Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick, the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers made a visit to New York City August 19-21 2013. Bostick, the Chief of Engineers and the Corps' senior military officer responsible for several of the nation’s major civil works projects made a stop at the Rockaways, Queens and Coney Island, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Bostick, along with the Honorable Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works; Brig. Gen. Kent Savre, Commander of the Army Corps’ North Atlantic Division; and Col. Paul Owen, Commander, New York District and various Corps Directors, Chiefs, and Managers along with representatives from Congressman Gregory Meeks (NY-5) Office Queens, and Hakeem Jeffries (NY-8) Brooklyn observed sand placement projects aimed at restoring coastal storm risk reduction projects due to Hurricane Sandy.
The visit allowed Bostick to witness ongoing New York District coastal projects along the Atlantic on the southern shore of Long Island, N.Y.
The New York District is placing sand on beaches that were part of previously authorized projects along the Atlantic Coast which includes the Rockaways, and Coney Island. The Corps’ coastal storm damage projects are aimed at reducing risks to coastal communities and the people who live and work there.
Bostick and the group of top leaders were met at the Rockaways coastal project construction site by construction crews and were briefed about sand placement in that area. The project provides coastal storm risk reduction to densely populated communities and infrastructure located along the shoreline on the Rockaway Peninsula. They observed work underway from Beach 89th Street to Beach 149th Street in phase 1 of the project where more than 3 million cubic yards of sand is being placed.
At the Brooklyn coastal project site, they visited Coney Island where the Corps is expected to begin placing sand shortly after Labor Day in an area of the previously constructed coastal storm risk reduction project. Work is being carried out to provide additional coastal storm risk reduction for the community using the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers statutory authorities to restore the federally constructed project at Coney Island constructed in the 1990s in partnership with the state of New York and City of New York.
Bostick also took time to acknowledge District personnel and recognized their hard work in the coastal project efforts. All of the planning, equipment and programs are vital, but it’s the competent, disciplined and resilient people who successfully accomplish the Corps’ coastal project missions.
Bostick concluded his tour with a meal at the iconic Nathan's hot dog stand which still exists on the same site that it did in 1916.