The Edgewater Park firehouse will begin renovations thanks to $2.5 million in funding from New York State.
Photo Pablo D. Castillo Jr.
New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas announced on Feb. 7, the start of construction on a $2.5 million project to improve resiliency at Edgewater Park, a co-op neighborhood in the Bronx.
The improvements, funded through HCR’s Office of Resilient Homes and Communities (RHC), will allow Edgewater Park’s volunteer firehouse and community center, which is also a polling place during elections, to serve as a shelter during extreme weather events.
“Our $2.5 million investment will fund essential upgrades to the Edgewater Park facility, ensuring the firehouse and community center remains a vital link in the emergency response chain and an asset to the surrounding neighborhood,” said Viskauskas. “As New York is impacted more and more by the effects of climate change, our work to improve the resiliency of communities and keep residents safe will take on even greater importance.”
The Edgewater Park project will include installation of a new backup generator for emergency power to provide accessory usage for equipment, support essential functions of both the community center and the volunteer fire department during power disruptions, and provide backup power for street lighting to enhance public safety; upgrades to the heating and air-conditioning units in the community center; ADA-compliant bathrooms in the community center; new windows throughout the entire building that provide increased resiliency to high winds and preserve the building envelope; and new roofing, flashings and waterproofing to mitigate leaks on the roof.
The upgrades will ensure that the facility can function as a shelter during major storms and as a cooling center during extreme heat.
The…
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