UPTOWN — Marble Hill Playground, the Dyckman Houses basketball courts and JHS 143 are just a few of the projects and sites vying to secure public funds for improvements this year.
From March 26 to April 3, Uptown residents will be able to vote at 10 different locations throughout Washington Heights and Inwood for 13 community projects they think should receive part of $1 million in funding from Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez’s office.
The process, called participatory budgeting, "helps make budget decisions clear and accessible and gives real power to the people who have never before been involved in the political process," Rodriguez said in a Facebook post.
Last year was the first time Council District 10 participated in the process under Rodriguez’s tenure and resulted in funding wins for parks and schools. The construction of an outdoor fitness area in the Dyckman Fields of Inwood Hill Park received the most votes, followed by several projects in Highbridge Park and local schools.
This year's projects include a mix of upgrading and building new facilities for schools, playgrounds, housing and transportation.
The options locals can vote for are:
► $500,000 to improve safety measures in "outdated and dangerous" Marble Hill Playground at 5360 Broadway, near 225th Street.
► $500,000 to upgrade the the Dyckman Houses basketball facility at 215 Nagle Ave. by creating opportunities for scholarships and scouts.
► $350,000 to update "safety surfacing" and structures at the Dyckman Houses Playground at 215 Nagle Ave.
► $300,000 to build the first recording studio at JHS 143 at 515 W. 182nd St.
► $400,000 to install a central air conditioning unit for the Salome Ureña Campus' auditorium and cafeteria at 4600 Broadway in Inwood.
► $225,000 to provide laptops and laptop carts for 600 low-income middle school and high school students from M.S. 293 on 196th St.
► $350,000 to support the science and media labs for the District 6 STEAM Center on Hillside Avenue and Ellwood St. in Inwood.
► $250,000 to create a free outdoor fitness facility for youth and people of all ages on West 173rd Street between Haven and Fort Washington avenues.
► $485,000 to renovate the Sunken Playground on West 167th Street and Edgecombe Avenue by adding exercise equipment, repainting the basketball courts and repairing the stairs.
► $320,000 to "ensure the quality and safety of bus stops" by adding flexible concrete under paved roads. The Department of Transportation will determine the locations.
► $200,000 to add bus countdown clocks. The Department of Transportation will determine the locations.
► $400,000 to upgrade the bleachers, fitness center and locker rooms at the WHEELS/I.S. 143 Athletic Facility at 511 W. 182nd St.
► $500,000 to add new ground padding and two new play structures to the P.S. 152/M.S. 178 playground at 93 Nagle Ave. in Inwood.
Rodriguez is hosting an event to explain the process and thr projects are on the ballot on Saturday, March 26, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Our Saviour's Atonement, 178 Bennett Ave. in Washington Heights.
For more information, visit the PBNYC website, text “PB10” to 212-676- 8384, or email pbnyc@council.nyc.gov.
