When it comes to Roosevelt Island views, all are not created equal. Many are beautiful, but some are irretrievably ugly. Here’s a matched set.

By David Stone

The Roosevelt Island Daily News

Roosevelt Island Views: Reconstructed Shoreline in Southpoint Park

RIOC president/CEO said on October 28th that this was set to open within the next few weeks.

Unless your dream of a shoreline stroll includes randomly strewn piles of rocks were trees and brush once ruled, this expensive waste may be more irritating than pleasing. After all, if you live on Roosevelt Island, you paid for it. Involuntarily.

In perspective – what was torn out…

A perspective on what’s now gone (above) hardens the contrast.

The Matched Set, Part Two

Entering from the north, contrasted with Cornell Tech’s sloping meadows, is worse. Who came up with this plan? Who approved it?

Maybe a look at what was promised will prompt even more questions.

Roosevelt Island Views: What they promised…

Any resemblance to the reality at hand is purely coincidental.

More from the Roosevelt Island Daily News

• 
  Tuesday’s PSD blotter: noise calls, a harassment reportNovember 11, 2026
  RIOC’s Nov. 10 PSD blotter lists 15 incidents, all on Main Street, including four noise complaints, a harassment report and one hospital transport.
• 
  Queens Public Library Ransomware Attack: Digital Services Still DisruptedNovember 11, 2026
  The Queens Public Library ransomware attack continues to disrupt public computers, digital books and online services, with no confirmed restoration date.
• 
  A new RIOC appeals officer denied records on how its general counsel was hiredNovember 10, 2026
  A different RIOC appeals officer denied records on how RIOC hired general counsel Lance Polivy. RIOC’s internal deliberations on the hire stay withheld.
• 
  Monday’s PSD blotter: two hospital transports, two disputesNovember 10, 2026
  RIOC’s Nov. 9 PSD blotter lists 14 incidents, including four aided calls with two hospital transports and a verbal dispute at 750 Main Street that drew FDNY.
• 
  Flushing Spa Murder: Man Charged After Woman Found Stabbed to DeathNovember 10, 2026
  Flushing spa murder investigation leads to a murder charge against a 54-year-old man after a woman was found fatally stabbed in a Queens storefront.
• 
  Sunday’s blotter: four medical calls, three non-criminal investigationsNovember 9, 2026
  RIOC’s Nov. 8 PSD blotter lists 19 incidents, including four aided calls (two hospital transports) and three Investigation Non-Criminal entries at 465, 580 and 546 Main Street.

The Contractor RIOC Wasn’t Allowed to Remember

LiRo-Hill returned to RIOC’s panel despite earlier questions about its oversight. When directors challenged its inclusion, the explanation raised a new question about RIOC’s procurement rules.

Theo Gobblevelt Nov 6, 2026

Professor Lydia W. Tang recognized the name LiRo-Hill. During the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation’s September 10, 2026 board meeting, Chief Operating Officer Mary C. Cunneen presented eleven construction management firms recommended for contracts lasting up to six years.

Continue reading →