On Thursday, April 26th, Borough President James S. Oddo attended the groundbreaking for the reconstruction of the cross-country running trail at Clove Lakes Park with NYC Parks Staten Island Borough Commissioner Lynda Ricciardone and Assemblyman Michael Cusick.
 
The reconstruction for the state-of-the-art trail will include improvements to drainage, improvements to surface material and edging. Additions also include distance markers as well as a new start/finish line.
 
“We want Staten Islanders to have top of the line amenities, and that is what they will get with the reconstruction of these trails,” said BP Oddo. “The running community in this borough is active, engaged, and an integral part of Staten Island. When this work is completed, I hope to see Islanders of all ages taking advantage of this remarkable corner of Staten Island.”
 
The $1.9 million project was funded by Mayor Bill de Blasio and BP Oddo, with $1.5 million of the funding coming from BP Oddo’s FY 2015 capital budget. The project is expected to be completed in March 2020. 

On Thursday, April 5th, Deputy BP Ed Burke joined Council Member Steven Matteo and representatives from the Parks Department to break ground on the reconstruction of the New Dorp Beach Friendship Club. The first floor of the building, which was badly damaged during Sandy, is undergoing a full $2.1 million renovation.
 
This project will reconstruct the interior of the first floor. Its restoration will include a remodeled kitchen so that daily meal service at the center may resume. Additionally, the first floor renovations will accommodate space for members to enjoy recreational activities.

Throughout the process, BP Oddo and Council Member Matteo pushed the administration to rebuild the facility. They also allocated the final funding for the new kitchen, which allowed the project to move forward.
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“When this project was dead, they revived it; when this project was delayed, they expedited it; and when the project was underfunded, they put more money in it,” Deputy BP Ed Burke said about BP Oddo and Council Member Matteo's dedicated to the project. “This will be a great place for friendships to form and continue. We’re looking forward to the return of the Friendship Club.”
 
“The damage to the New Dorp Community Center caused by Super Storm Sandy took away a sanctuary for seniors in this community,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver. “We took a step forward as we broke ground to reconstruct and restore this space so that its members can once again find much needed meals and companionship here.”
 
Additional funding was provided by the Mayor’s office and FEMA. The project is expected to be completed in September of 2019.

On Sunday, January 28th, BP Oddo hosted his annual Direct Connect Sunday at the Petrides School. Visitors were able to address BP Oddo and his staff directly with their quality-of-life issues, as well as check out detailed displays about plans and initiatives rolled out during 2017, including our agenda for 2018. Some of the topics covered include overdevelopment, infrastructure, transportation, education, and health and wellness.

We welcomed over 250 people at the event. Forty city agencies, cultural organizations, and local groups were in attendance to talk about their services and answer questions.

“When I took office in 2014, we threw the doors of Borough Hall open to welcome the public in,” said BP Oddo. “We continue to build on that concept by bringing our annual open house to new locations and inviting groups from the community to talk about their work. This event gave Staten Islanders a chance to come and learn more about what we’ve worked on during our first term and see our plans for the future, as well as get help with their concerns and become a little more involved in their community. Thank you to all the organizations who participated and all who attended.”

If you were not able to attend the event, click here to see our informational boards, which contain an overview of the initiatives we are tackling now. 

On Tuesday, December 12, BP Oddo joined with NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, Staten Island Parks Commissioner Lynda Ricciardone, DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza, NY State Senator Andrew Lanza, Assembly Member Ron Castorina, NYC Council Members Joseph Borelli and Steve Matteo, Community Board 3, and other community members to cut the ribbon on Brookfield Park and celebrate the completed landfill-to-park transformation.
 
After years of closure and capping work by DEP to the previous landfill site, the 285-acre property has officially been transferred to the NYC Parks Department. This acquisition brings the City’s total parkland to more than 30,000 acres, a historic milestone.
 
“The community really stepped up here,” said BP Oddo. “Today is a good day and this is a positive, but we have to remember the wrong that was done at this site. It is a reminder to be ever vigilant to make sure we never let it happen again.”
 
