Notoriously hostile to genuine community engagement, RIOC denied Roosevelt Islanders any role in its 9/11 Tribute. But a determined Residents Association president Rossana Ceruzzi refused to be shunted aside.
Ceruzzi placed flags around the 9/11 Memorial Tree, unassisted by RIOC.
Neither she nor any other resident was invited to participate in the official ceremony.
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The Line That Didn’t Land
I stood in the back of Good Shepherd Chapel on the evening of April 15, 2026, at the Steam Plant Demolition Town Hall, watching people adjust scarves and jackets before the meeting began. Benjamin Jones, President and CEO of RIOC, thanked us for attending and, without a pause, said he was “pleased to host tonight’s town hall on the city’s demolition of its steam plant.” The demolition, in other words, was not up for discussion.
