STATEN ISLAND — Borough President James Oddo earmarked $28 million for Staten Island projects including funding for schools, parks and new security cameras at a NYCHA building.
In this year's capital budget, Oddo allocated $9 million for schools around the borough, including $650,000 for engineering program software upgrades and $300,000 to upgrade the kitchen used by students at New Dorp High School.
“Since my days in the City Council, I have always made it a priority to provide as much funding as possible to our schools,” Oddo said.
“I always consult with our school principals to determine their needs through our Principals Roundtable events we hold periodically," he added. "The money going to our schools is funding that the principals have requested to help them better serve their students, and that they would not otherwise receive if we did not provide it.”
He also set aside $100,000 to install additional security cameras at P.S. 44.
The largest single allocation in the budget by Oddo is $5 million for the proposed, and long-delayed, Kroc Center at the former Bayley Seton Hospital.
The Salvation Army still needs additional funding to get its planned recreational facility and meeting center off the ground and Oddo previously said he hopes the former Bayley Seton book-ends an "innovation district" in the North Shore.
Oddo also allocated $6.7 million for various projects in parks across the borough, including $1.5 million to build a 5K trail in Wolfe's Pond Park. He also gave $2.25 million to fund two projects — the renovation of a soccer field and creation of two junior fields — that he split with former Councilman Vincent Ignizio.
“We want Staten Island to be an ‘island in motion’ to improve the health and wellness of all Staten Islanders,” Oddo said.
“This means we must invest in our parks facilities to improve them and encourage more Staten Islanders to take part in the various activities that take place in them.”
Oddo allocated $2 million to NYCHA housing on Staten Island, with $1.5 million to be used to install security cameras at the Todt Hill Houses.
Other funding Oddo included in his budget includes nearly $1.8 million for various cultural institutions in the borough — including Snug Harbor and Historic Richmond Town — $500,00 for Richmond University Medical Center to upgrade its operating room, $515,00 for Staten Island University Hospital for Breast Tomosynthesis technology and $400,000 to upgrade the elevators at the Port Richmond library.
