District 39 Participatory Budgeting: The Results Are In

District 39 Participatory Budgeting Project Expo at Camp Friendship in Park Slope, March 29, 2017 (Photo by Pamela Wong/BKLYNER)

The results are in for New York City’s Participatory Budgeting Cycle 6!

Council Member Brad Lander announced the seven winning capital projects and five winning programming/expense projects for District 39 (Borough Park, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Columbia Waterfront, Gowanus, Kensington, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace) Saturday at the Park Slope Library at 431 6th Avenue.

Lander hosted a ribbon-cutting at the Park Slope Library’s new reading circle/storytelling garden—a previous participatory budgeting project that was made possible through the process.

The 18 project proposals up for consideration this year were presented at a project expo held at Park Slope’s Camp Friendship on March 29.

More than 7,000 votes were received in Lander’s District—the most ever. The introduction of online voting this year made it easier for constituents to cast their votes for their favorite projects.

The seven District 39 PBNYC 2017 Winning Capital Projects are:

CHiPS Mobile Showers For Homeless Neighbors – The CHiPS soup kitchen will purchase a two-stall shower trailer to provide homeless neighbors access to hygiene. The project will receive $59,560 in funding.

Bring Water To Thomas Cuite Park (“Froggy Park”) – The playground’s only water-fountain will be restored for use by locals and 500 preschoolers from PS K280. The project will receive $250,000 in funding.

More Street Trees Throughout The District The planting of 35 trees with guards to provide shade and beautify neighborhoods, especially where few or no trees exist. The project will receive $70,000 in funding.

Realtime Bus Arrival Info Near Subway Stops Installation of countdown clocks at bus stops near subway exits. The project will receive $200,000 in funding for 8 clocks.

FabLab For MS 442 Project-Based STEM Learning Wiring upgrades to support innovative FabLab with a 3D printer, laser cutter, and other equipment to teach tech-savvy kids. The project will receive $200,000 in funding.

Air Conditioning For Sweltering PS 230 Cafeteria Installation of air conditioning to make the school’s 3,400-square-foot cafeteria comfortable and enable its year-round use as an educational and community space. The project will receive $300,000 in funding.

Repavement Of PS 130 Schoolyard The schoolyard will be repaved and receive a much-needed new drainage system. The project will receive $500,000 in funding.

The five District 39 PBNYC 2017 Winning Programming/Expense Projects are:

Tech For Immigrant Families & After-School Programs, Imani House
Upgrading the computers and tech at Imani House—a non-profit organization providing youth and family development programs. Imani House will receive $16,000 in funding.

Creative Engagement For Alzheimer’s Patients And Training for Caregivers, Cobble Hill Health Center
Local artists will visit elders with Alzheimer’s weekly and train caregivers. The program will receive $7,500 in funding.

Empower Immigrant Workers By Supporting Local Cooperative, Hopewell Care Worker Cooperative
Providing start-up support for a co-op owned & operated by immigrant women dedicated to providing quality jobs and care. The cooperative will receive $10,000 in funding.

Talking About Race And Equity In District 15 Schools, MS 448 and PS 146
Four (4) workshops led by Border Crossers will train educators and parents in strategies for addressing race and promoting equity. The project will receive $6,000 in funding.

#GOBK Bystander Intervention Trainings
Training by the Center for Anti-Violence Education will teach community members how to respond to increased harassment and hate crimes. #GOBK will receive $5,000 in funding.

Congratulations to the winning project teams!

If you need a reminder, below is a list of all the 18 project proposals that were on the District 39 ballot.

2017 District 39 Ballot

Capital Projects
(vote for 5—the winning projects will receive up to $1.5 million in funding)

Arts, Culture, & Community

Andi Hinnenkamp, Executive Assistant for CHiPS (left) presenting CHiPS Mobile Showers project

CHiPS Mobile Showers For Homeless Neighbors
Budget: $59,560
Location: In front of CHiPS building, 200 4th Avenue, Park Slope
The CHiPS soup kitchen will purchase a two-stall shower trailer that provides homeless neighbors with access to hygiene.

Education

Display for MS 442’s FabLab project

FabLab For MS 442 Project-Based STEM Learning
Budget: $200,000
Location: MS 442, 500 19th Street, Windsor Terrace
Wiring upgrade to support innovative FabLab with 3D printer, laser cutter, and other equipment to teach and develop tech-savvy kids.

