June 11, 2014
By Stephanie West
Nassau County, New York – United States Senator Charles Schumer has been instrumental in gaining Federal funding of $125 million to help harden communities in southwestern Nassau County Long Island against future storms and flooding. This grant will help address flooding in East Rockaway, Rockville Centre and Oceanside as well as other parts of Long Island.
The funds, part of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Rebuild by Design competition, were won in a contest between engineering firms that toured the east coast in search of projects in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. The money will provide hundreds of construction jobs.
The project, engineered by Dutch-based engineering firms known as the Interboro Team, will redesign the Mill River watershed. The Mill River runs through East Rockaway and Rockville Centre while impacting other communities. Work will include the construction of swales, widening the Mill River, improving water filtration and stormwater management and utilizing unused land for the construction of a waterfront park that will be equipped to better handle storm surges and proved a layer of protection for neighboring communities.
“Nassau's Rebuild by Design Project will further protect the health, safety and welfare of our residents from future storms while making Nassau more resilient and creating publicly greenways that connect and beautify our South Shore’s communities. Our partnership with both the Federal and State governments resulted in an award of $125 million that will be used to rebuild local neighborhoods smarter and stronger post-Superstorm Sandy,” said Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano.
