On Tuesday night, Roosevelt Island residents turned what RIOC had scheduled as a “brief Community Advisory Group update” into the first real community-driven CAG meeting on the Steam Plant demolition.
Residents directly questioned RIOC leadership, and committee members — on the record, on video — about why this building is being demolished, since we now know – there is No Emergency.
The answer? There wasn’t one.
When we asked the room, “Does anyone know why the steam plant is being demolished?” — the committee chair’s response was direct: “The answer is no.”
RIOC’s CEO stated on the record that it “wouldn’t be prudent” for RIOC to question the demolition — even though RIOC is the state agency that manages Roosevelt Island under the Master Lease.
HPD sent a written statement confirming that demolition has not yet begun — but also confirming that zero air monitoring has been conducted during the months of oil tanks removal and interior work already underway. No start date was provided for when monitoring would begin. No mention of the open DEC petroleum spill on the site.
But something important did happen. Board Director Prof. Lydia Tang introduced a resolution calling on RIOC to commission independent air quality monitoring and soil sampling — because HPD has refused to do so. That resolution passed the Operations Advisory Committee unanimously.
Tonight, the full RIOC Board of Directors votes.
TONIGHT — THURSDAY, MAY 14 RIOC Board of Directors Meeting 5:30 PM
— Good Shepherd Community Center, 543 Main Street
Webcast link at rioc.ny.gov by noon today.
The Tang resolution needs a full board vote to move forward. It is not listed as a separate agenda item — it will come up during Committee Reports. If no one asks about it, it could be quietly shelved. We need people in the room to make sure that doesn’t happen.
There’s another reason to pay attention tonight.
RIOC is appointing a new General Counsel — the corporation’s top lawyer, who will advise the Board on every legal matter affecting Roosevelt Island, including FOIL requests, lease decisions, and the future of the Steam Plant site.
Roosevelt Islander reported Monday that the candidate shares a family connection with a current Board Director — the same Director who chairs the committee responsible for planning the future of the Steam Plant site. RIOC’s spokesperson confirmed the family connection but characterized it as “very distant.”
Residents can decide for themselves what that means for the transparency of decisions about their community.
Meanwhile, the committee that is supposed to oversee real estate development planning for the Steam Plant site — REDAC — has not met in months. Its last known agenda, from October 2025, listed the Steam Plant as Item 1. RIOC has since removed that agenda from public access. Or at least we cant find it.
Show up tonight. Ask questions. Be counted.
We are now past 2,050 petition signatures. Our next goal is 2,500. Share this update and the petition with everyone you know.
Support the legal effort: gofund.me/de8f122d8
Architectural Community Alliance
of Roosevelt Island (ArchRI)