STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The future of Staten Island’s Franklin D. Roosevelt Boardwalk is now officially in the hands of the New York City Council.
Borough President Vito Fossella worked with Mayor Eric Adams to create a dedicated endowment for repairs and general maintenance to the boardwalk, including cleanliness.
The fund would receive $1 million the first year and $650,000 a year thereafter from the city’s budget.
The move comes on the heels of community outcry about the state of the 2.5-mile-long boardwalk, located between Fort Wadsworth and Miller Field.
Battling protruding nails, lifting wooden planks, holes, and other potentially dangerous conditions, the Advance/SILive.com interviewed some regular boardwalk-goers for their take on the state of the area.
“The boards are getting worse,” said an Ocean Breeze resident, who has walked the boardwalk for two decades. “My wife tripped and fell here last year. Her sunglasses broke and cut her eye.”
Residents like Phyllis S., of Grasmere, echoed similar worries: “It’s horrible. I have to walk with my head down because of all the nails and the lifted boards. Someone fell last week.”
To Councilman David Carr, a Republican representing Mid-Island, the push for continuous aid is a welcome sight.
“Funding for a Staten Island icon like the FDR Boardwalk is huge victory for the borough. With a budget now set aside for repairs both immediately and for the foreseeable future, the community can once again enjoy a neighborhood staple. Thank you to the mayor and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation for this early Christmas gift to Staten Islanders,” said Carr to the Advance/SILive.com.
At this time, it is unclear when the vote will take place in the City Council.