Millions Coming To LIC From NYC's 2022 Budget: Here's Where

LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS — The record-high $99 billion budget passed by the City Council in late June includes millions of dollars flowing to Long Island City.

Billed as a "recovery budget" by Mayor Bill de Blasio and Council Speaker Corey Johnson, the spending package for the 2022 fiscal year — which starts Oct. 1 of this year — was bolstered by billions of dollars in federal stimulus funds.

In addition to major citywide items, like $4 million for CUNY scholarships, the budget also includes smaller neighborhood funding allocated by Long Island City's City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer — who himself voted against the budget because of its $200 million allocation to the NYPD, but eventually praised the cultural allocations he earned.

"It [the budget] did not go far enough in re-envisioning public safety," Van Bramer said in a statement, adding that he is still proud of the funding for arts and libraries in the budget.

"Supporting artists and programs that result in better educational outcomes keeps young people from involvement in the justice system to begin with," he said.

Patch reviewed the two public budget documents and picked out some notable neighborhood funds going to Long Island City — here they are:

Over $5 million — with support from Speaker Johnson — to make the roof of MOMA PS1 fully accessible and to create new artist and community space.

$500,000 to repair a century-old flagpole that once stood in the middle of the Blissville Veterans Memorial, but was knocked down nearly 10 years ago by Superstorm Sandy. As promised, Van Bramer is replacing the flagpole because he said that the city's Department of Transportation has "shamefully... refused [to replace it] at every turn."

$500,000 to the Chocolate Factory, an artist-run organization, that will now own a new building debt-free with support from the city, as the New York Times reported.

A whopping 24 lines of the budget were devoted to funding projects at schools in District 26, including $75,000 to repairing the gym at Long Island City's MS 204.

$35,000 split between the Queensbridge, Ravenswood, and Woodside Tenant/Resident Associations.

$144,000 to the Central Astoria Local Development Coalition, some of which has been allocated for its community services — like graffiti removal and tenants rights workshops — with other money going to the popular waterfront movie and concert series. $40,000 specifically came from Van Bramer.

Van Bramer gave a handful of allocations to the East River Development Alliance's different programs:

• $10,000 to college and career access programs.
• $16,200 to senior services.
• $27,000 to Urban Upbound Community Revitalization, which support employment and income support services, financial counseling, and community revitalization efforts.

The budget also includes many smaller allocations of a few thousand dollars to neighborhood groups:

• Drag Queen Story Hour received $5,000 in funds to bring 10 new story hours to District 26.
• Make The Road NYC's TGNCIQ Justice Project received $5,000 to its programs that support transgender, gender nonconforming, intersex, and queer New Yorkers.
• $3,500 to the SculptureCenter, an award-winning contemporary arts museum.