CHELSEA — The Elliott-Chelsea Houses, a DeWitt Clinton Park staircase and four schools in Chelsea are among the sites that could secure public funds for improvements this year.
Between March 26 and April 3, residents living in City Council District 3 — which includes Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, the West Village and portions of the Upper West Side, SoHo and Flatiron — will be able to vote for 15 projects they feel should receive part of at least $1 million in funding allotted by Councilman Corey Johnson’s office.
It will be District 3’s second year taking part in the process, called participatory budgeting. Last year, the community voted to allocate a total of $1.2 million to six projects, including a long-sought-after 20th Street park, library renovations and upgrades to a Chelsea waterfront park.
“All of the things that got funded were things I would not have thought of on my own,” Johnson said at an information session in September.
Here are the 15 projects on District 3's ballot this year:
► $500,000 for new playground fencing, renovated walkways, and spruced-up gardens and grassy areas at the Elliott-Chelsea Houses at 425 W. 25th St.
► $500,000 to repair the “crumbling” southwest staircase at DeWitt Clinton Park at West 52nd Street and 11th Avenue.
► $250,000 to restore the historic field house and bathrooms at the Downing Street playground at 1 Downing St. and make them wheelchair accessible.
► $180,000 for new fitness units, safety surfacing, seating and drinking fountains at Chelsea Park at West 27th Street and 10th Avenue.
► $75,000 for a new A/V system in the P.S. 11 auditorium at 320 W. 21st St.
► $560,000 to repair the upper floor bathrooms at Lab M.S., Lab H.S. and Museum High at 333 W. 17th St.
► $300,000 to repair broken bleachers, fix a “difficult to operate” scoreboard, expand space and install aerobic activity flooring at Lab. M.S., Lab H.S. and Museum High.
► $300,000 to build a new library at City Knoll School at 425 W. 33rd St.
► $200,000 for a new green roof on the new 75 Morton School building.
► $100,000 for electronic boards with bus arrival information at five yet-to-be-determined bus stops throughout the district.
► $135,000 for two new turnstiles at the 50th Street C/E subway station.
► $500,000 to replace the HVAC cooling unit at the Muhlenberg Library at 209 W. 23rd St.
► $350,000 to repave the basketball court at Chelsea Park at West 27th St. and 10th Avenue, as well as install new hoop rims.
► $350,000 to renovate the basketball court and sidewalk at the Gertrude Kelly Playground at West 17th Street between Eighth and Ninth avenues.
► $100,000 to plant new trees and install tree guards on blocks that lack trees throughout the district.
Projects that receive funding will have to be reviewed and approved by various city agencies before they can proceed.
Residents can learn more about each of the projects at an expo and early voting event scheduled for March 22 at P.S. 340, 590 Sixth Ave.
Voting dates, hours and locations, and information about the budgeting process can be found on Johnson’s website.
Last year, the vote's winners were revealed about three weeks after voting ended, a spokesman for Johnson's office said Tuesday.
