Pols announce more than $4.8M to complete Sandy-related repairs at Brooklyn Navy Yard

February 22, 2016 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-Brooklyn-Manhattan-Queens) on Monday joined U.S. Sens. Chuck E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and Mayor Bill de Blasio in announcing more than $4.8 million in federal FEMA funding for the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation for repairs related to Superstorm Sandy. File photo courtesy of Congresswoman Velázquez’s office

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U.S. Sens. Chuck E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez and Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday announced more than $4.8 million in federal FEMA funding for the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) for repairs to electrical substation G in Building #386 and Dry Dock No. 1/Caisson Gate and Pump Well No. 124 at the Brooklyn Navy Industrial Park, damaged as a direct result from Superstorm Sandy.

The funding was allocated by the Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through two grants, around $3.12 million for the electrical substation repairs and around $1.76 for dock renovations.

“The Brooklyn Navy Yard is the lynchpin of economic renaissance along the Brooklyn waterfront and that’s why we have to make sure its infrastructure is better protected in the event of a future storm,” said Schumer.

“The current expansion projects at the Navy Yard will help serve as a catalyst for job creation and more economic opportunities,” said Gillibrand. “Superstorm Sandy devastated our communities; these funds are an essential investment towards keeping this important economic center thriving by helping solidify the strength of the Navy Yard’s infrastructure. This additional FEMA funding will help provide much needed resources on the ground during ongoing renovations at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.”

The repairs at substation G include demolition of the existing, at-grade structure damaged during Sandy and replacement with a structure elevated above the flood plain and weatherized for outdoor conditions. Substation G supplies power to the working waterfront and dry docks of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The renovations to Dry Dock 1/Caisson Gate and Pump Well No. 124 restore functionality of the pumps at Dry Dock 1 and include improvements that will minimize damages in the event of future storms.

“Brooklyn Navy Yard has evolved into a hub of commerce and economic activity. These additional FEMA funds will help repair damage from Sandy, while ensuring the Yard remains a source of well-paying jobs in our community,” said Velázquez.

“The Navy Yard is home to a new wave of manufacturing and economic opportunity — and we’re investing to bring thousands more good jobs. This FEMA funding will complement that investment, ensuring that our businesses are better protected next time extreme weather hits,” said de Blasio.

David Ehrenberg, president and CEO of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, said that “while the Yard and its tenants were able to quickly recover from Superstorm Sandy and resume operations at a level close to where they were before the storm, one of the ongoing challenges has been to ensure that our basic infrastructure can withstand the impact of another natural disaster.”

—Information from Sen. Gillibrand’s office