Blog Claims Development Plans Afoot to Demolish BOTH Coler & Goldwater

Update 3:30pm - Fri Jan 30th

It was noted by the Roosevelt Islander in an email to me that the guys over at Smart Growth removed not only the above and below renditions but all mention of the project name "Transforming Roosevelt Island".

Update 5:28pm

According to Ben Cuddy at Smart Growth, their source is someone working directly on developing the TRI Project ("Transforming Roosevelt Island") and cannot be revealed at this time as "its still a work in progress". Cuddy promises to update his blog as time goes on.

According to RIOC President Stephen Shane there are no new plans that he knows of to develope these sites (per the Roosevelt Islander this evening).

Original Post

The blog "Smart Growth" is asserting today that a plan called "Transforming Roosevelt Island" is being developed to demolish both Coler and Goldwater Hospitals. The gist of the blog post asserts the plan makes no sense. According to Smart Growth, Coler would be rebuilt but both locations would involve the construction of a total of 2400 new residential units.

No source for the statement that the plan is cited nor for the source of the renderings posted on their site and here.

From all indications we as residents have from NYC and NYC the City is not actively looking at this and this issue was closed (for the moment).

Per Smart Growth:

The State is calling this scheme “Transforming Roosevelt Island”(TRI). However, anything the State has done in regards to transforming RI has been shortsighted, only looking to increase "the potential to achieve 'best value' and increased returns on public investment." Again, in this case the State is shortsighted. Before adding two more developments to the Island the State should fix the transportation situation, which still is a problem, and fix the defunct commercial leasing practice that has plagued the island for to long. What they should not do, which they are, is claiming that RI is a good transportation oriented development that would help knit Queens and Manhattan together. Anyone with knowledge of NYC knows that RI is not the best way to connect the two boroughs. Rather, improved subway and bus service would connect the two boroughs better than new developments on Roosevelt Island.