De La Rosa asks EDC to restudy Inwood ferry service
De La Rosa describes the Inwood rezoning, Dyckman Marina closure, and lack of ferry service; Wong says EDC is looking with fresh eyes at Upper Manhattan sites.
Councilmember De La Rosa.
Thank you, and thank you for the opportunity to also have the meeting before the hearing to talk about Inwood, but I'm going to talk about Inwood.
You know, our community went through a rezoning process that was led by EDC.
I was not the council member, but I had the unfortunate pleasure of being the chief of staff.
And it was a very, very controversial rezoning.
But there were some bright spots in that rezoning.
And one of those bright spots was this idea that Northern Manhattan, for the first time, would be a waterfront community, given that we have both the East River and the Hudson River.
And, you know, as part of that conversation, the city made an investment to the Degman Marina.
And, you know, as we have.
have these conversations about the future of waterfront, right?
It is disheartening and it feels incomplete to not include Upper Manhattan in part of the vision.
You know, we are taking in more residents because of the rezoning and because of other development that is happening in the city.
And the infrastructure investments have come in through the rezoning, but haven't materialized, right?
Right now, the Dyckman Marina is closed for two years while construction happens there.
And so our community has to live through that closure and the challenges that come with the closure, but it feels like we're not getting our bang for the buck.
buck, right, because we're not getting this ferry service.
I understand that a study was already done for Inwood.
I will say to you, it's a new day.
We have a new mayor, we have a new EDC administration, and we have a new city council and a new vision.
So a study that happened 10 years ago feels outdated to our community, especially after the pandemic, where New Yorkers'relationship to the subways have changed,
where our desire to be enclosed underground has changed.
We've seen, for example, in Soundview, a neighboring community, how the ferry has really transformed the experience of that community.
And what we're asking for is for the vision, as you all put together this vision, for our communities to be considered.
So one question that I have for you is, as you're putting together the updated vision, is there an opportunity for communities that have already been studied 10 years ago to be restudied?