Results for Downtown and Battery Park City

Shelly at Rally Against School Overcrowding Lower Manhattan continues to recover from the attacks of 9/11. Working together, we have made giant strides over the last seven years. We found strength in each other's resilience and, like New York City itself, pulled our families and neighbors together to move forward putting our lives back together.

Serious issues remain. We must be vigilant about health issues and about rebuilding Ground Zero. And as our neighborhood grows, we must preserve the quality of public services for all of our families.

Meeting Post-9/11 Health Needs

From the first weeks after the tragic attacks of 9/11, Shelly has worked with his colleagues in government to meet the health needs of those who were involved in the rescue and recovery effort as well as those who lived, worked, volunteered or attended school close to the site. Within two months of the attacks, he held the first public hearing on post-9/11 air quality and public health in Lower Manhattan and successfully pressed for EPA funding to help families clean their homes. In an effort to meet the needs of those suffering from 9/11-related illnesses, Shelly helped the City to expand the WTC Environmental Health Centers by adding a new site at Gouverneur Hospital. And he has continued to press the federal government for funding for those now struggling with World Trade Center cough and related illnesses.

New Schools for Lower Manhattan

Our growing, changing neighborhoods need to keep up with the needs of young families and their children. That's why Shelly has been working hard to build outstanding new schools for our community, including:

Securing a site and the funding to build a much needed new school in Battery Park City at Site 2B -- the City's first "green" public grammar school, scheduled to open in 2010
Successfully advocating for the creation of the PS 234 annex, which provides 6 additional classrooms
Creating a new K-8 school, known as the Beekman School, near New York Downtown Hospital, which will serve over 600 children when it opens in September 2010
Obtaining a $2 million grant for the permanent downtown location of Millennium High School, the first non-citywide high school below 14th Street
Providing $750,000 toward a gym for Millenium High School

Leadership on School Overcrowding

Fighting against school overcrowding This year, until the completion of new schools that will accommodate over 1,500 children, Shelly formed a Task Force on overcrowding with PTA members and the principals of P.S. 234 and P.S. 89. The Task Force is charged with coming up with interim solutions to the overcrowding at both schools to ensure that the local schools can maintain high standards. While overcrowding will be relieved once new schools open, the Task Force is working to develop concrete short-term solutions to ensure children can, in the meantime, receive a high-quality education in their own neighborhood.

Protection for Tenants

Helping the tenants of Gateway Plaza Throughout lower Manhattan, Shelly is leading the fight to preserve the affordability of our homes. Shelly prevented rent increases at Gateway Plaza in 2005 by negotiating to extend rent stabilization protections through 2009 and enabling tenants to enter into long-term leases - and now he's working to extend those protections further into the future. He also helped tenants at 333 Rector Place in Battery Park City stay in their homes for several months during the condominium conversion process by facilitating talks between the tenants and the landlord and convincing the State Attorney General to intervene.

Rescue in Times of Need

Helping the tenants of 90 West Street cope with flooding At moments of crisis, Shelly has stepped up and delivered. Residents of 125 Cedar Street, a heavily damaged residential building adjacent to Ground Zero, honored Shelly for fighting to prevent the building from being condemned. And when 90 West Street flooded, Shelly helped ensure that repairs were made swiftly and that tenants were reimbursed for hotels and other expenses incurred as a result of the flood.

Less Noise, Better Quality of Life

The work of rebuilding Lower Manhattan is essential to our future, but it does not have to make our neighborhoods unlivable. Shelly has stood up for the quality of life in Battery Park City, defending residents from the noise of nearby construction and unnecessary congestion:

Shelly worked with local residents and community leaders to force the Port Authority to mitigate construction noise by providing reimbursement for soundproofing residential window units; quieter back-up alarms on construction vehicles; and negotiating reduced hours of operation for large rock-breaking construction equipment, especially at night.
Shelly also worked to get 175 commuter and tour buses off the already-busy streets of our community and out of sight into the Battery Tunnel Garage.

Recreational Areas and Open Space

Lower Manhattan has become one of the most desirable areas of the city to raise children because of the development of new recreational areas and waterfront space.

Shelly successfully helped the ‘temporary' ball fields in Battery Park City become permanent, working with Community Board 1, residents and other elected officials to reach an agreement with the Battery Park City Authority. He then led the community to consensus on a plan to upgrade the ballfields to safer synthetic turf.
After 25 years of discussion, Shelly guided the passage of the Hudson River Park Act, creating a public park on the Hudson River waterfront from Chambers Street to 59^th Street, including a 4 1/2 mile esplanade, ball fields, boating and docking facilities, entertainment areas, and wildlife habitat.
Shelly's work to improve the waterfront continued this year with the State Assembly passing funding for the reconstruction of Piers 25 and 26.
Shelly helped arrange for the funding that allowed Manhattan Youth to complete its new Downtown Community Center on Warren Street that houses a swimming pool, dance studio, artistic and meeting space and other facilities for young people and seniors.

New Resources for Lower Manhattan Hospitals

While fighting for universal health care statewide, Shelly has secured resources for the institutions that care for the sick in our own community, including a new MRI machine for New York Downtown Hospital and a new comprehensive health center for women and children at Gouverneur Hospital.

Pedestrian Safety

Shelly has worked to protect pedestrians in the neighborhood from traffic risks, including obtaining improved signage at Delury Plaza to make street crossing safer.

Materials for Libraries

Shelly believes that libraries are the gateway for learning and will continue the fight to ensure that our libraries are fully stocked and have the latest technology. He has fought and won for more resources to purchase new books and equipment for neighborhood libraries, including the New Amsterdam branch.