Seen from the Astoria ferry, the Roosevelt Island Bridge looks tired, but there’s this hint, this reminder of the vibrant way we were.

The Roosevelt Island Daily News

Hard to believe, but there was once a time when the state understood that Roosevelt Island was about the community. Back in the ’90s, we still had a red theme.

Seawall railings, the bridge, everything sported the passionate theme.

It’s all gone now, but look closely past the ugly purple or beet-colored paint they splashed on the bridge last time around. In guardrails visible in Motorgate, you see what’s left of the red.

That, if you can visualize it, is how the bridge was once colored.

It really looked great. It was us.

Then.

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The Budget Knew Before the “Emergency”

RIOC anticipated a $7 million Steam Plant demolition for 2015. Nine years later, New York City used emergency authority to carry it out.

Theo Gobblevelt Sep 25, 2026

The demolition began on paper long before the City invoked emergency authority to carry it out. In RIOC’s fiscal 2013-14 budget, the Corporation set aside $7 million for fiscal 2015 for the complete demolition and cleanup of the Roosevelt Island Steam Plant. RIOC called that figure its worst-case scenario, meaning the State corporation might be left responsible for the entire cost.

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