Brad Lander Announces Participatory Budgeting Winners

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — City Councilman Brad Lander on Saturday afternoon announced the winners of his district's participatory budgeting voting, which lets members of the community vote for how some money in the district gets spent.

Lander — whose district includes Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Park Slope, Gowanus, Windsor Terrace and Kensington (see a full district map here) — made the announcement at the Park Slope Library's new reading garden, which officially opened Saturday. The garden was a winning participatory budgeting project two years ago.

This year, Lander said, 7,156 votes were cast for projects in his district, more than double the previous record. These were the winning projects, as described by his website:

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Winning Capitol Projects:

CHiPS Mobile Showers for Homeless Neighbors
Category: Arts, Culture, & Community
Cost: $59,560
Description: The CHiPS soup kitchen will purchase a two-stall shower trailer that provides our neediest neighbors with access to hygiene.
Location: In front of CHiPS building, 200 4th Avenue

Bring Water to Thomas Cuite Park ("Froggy Park")
Category: Parks
Cost: $250,000
Description: Restore service to only water fountain in playground loved by locals & used heavily by 500 preschoolers from PS K280.
Location: 11th Ave & 19th Street, Windsor Terrace

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

Realtime Bus Arrival Info near Subway Stops
Category: Streets and Transit
Cost: $70,000
Location: Streets in Kensington, Gowanus, Borough Park

Fab Lab for MS 442 Project-Based STEM Learning
Category: Education
Cost: $200,000
Description: Wiring upgrade to support innovative FabLab with 3D printer, laser cutter, and other equipment to develop tech savvy kids
Location: MS 442, 500, 19th Street, Windsor Terrace

A/C for Sweltering PS230 Cafeteria
Category: Education
Cost: $300,000
Description: Large school seeks to make 3,400 sq-ft cafeteria bearable to enable year-round use as educational and community space.
Location: PS 230, 1 Albemarle Road, Kensington

Repavement of PS 130 Schoolyard
Category: Education
Cost: $500,000
Description: Yard in dire need of new pavement/drainage. Floods and ice are big safety issues. The yard is school's only gym space.
Location: PS 130, Lowerschool, 70 Ocean Pkwy, Kensington

Winning Expense Projects:

Tech for Immigrant Families & After-School Programs
Category: Arts, Culture, & Community
Cost: $16,000
Description: Help 100s of women, children, & immigrant families thrive! Upgrade the tech at local service org Imani house.
Location: Imani House, 76A 5th Avenue, Brooklyn

Creative Engagement for Alzheimer's Patients & Training for Caregivers
Category: Arts, Culture, & Community
Cost: $7,500
Description: Weekly visits from local artists to enrich the lives of elders with Alzheimer's & train caregivers.
Location: Cobble Hill Health Center 380, Henry St, Brooklyn, NY

Empower Immigrant Works by Supporting Local Cooperative
Category: Arts, Culture, & Community
Cost: $10,000
Description: Start-up support for co-op owned & operated by immigrant women dedicated to providing quality jobs & care.
Location: Hopewell Care Worker Cooperative Serving Carroll Gardens, Columbia Waterfront, & Gowanus

Talking about Race and Equity in District 15 School
Category: Education
Cost: $6,000
Description: 4 workshops led by Border Crossers will train educators and parents in strategies for addressing race and promoting equity.
Location: MS488/PS146, 610 Henry Street Carroll Gardens

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

Image via Marc Torrence, Patch