Mayor, Council Member Request Community Input for New East NY Public School

EAST NEW YORK, BROOKLYN — The East New York community's 45-day public review period of its future 1,000-seat public school began Tuesday, the mayor and Council Member Rafael Espinal announced. The new Kindergarten thru 8th grade school is poised to be built on the vacant city-owned Dinsmore-Chestnut site, and the New York City School Construction Authority is looking for residents to chip in opinions about what they would like to see as part of the plan for the school.

The school, which is planned to be built next to an affordable housing project for which the mayor requested proposals from developers Dec. 21, will be fully accessible and air-conditioned, the mayor's office said. There will be art and music rooms, a cafeteria, a gym with exercise rooms, science labs, a library, and a large outdoor playground which will be open to the public after school hours.

"A school is so much more than a building full of classrooms," Espinal said. "It is where our youth spend the majority of their waking hours learning valuable lessons of community, respect and friendship."

"Aside from the $17 million we allocated to improve existing East New York's schools, I am so proud to see progress on our vision for a new state-of-the-art 1,000 seat school."

Espinal also thanked the mayor's administration for its "steadfastness" in accomplishing what the East New York capital investment plan put forth in the spring.

After the 45-day term of public review, the SCA will then submit a final approval to the City Council and the mayor.

The school is just one part of the $267 capital investment plan between Espinal and the mayor for East New York, which also includes a workforce center, a child-care center, better infrastructure such as sidewalks and playgrounds, and free public Wi-Fi.

To find out information about future public hearings on the school, check the social media and websites of Community Board 5 and CEC District 19.

The public can also submit email comments to sites@nycsca.org or by mail to:
New York City School Construction Authority
30-30 Thomson Avenue
Long Island City, New York 11101.
Attention: Ross J. Holden.

The deadline for public comments is February 17.

Photo credit: Google Maps