Jill Reinier, Parent Coordinator at PS 230 presenting the Air Conditioning for PS 230 Cafeteria project

Air Conditioning For Sweltering PS 230 Cafeteria
Budget: $300,000
Location: PS 230, One Albemarle Road, Kensington
School seeks to make 3,400-square-foot cafeteria comfortable to enable year-round use as an educational and community space.

NYCPB39 Project Expo at Camp Friendship in Park Slope

Repavement Of PS 130 Schoolyard
Budget: $500,000
Location: PS130 Lower School, 70 Ocean Parkway, Kensington
Schoolyard in dire need of new pavement and drainage. Floods and ice are big safety issues. The yard is the school’s only gym space.

Environment

NYCPB39 Project Expo at Camp Friendship in Park Slope

More Street Trees Throughout The District
Budget: $70,000
Location: Streets in Kensington, Gowanus, and Borough Park
Add 35 trees with guards to provide shade and beautify to the neighborhoods, especially where few or no trees exist.

Parks

Renovate Beloved, Busy, And Bare-Bones Dog Run
Budget: $400,000
Location: Washington Park, near J.J. Byrne Playground, Park Slope
Upgrades include resurfacing, installation of benches, fencing, shade trees, and water for drinking and cleaning.

Install Quarter-Mile Markers On Prospect Park Drive
Budget: $60,000
Location: Along the East & West Drive in Prospect Park
Place distance markers every ¼ mile to serve runners and help visitors find landmarks in the park.

Bring Water To Thomas Cuite Park (“Froggy Park”)
Budget: $250,000
Location: 11th Avenue & 19th Street, Windsor Terrace
Restore service to the playground’s only water-fountain, loved by locals and used by 500 preschoolers from PS K280.

Streets & Transit

Realtime Bus Arrival Info Near Subway Stops
Budget: $200,000 for 8 clocks
Location: Near F, G R stops
Install countdown clocks at bus stops near subway exits.

Safer Street Crossing For Middle School Students
Budget: $524,000
Location: 5th Avenue and 4th Street, SE corner, Park Slope
Extend the curb between J.J. Byrne Playground and MS 51 for increased safety.

Programming Projects
(vote for 3—the winning projects will receive up to $50,000 in funding)

Arts, Culture, & Community

Bisi Ideraabdullah, Executive Director of Imani House presenting Tech for Immigrant Families & After-School Programs project

Tech For Immigrant Families & After-School Programs
Budget: $16,000
Location: Imani House, 76A 5th Avenue, Park Slope
Help hundreds of women, children, and immigrant families thrive! Upgrade the tech at Imani House, a non-profit organization providing youth and family development programs.

Sharing Theater Arts With Developmentally Disabled New Yorkers
Budget: $20,000
Location: Dream Street Theatre Company, Park Slope
Produce a storybook and videos by and for developmentally disabled New Yorkers.

Creative Engagement For Alzheimer’s Patients And Training for Caregivers
Budget: $7,500
Location: Cobble Hill Health Center, 380 Henry Street, Cobble Hill
Local artists will enrich the lives of elders with Alzheimer’s by visiting them weekly and training caregivers.

Start-up Support For New Tenant Union
Budget: $11,000
Location: Southwest Brooklyn Tenant Union, 201 Columbia Street, Columbia Waterfront
Provide tech equipment and bilingual outreach support to help tenants in southwest Brooklyn organize.

Members of the Hopewell Care Workers Cooperative and the Southwest Brooklyn Tenant Union (Photo courtesy of Manon Vergerio)

Empower Immigrant Workers By Supporting Local Cooperative
Budget:$10,000
Location: Hopewell Care Worker Cooperative Serving Carroll Gardens, Columbia Waterfront & Gowanus
Start-up support for co-op owned & operated by immigrant women dedicated to providing quality jobs and care.

Education

STEM Robotics Kits For PS 133 Science Club
Budget: $9,000
Location: PS 133, 610 Baltic Street, Park Slope
Provide PS 133, a Title 1 elementary school, with iPads and kits to design, build and operate their own robots!

Talking About Race And Equity In District 15 Schools
Budget: $6,000
Location: MS 448/PS 146, 610 Henry Street, Carroll Gardens
Four (4) workshops led by Border Crossers will train educators and parents in strategies for addressing race and promoting equity.

#GetOrganizedBK

#GOBK Bystander Intervention Trainings
Budget: $5,000
Location: #GOBK meetings
Trainings by the Center for Anti-Violence Education that will teach community members how to respond to increased harassment and hate crimes.