Cuomo: State to Fund $13M Storm Protection Project in Long Beach

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday that the state will fund a $13 million project that will provide more than 6,000 feet of flood barriers for Long Beach’s industrial area that abuts Reynolds Channel and sustained crippling damages during Hurricane Sandy.

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During last year’s storm, the city’s key infrastructure facilities, including water and sewage treatment plants and electrical systems, were knocked out during the storm. Cuomo, speaking at a press conference at the wastewater treatment plant on Park Place, announced the multi-million dollar project that will add about 2,300 feet of bulkheading to an elevation of 11 feet along the bayside of the industrial district.

“The industrial district provides critically important services to the residents and businesses of Long Beach, and by supporting this project we are ensuring that the city can better protect itself and its infrastructure from the next major storm,” Cuomo stated. “These bulkheads and flood barriers are another example of how New York State is helping local communities build back better and stronger.”

The project will also provide roughly 4,400 feet of a permanent subgrade flood barrier, or “Dutch Dam,” which can be deployed to a minimum height of 11 feet in the event of a major storm. The dam will be installed along the north side of Park Place to Long Beach Boulevard and West Pine Street to the eastern edge of the wastewater treatment plant, surrounding the eastern and western perimeters of the properties to meet the bulkheads.

The city’s industrial area also includes a water tower, electrical substations and a major gas pipeline, all of which sustained damages during the storm and underwent emergency repairs. The wastewater treatment plant was inoperable for 10 days after Sandy, while the water treatment plant was shut down for nearly three weeks, and the city went without electrical power for two weeks.

"These funds will greatly assist us as we continue to rebuild stronger and smarter,” City Manager Jack Schnirman stated.

The governor's announcement marks the commitment to funding for the project, to be followed by the design work and project planning. The project is not expected to break ground until 2014, with seawall and bulkhead construction that the City of Long Beach will manage, according to Newsday.