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Read the press release here.

Participatory Budget Season Kicks off in Chelsea and Hell's Kitchen

By Gwynne Hogan | September 29, 2015 5:05pm
 Last year during participatory budgeting the community residents won $200,000 funding towards building a new park on 20th Street.
Last year during participatory budgeting the community residents won $200,000 funding towards building a new park on 20th Street.
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Friends of 20th Street Park

CHELSEA — Looking to turn a fallow lot into a park, fix a cracked sidewalk or upgrade your local basketball courts?

City Council District 3, which includes Hell’s Kitchen, Chelsea, the West Village and parts of Flatiron, SoHo and the Upper West Side, just launched its second year of participatory budgeting that helps secure city funding for local projects.

People who live, work or go to school in the district can submit proposals for capital improvements to their neighborhood, advocate for their ideas as budget delegates, then vote to secure funding.

The whole process takes several months, and culminates with an expo in March, where the best ideas get to explain their proposals to the community, followed by a vote.

Last year was the first time District 3 did participatory budgeting and six projects won $1.2 million towards building a new park on 20th Street, upgrading Chelsea waterfront park, renovating two libraries and building raised pedestrian crosswalks among other projects.

"All the things that got funded were things I would not have though of on my own," said Councilman Corey Johnson, who represents District 4, at an information session Monday night. "It just wouldn't happen."

Once the funding is secured projects have to go through the different city agencies involved and take time to implement, up to five years, according to Johnson's aids. None of the projects that got funding last year have broken ground yet. 

At four upcoming meetings community members can volunteer ideas for capital projects and sign up to become budget delegates.

For more information visit Johnson's website.