To those who weren’t affected, Sandy was a devastating disaster that came and went months ago. But those who lived it are still living it and still working to overcome the hardships it created every single day. Homes and buildings were torn asunder, public places were destroyed or damaged, and parks had beautiful landscaping ripped up from the ground. It wasn’t a pretty sight.
But work is ongoing to fix that. Battery Park City Authority is working hard to put things back to normal. The public benefit corporation has been instrumental in renewing and developing the community through public and private partnerships. Its mission is “to plan, create, coordinate and maintain a balanced community of commercial, residential, retail, and park space” within Battery Park City in Manhattan. Governor Cuomo and a board of directors, which includes Dennis Mehiel, Carl Mattone, Demetrios Boutris and several others, lead the organization.
On Tuesday, March 26th, Chairman and CEO Dennis Mehiel announced the Authority’s successful fulfillment of some major repair efforts. At Ball Fields, the entire turf was destroyed by a surge of foul water. But now the entire astro-turf field has been replaced and will soon be ready for play. The Opening Day ceremony will take place on April 7th for the Downtown Little League.
Asphalt Green, a nonprofit organization that provides sports and fitness programs to the Upper East Side community, had its entryway path badly damaged during Sandy. That, too has been repaired and the center will be back up and running for members by June 15th. In addition, Asphalt Green will be able to open its highly anticipated youth summer camp beginning June 27th this year.
“One of the hallmarks of the success of the Battery Park City Authority is the value it places on public/private sector partnerships. We certainly see evidence of that today,” said Mehiel in a statement. “And in keeping with our commitment to ensuring the best use of public funds through investing in the community, I am delighted that we have finalized the amendment. BPCA looks forward to the opening of the center and a long and successful partnership with Asphalt Green that will benefit Lower Manhattan.”