When we take an honest look at Main Street now, it’s cringe-worthy. Even the easy improvements get little notice, and as we pointed out yesterday, slipshod appearances surround the handful of solid businesses. We can do better, starting now, at very little expense.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
“I’ll never understand why Hudson Related & especially Island House, along with RIOC STILL cannot figure out how to improve the STILL neglected tree beds after all these years…”
That’s the message we got from a Roosevelt Islander troubled over years of neglect.
Here’s what Our reader is talking about…
Main Street Now – Unchanged
From the day Main Street opened on Roosevelt Island, tree beds and planters were in place, providing a means for beautifying with natural colors and designs.
But despite years of shaming and encouragement, RIOC has allowed the situation to worsen as it becomes permanent.
Except for whatever persuasion they can point at RIOC, neither Hudson-Related nor Island House have the authority to do anything. This is RIOC’s baby.
And it’s undernourished.
All over Manhattan, ugly, barren plots like these get blessings of winter vegetation, often colorful cauliflowers, but not here.
Along a Main Street desperate for foot traffic and business, a refusing ugliness prevails.
There are exceptions.
iDig2Learn
Environment-friendly iDig2Learn populates a handful of beds with wildflowers enhancing migration patterns for butterflies and other insects.
But in the dormant season of winter, RIOC allows them to look like this:
Even a simple sign like “Waiting for Our Springtime Pollinators” or some such would help, but even with the generous input of nonprofits, RIOC still doesn’t get it.
Finally…
Our reader added this…
“Perhaps you could add a carefully worded suggestion that this is an easily fixed condition. And someone could do something affordable and simple till spring…”
We agree, but will RIOC wake up in time? Are the deep thinkers too buried in lawsuits and investigations?
History suggests that nothing will happen, but maybe the new board members can sprinkle some pixie dust over the dinosaurs.
Who Does This?
At the June 18 meeting of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation’s Real Estate Development Advisory Committee, President and Chief Executive Officer B.J. Jones acknowledged that there had been no progress finding a tenant for the long-discussed medical space on Main Street. Hudson/Related Realty LLC had told him that filling the space, along with other vacant storefronts, was proving more difficult than expected.
They should have an adopt a planter/tree bed. A resident or group could adopt the space and be responsible for planting or decorating it throughout the year.
Really good idea.