This $256.4 million transformation began in 2010, with $156.4 million from DEP and $100 million from NYS DEC.

On Thursday, October 19th, BP Oddo joined with City Council Member Joe Borelli, NYSDOT Regional Director Sonia Pichardo and other NYSDOT officials to announce the completion of the new sidewalks on Drumgoole Road West between Lenevar Avenue and Bloomingdale Road.

Since the completion of Bloomingdale Park, a glaring omission has been the lack of sidewalks along the service road. The completion of this decade-long project has been much anticipated. After a meeting at Borough Hall in the summer of 2016, New York State DOT agreed to build the sidewalks to make this area safer. 

The project began in June and is now complete. This sidewalk will aid access to Bloomingdale Park and improve safety for Staten Islanders.

"The Governor and State DOT are 'walking the walk' on this much needed safety improvement, and now Staten Islanders can walk more safely,” said Borough President Jim Oddo. “They heard our plea for assistance and they acted, and their action will directly help seniors, runners and cyclists, those pushing baby strollers, and everyday Staten Islanders out for a stroll to the park. Thank you for 'doing' and helping!"

"Increasing New Yorkers' mobility and ease of travel is a top priority of this administration," Governor Andrew Cuomo said. "Projects like the sidewalk upgrades on Staten Island are key to improving the safety for both pedestrians and motorists, and by making it easier for residents to walk, run and bike, we are improving the quality of life for all Staten Islanders."
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This sidewalk construction was part of the State’s $5.4 million project to make safety improvements and ease traffic flow at the parkway’s interchange.

On Tuesday, July 18th, BP James Oddo joined with Council Member Joe Borelli and Borough Parks Commissioner Lynda Ricciardone to announce the allocation of $4 million in taxpayer money for a sensory playground at Prescott Playground in Huguenot.  BP Oddo allocated $3.9 million, and Council Member Borelli allocated $100,000 for the project.

A sensory play area provides opportunities for all children, including those with autism spectrum disorder and sensory processing disorder, to develop physical coordination, social skills, and imaginative play behaviors in a shared, peer-play setting.

Some of the examples of play structures that can be included are: sand and water play for tactile stimulation, bright and patterned shapes for visual, talk tubes and musical play panels for auditory, play equipment such as swings and roller tables for cognitive awareness of movement and behavior, and balance walkers or climbers for focus on balance and special orientation.
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“We want to see all of Staten Island enjoying our parks, and we want all of our kids with varying degrees of abilities to enjoy our parks,” said BP Oddo. “I think this is a statement on our values that we want to get this playground built.”
 
"Prescott Playground is the perfect spot for this sensory playground because it's in a quiet area," noted Parks Commissioner Ricciardone.
 
BP Oddo plans to form a working group from the special needs community to assist during the playground’s design phase.

​On Sunday, May 21st , BP Oddo hosted Kids Day at the Carousel in Willowbrook Park. Kids and their families got to ride the Carousel for all Children for free. In addition, the event featured inflatable attractions, chalk art, crafts, photo spots and music.
 
The Staten Island Zoo presented animals from their educational unit, and the NYPL hosted story time for the younger children. Additional sponsors included Barnes & Noble and Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC. Over a thousand people attended the event.
 
“It’s great to see families out enjoying a day in the park together,” noted BP Oddo.

​BP Oddo will host “Kids Day at the Carousel,” a free event for children and their families, on Sunday, May 21st from 11AM to 5 PM. 

Rides on the Carousel for all Children will be sponsored by the Borough President. In addition to free carousel rides, the event will feature inflatable attractions, chalk art, crafts, photo spots and music. The Staten Island Zoo will present animals from their educational unit from 12-3pm. The New York Public Library will host story time at 1:30pm.

​“We are excited to host this fun new event at the Carousel this spring,” said BP Oddo. “We invite all Staten Island families to come out to Willowbrook Park for a fun day that kids of all ages will enjoy.”

The event is co-sponsored by Barnes & Noble, Big Brother Big Sisters of New York City, the New York Public Library and the Staten Island Zoo.