Dear BHA Community - We were extremely dismayed to learn that at yesterday's City Council budget hearing, the DOT reported a planned "shift" of $180.5 million in funding for repairs to the BQE out of the Fiscal 2023 budget, cutting the immediate funding from $225.1 million to $44.6 million. While the city would still provide a total of $1.5 billion in funding for repairs between the 2022 fiscal year and the 2031 fiscal year, we are shocked by the lack of urgency around these critical repairs. This morning we told NY1, "There is no possible justification to delay any of the emergency repairs DOT promised to undertake last August. The idea that the city isn’t doing everything in its power to prevent a predictable catastrophe is reckless and unconscionable. Anyone who questions the disastrous impact of salt and water corrosion on concrete and rebar need only look to the Surfside [collapse] in Florida.” As reminder, the Mayor's Expert Panel report (released in January 2020) found that the structure was in "dire condition", with many sections in need of "significant repairs and replacement" in order to remain safe by 2026. We appreciate the leadership of Council Member Lincoln Restler, who in yesterday's hearing pressed DOT to explain the surprising lack of urgency around these potentially life-saving repairs. The BHA, along with all of our partners in the Coalition for the BQE Transformation, expect that the city will follow through on its commitment to immediately undertake the necessary repairs to the Triple Cantilever. Just as important is our expectation that those repairs will provide the opportunity for the development of a transformative and sustainable plan for the long-term future of the BQE. We will update you again when we have more information. As always, thank you for your support. Best regards,
Lara Birnback Executive Director |