; and April Simpson, President of the Queensbridge Tenant Association, among many others. “The residents of Queensbridge have waited for these improvements for far too long,” said Majority Leader Van Bramer. “The Jacob Riis Center is a community hub, and the youth, seniors, and residents of Queensbridge deserve a facility that works. I’m proud to stand with Queensbridge residents and break ground on this project at long last.”
“I know I speak for our entire board, staff and all the participants we serve here at Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement, when I say I am extremely grateful to Majority Leader Van Bramer for his tireless efforts to ensure that the project to equip the Queensbridge community center with air conditioning and fully functioning bathrooms got off the ground,” said Chris Hanway, Executive Director of Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement. “Majority Leader Van Bramer has long advocated on behalf of the NYCHA residents that Riis Settlement serves, and we look forward to having a new and improved community space that is inviting to all.”
In addition to securing funding for this project, Majority Leader Van Bramer successfully secured funding to restore the crumbling seawall and park house at Queensbridge Park, and worked closely with Mayor de Blasio to secure funding to repair the roofs of all 96 buildings within the Queensbridge Houses complex. Riis Settlement is extremely grateful to him for his unwavering support, and we thank him and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) for their commitment to ensuring a safe and comfortable community space for all the residents of Queensbridge.
