Pick Which Bayside Projects The City Pays For

BAYSIDE, QUEENS -- The city is ready to drop $1 million on improvements to your neighborhood, and they want you to decide how to spend it.

New York City Council has at least that much to dole out for this year's round of participatory budgeting, which lets residents in participating districts decide what neighborhood projects get the funding.

Starting April 7, Bayside residents have an entire week to vote on their favorite project in District 19, which encompasses Bayside, Douglaston, Flushing, College Point, Little Neck, Whitestone, Bay Terrace, Auburndale, Beechhurst and Malba.

There are 20 options on the ballot between the 10 neighborhoods this year - 11 school improvements, four park upgrades, three library enhancements, and new sets of bus station countdown clocks and NYPD cameras.

Here's the full list of options for District 19:

• Install real-time passenger countdown clocks at bus stops along Q12 and Q13 routes: $300,000
• Add four new NYPD security cameras throughout the district: $141,000
• New adult fitness center at Powell's Cove Park in College Point: $200,000
• New adult fitness center at MacNeil Park in College Point: $200,000
• New adult fitness center at Little Bay Park in Bayside: $200,000
• Renovate the basketball courts at MacNeil Park in College Point: $650,000
• Renovate the P.S. 21 computer lab into a state-of-the-art S.T.E.A.M. Makerspace: $200,000
• New Makerspace for engineering and robotics at P.S. 94: $200,000
• P.S. 41 gymnasium renovations, including new basketball hoops, scoreboard, PA system and retractable wall: $600,000
• State-of-the-art S.T.E.A.M. lab for M.S. 67: $600,000
• P.S. 196 gymnasium renovations, including refinished floor with the school's name, basketball hoops, ceiling tiles, safety padding and a scoreboard: $400,000
• Upgrade security cameras at P.S. 209: $450,000
• Next generation media center for P.S. 107, including new laptops and printers: $450,000
• Convert building storage areas at Bayside High School into soundproofed performance rooms with storage for instruments: $600,000
• J.H.S. 194 gymnasium renovations, including wall repairs, new basketball hoops, refinished floors and safety padding: $300,000
• Redesign P.S. 79 computer lab and replace computers: $200,000
• P.S. 129 gymnasium renovations, including new backboards, added safety padding, a new sound system, and electrical upgrades: $350,000
• Upgrade East Flushing Library's meeting room: $250,000
• Outfit Poppenhusen Library in Flushing with high-tech smartboards and ADA computers: $100,000
• Install solar panels at the Douglaston/Little Neck Library: $380,000

Polls are open from April 7-15. Click here to find out when and where you can cast your vote.

To learn more about participatory budgeting, watch this City Council video below:

Lead photo by Danielle Woodward/Patch.