Schumer to Fight for 'Accelerated Funds' to Rebuild Boardwalk

Sen. Charles Schumer announced that he will unveil a plan to build a “tougher, more resilient” boardwalk at a press conference in Long Beach on Monday.

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In a press release the senator’s officer sent to media late Sunday, Schumer stated that he would fight for accelerated federal funds to ensure the Hurricane Sandy-battered boardwalk is “built stronger to survive future storms.”

“Under the plan, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will provide funding to rebuild the destroyed boardwalk with improved materials, such as tropical wood, as opposed to simply rebuilding it exactly as it was before,” the release from Schumer’s office stated.

The senator plans to announce that such an arrangement is in taxypayers’ best interest since the boardwalk will be much stronger and able to withstand future storms, the release continued.  “It would also allow the funding to come up front, as opposed to requiring Long Beach to borrow funds and then be repaid later. FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation program allows for the agency to provide additional funding to rebuild structures in such a way that they will be more resilient to future storms.”

Monday press conference is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at National Boulevard beach and will include Schumer and Long Beach City Council President Scott Mandel and Vice President Fran Adelson, according to the senator’s office.

The press conference comes less than a week after the city held at City Hall its final official meeting to gather public input on the reconstruction of a new boardwalk after Sandy destroyed sections of the wooden walkway last October. City Manager Jack Schnirman announced then that the next step in the city’s 10-step plan to rebuild the boardwalk was to submit all public input to Liro Engineers, the Syosset-based engineering firm the city hired in January to help redesign the new boardwalk, for review, after which the city will submit the finalized plans to FEMA and talks will begin with the agency about mitigation measures.

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