Uptown Rep Adriano Espaillat State Of The District: What To Know

UPPER MANHATTAN, NY — Upper Manhattan and Bronx Rep. Adriano Espaillat will take the podium in Harlem on Sunday for his annual state of the district.

Espaillat will highlight his priorities for the upcoming year and also look back at his major actions over the past 12 months.

The address will start at 2 p.m. on Sunday at The Forum at Columbia University on 601 W. 125th St. Doors will open at 1 p.m.

"Information is power and I will be giving the information not only about the things we've done in the past year, but also the projects we've proposed to put forward this year," Espaillat told Patch on the phone.

"We want to empower the community to be part of those processes, and for the residents to be the protagonists and lead the way in bringing their ideas forward, so I as their representative in Washington can put them into practice and motion," he added.

Year In Review

Espaillat summarized a collection of legislation and projects from the last year, including his bill on helping to restrict access to Ghost Guns (untraceable firearms), his work on getting Homeland Security officers to wear body cameras, and the $800 million in funding he helped to secure for the migrant crisis.

The uptown politician also specified the Second Avenue Subway project as an important initiative over the last 12 months, and his continued focus on the matter in the coming year.

Last year, Espaillat was part of the team that helped secure the Biden's Administration recommendation of $400 million to help kick the Harlem subway project off.

This year, he's hoping ground will break on the project.

"We’re hopeful this year we reach a full funding agreement so the project is finally kicked off," Espaillat told Patch. "That’s going to help people particularly from East Harlem and Harlem that are now living in transportation deserts, and it will connect the two neighborhoods to the rest of the world.”

Looking Ahead

Espaillat mentioned work on the Kingsbridge Armory in The Bronx and an uptown cultural center in Washington Heights as two projects he has his eyes on for the upcoming year.

Neighborhood safety is also a priority for Espaillat.

"Public safety continues to be a big issue," he told Patch. "Mayor Eric Adams has promised and delivered additional police officers in Harlem and Washington Heights and Inwood."

U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer will be in attendance on Sunday.

You can find out more on the State of the District's event's page.