On June 10th 2021, Mayor de Blasio announced that Macy’s 4th of July fireworks return to the East River near Roosevelt Island. But RIOC dithering bottlenecks all plans for people hoping to see them.
By David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
UPDATE, June 28th 2021, 11:00 a.m.:
RIOC’s still silent, but the Roosevelt Island Daily learned that RIOC will allow for capacity control attendance in Southpoint Park as well as Four Freedoms. They will offer free tickets via the online system as they have in past years.
When that will happen is unknown, although they’re cutting the time very short with less than a week remaining.
End of Update
“We are finalizing the plan for the Fourth of July and should have the information to share next week,” wrote a state parks representative on June 11th.
And a week later, “We are coordinating with RIOC and anticipate having all the information to share next week.”
But that hasn’t happened, and RIOC, of course, has not told the community anything.
Will there be any 4th of July fireworks for Roosevelt Island?
We don’t know because everything centers around RIOC setting up access to and through Southpoint Park. At a recent committee meeting, RIOC president/CEO Shelton J. Haynes announced hopes for a new platform under construction in the park, maybe ready for the 4th.
It’s a minor feature, but it’s the only signal so far that the state agency is cognizant of the event.
And Haynes left for vacation, according to automated responses from his email address, without any plan in place. Some observers find his absence unimportant, though, as a consensus emerges that the president/CEO is little more than a figurehead with others running the business.
Badly.
Why RIOC’s getting something done matters…
Because access to all areas south of the Cornell Tech campus relies on RIOC arranging for entering Southpoint Park, nothing can happen without their plan. And they, apparently, ain’t got one.
Best viewing is from the grassy meadow in FDR Four Freedoms State Park, but you can’t get there without passing through Southpoint. Thus, RIOC bottlenecks everything, and their failure sours everyone else’s best intentions.
Conclusion:
Macy’s 4th of July fireworks will go on. That’s a given, but with just a week left before fiery explosions fill the sky over Roosevelt Island, there is no guarantee that anyone will watch them from anywhere south of Cornell Tech.
And no word from the absentee landlord who continues fumbling community management, unabated and unmanaged.
Also from the Roosevelt Island Daily
- Fall Prevention for Seniors: Make Your Apartment Safer, Nov. 20Fall prevention for seniors: Sen. Krueger’s Nov. 20 virtual roundtable tours a typical NYC apartment, with tips on landlord changes and balance. RSVP on Zoom.
- Thursday’s PSD blotter: two hospital runs, a trespass summons at 888 MainRIOC’s Nov. 12 PSD blotter lists 15 incidents: six medical calls, two alarms at 546 Main Street, and a late-night trespass at 888 Main Street that ended with a summons.
- Queens Home Prices and Rents Rise in October 2026 as Long Island City Condos Draw BuyersQueens home prices and rents rose in October 2026. See StreetEasy’s housing figures and Long Island City condo contract activity at Radiant and Vesta.
- Medicare Open Enrollment Ends Dec. 7: Get Answers on 2027 ChangesMedicare open enrollment ends Dec. 7. Sen. Krueger’s Nov. 16 virtual town hall covers 2027 premium, deductible and Part D changes, with a HIICAP expert’s Q&A.
- Wednesday’s PSD blotter: two medical calls, a water leak, a custody reportRIOC’s Nov. 11 PSD blotter lists 10 incidents, all on Main Street, including two medical calls at 555 Main Street, a water leak at 560 Main and a custody or visitation report.
Ten Years, or Another Temporary Fix?
Roosevelt Island was built through public investment, then expected to support itself through development. The ten-year lease extension gives RIOC a rare chance to replace short-term deals with a financial system designed to outlast the people approving them.
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