Ugly UES Construction Site To Get Artsy Makeover By Local Students

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A torn-up street that has blighted several Upper East Side blocks for nearly seven years will soon get a little less ugly, thanks to the artistic efforts of some local kids.

Since November 2015, stretches of York Avenue between East 61st and 63rd streets have been ripped open and surrounded by unsightly construction fencing as part of a sewer and water main repair project by the city.

Initially slated to wrap up by 2017, delays have caused the work to drag on since then, with anticipated completion still two years in the future. In recent months, "many constituents" have asked City Councilmember Julie Menin to help speed up the work and ease the eyesore, her office said.

Now, Menin says a short-term solution is in sight: the lawmaker has enlisted around 50 fifth-graders at nearby P.S. 183 to create artworks on panels that will be affixed to the construction site this fall.

The kids' creations will be inspired by the themes "Scenes from the City" or "What does NYC means you?" her office said.

"I am excited to give local students an opportunity to give back to their community and ameliorate an eyesore sight for many residents in our area," Menin said in a statement.

The dozens of artworks will be submitted in October to the Department of Design and construction, followed by an unveiling ceremony later this fall.

As for the street tear-up itself: Menin's office says the project is now slated to end in 2024 — seven years later than planned. The city is now waiting for Con Edison to finish work on electrical lines, gas mains and steam mains before it can resume the years-old water main and sewer project.

Judy Schneider, executive vice president of the East Sixties Neighborhood Association, called the project "a true windfall" for students of P.S. 183, which sits about three blocks north of the construction site.

The school's principal, Martin Woodard, noted in a statement that its motto is "Take Care of Each Other."

"Not only do we believe this applies to our school, we also understand the importance of taking care of our surrounding community," Woodard said. "Our fifth graders are providing art scenes of New York City to beautify and care for an area of their community for all who pass by."