Proposed location
Dec. 17, 2015 By Jackie Strawbridge
In preparation for a new, $1 million dog run planned under the Triborough/RFK Bridge, City officials will collect design input and ideas from residents at a community meeting next month.
The dog run visioning session will take place at Bohemian Hall, 29-19 24th Ave., on Jan. 6 at 7 p.m., according to Councilman Costa Constantinides. Residents will be asked for input on the dog run as well as planned upgrades to adjacent space.
Constantinides said that some of the topics discussed could include separation of big and small dogs, where the water sources will be and what the surrounding fences will look like.
“It’s really going to take a lot of input,” he said. “We want people there to come in and roll up their sleeves and be prepared to explain how they envision this site to look.”
Many Astoria dog owners have been anticipating the new dog run since it was voted one of the winning items on Constantinides’ Participatory Budgeting ballot, securing $500,000 for the project. Subsequently, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz chipped in discretionary capital dollars, doubling funding to $1 million.
The dog run will sit at Triborough Lot C, at Hoyt Avenue between 23rd Street and 24th Street. Accoring to Constantinides, some of the money will also go towards upgrades to an adjacent basketball court and fencing, which will be discussed at the visioning session.
The visioning session is part of the Parks Department’s pre-design process. Once a design is nailed down, Constantinides estimated that the project will be complete after roughly two years.
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6 Comments
1 Million for a dog walk? WTF is happening to Astoria?
People voted on it. The people who put together the proposal worked hard to advocate for their cause, got out and voted for it, and had others do the same.
If you didn’t vote in the community budgeting ballot (open to all residents 16 and up who can prove neighborhood residency) then you have no right to complain. If you did vote and are still upset continue to be involve in community government and work for change that you align with.
Also the 1 million is to build AND maintain the space, and the cost is right along lines with other comparable city projects. The real problem is why does it cost so much to build anything on a public contract?
I’m glad, and excited, that they are involving the community in the design!
They should put more cops in the streets with that money cause the neighborhood is getting worse or help out the homeless, rather built a place to go walk your dog , take it around the block.
And they could have. But this money was voted upon by the community. Silly democracy.
They should put more cops in the neighborhood or help the homeless out or something else more important with that money rather fixing a place to go walk the dog.