How Easy is it to Catch a Train?

+ Randall's Island's Immigrant Shelter

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The Harlem Neighborhood Block Association
January 24, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

No huge surprise here, but look at how the Financial District dominates with countless subway lines funneling through that neighborhood:

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Randall’s Island Immigrant Shelter

A letter from the Randall’s Island Park Alliance’s Board of Trustees:

Dear Friends,

As you know, Randall's Island Park has faced ongoing challenges since the arrival of the Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center (HERRC). While we sympathize with the migrant crisis, it is the position of the Randall's Island Park Alliance that the HERCC should be removed, and that the parkland should be returned to the public.

In response to this situation, our Board has taken proactive steps, engaging in discussions with City Hall, elected officials, and NYC Parks. Additionally, we have initiated a petition to gather the voices of our community in advocating for the removal of the facility. 

Why this is important:

  • Safety: Limited resources for the HERRC have stretched security and maintenance thin, resulting in violence, illegal vending, camping, and littering. This unsafe environment isn't fair to anyone.

  • Community Impact: The HERRC is at the 103rd Street Footbridge, the most popular access point from Manhattan, and has resulted in a surge of illegal mopeds speeding through pathways, endangering pedestrians and spilling into nearby East Harlem. Once tranquil picnic areas and public spaces are now inaccessible.

  • Loss of Recreational Space: The HERRC occupies four popular athletic fields, depriving thousands of NYC children of crucial playtime each season. That's 350,000 square feet of lost opportunity for kids who desperately need space to play, exercise, and connect.

We urge you to support the park and our community by signing the petition and sharing it within your networks. By doing so, you contribute to our collective voice calling on Mayor Adams to remove the migrant facility from Randall's Island Park.

How You Can Help: 

  • Sign our petition: Show your support for the park and our community by adding your voice to the call for the HERRC's removal.
     

  • Spread the word: Share the petition with your network – help us advocate for Randall's Island Park's rightful return to the public.

Thank you for your support in safeguarding our parkland.

Sincerely,

The Board of Trustees of the Randall's Island Park Alliance

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