Site Planning & Permitting Begins To Demolish Roosevelt Island Steam Plant And Smokestacks In Response To Buildings Dep’t July 2024 Emergency Safety Order
Who’s Paying For The Demolition, Underground Oil Tank Removal And Any Other Environmental Remediation Efforts?
… the NYC Housing Preservation & Development Department is planning to demolish the long time vacant and decommissioned Roosevelt Island Steam Plant which had supplied power to Goldwater (now demolished) and Coler Hospital (still in operation).
A Tipster reported today:
Three gentlemen were inspecting the power station this morning. When asked by a nosy tipster if they’re taking down the power station, one replied, “No, the smokestacks. They’re coming down, baby.”
I’m just following up on the demolition of Roosevelt Island Steam Plant and smoke stacks.
Workers were on site today. See attached.
Can you provide any more information on the Steam Plant demolition?
Who is doing the demolition? How will it be accomplished? What efforts are being undertaken to remove the underground oil tanks and any other environmental remediation efforts? Is there a scope of work document I can receive?
Can I get access to the inside of the Steam Plant to take pictures before the demolition begins?
A HPD spokesperson replied:
In response to an Emergency Order issued by the Department of Buildings, HPD has contracted the emergency demolition of the steam plant and smokestacks on Roosevelt Island to Statewide Demolition.
Preliminary work, including site protection and permitting, has begun.
Statewide Demolition will address asbestos as required, remove the oil tanks, and remove the debris from the demolition under the required permits from various city agencies.
Demolition plans will be part of the application filed with the Department of Buildings.
Statewide Demolition will have a professional engineer on site. This demolition will be monitored by HPD and other city agencies.
We cannot grant you access to the site.
I followed up asking:
Who is paying for the demo?
NYC or NY State or RIOC?
What is the projected cost?
Have not received an answer yet.
According to a sign on the Steam Plant fence, the demolition work is scheduled to completed in November 2026.
Pursuant to the Declaration of Emergency by the Department of Buildings, HPD, as the agency responsible for demolishing the site on behalf of the City, has been preparing to conduct demolition activities at the site. Contractors are being actively solicited at this time to provide bids for the work, pursuant to the emergency procurement process of the City’s Procurement Policy Board Rules.”
DOB issued an Emergency Work Order for 5 East Main Street on 7/8/2024 which is publicly available here.
The Emergency Work Order was issued due to the deteriorating conditions of the masonry façade of the two smoke stacks and the power plant building.
As this is city-owned building, the work is being managed by HPD, and you may reach out to them for more information.
Here’s a 2013 look inside the Roosevelt Island Steam Plant.
As part of the proposed Roosevelt Island Master Lease Extension between NYC and NY State, the Steam Plant site will be evaluated for possible residential housing development.
UPDATE 12/4 – The December 2, 2025 Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Operations Advisory Committee discussed the demolition of the Steam Plant with a representative of HPD and concerned Roosevelt Island residents who are seeking answers as to why the Steam Plant is being demolished instead of finding a way to find an adaptive re-use of the site. The HPD representative was not able to answer questions concerning what is the specific safety emergency that requires the Steam Plant to be demolished although she will try and get that information.
Here’s what happened.
Roosevelt Island Historical Society President Judy Berdy has more on the RIOC Operations Advisory Committee Steam Plant meeting here.
And only a decade too late. Of course, residents should realize that safety was of little concern. Conditions have not changed. The community has been at risk for years, as we reported in The Daily. The difference now is that Hudson Related wants to keep building now that Southtown’s original plan is finished. This is about catering to real estate developers, not public safety.
People should attend the meeting on Nov 2nd. The way we had barging for the Goldwater demolition was that the community insisted on it.
The steam plant has many complexities for its demoltion:
It is above the subway tracks
It has lead, asbestos, oil contamination
It is close to the Tram
It is close to the tennis bubnbl;e
It is on a one lane stree, the only access to the East side of the island
The entire area is polluted
Just removing the interior will take a long time an much very heavy equipment/
Why can’t it be decontaminated, converted and put to good use? It could house an art center, a museum on the history of RI, a new school, a marketplace…I can think of so many good uses.
No more residential buildings until we have the required infrastructure to cater to a bigger population!! Adequate transit options, school facilities, shopping options, a general physician, a pediatrician, a vet, children play areas, etc. Also, the public infrastructures and areas that have been in disrepair for a long time now need to be fixed! (Eleanor’s pier, dock area across The Sanctuary, water play area in The Blackwell Playground, etc)
Since it’s city property it will be sold and made residential in “a deal”. The remediation will take a looooong time. How long did it generate power as in the 2013 video it was evidently working?
And only a decade too late. Of course, residents should realize that safety was of little concern. Conditions have not changed. The community has been at risk for years, as we reported in The Daily. The difference now is that Hudson Related wants to keep building now that Southtown’s original plan is finished. This is about catering to real estate developers, not public safety.
Are the demolished materials going to be removed from the island by barge or are they going to be carting that stuff through Main St. ?
People should attend the meeting on Nov 2nd. The way we had barging for the Goldwater demolition was that the community insisted on it.
The steam plant has many complexities for its demoltion:
It is above the subway tracks
It has lead, asbestos, oil contamination
It is close to the Tram
It is close to the tennis bubnbl;e
It is on a one lane stree, the only access to the East side of the island
The entire area is polluted
Just removing the interior will take a long time an much very heavy equipment/
Why can’t it be decontaminated, converted and put to good use? It could house an art center, a museum on the history of RI, a new school, a marketplace…I can think of so many good uses.
No more residential buildings until we have the required infrastructure to cater to a bigger population!! Adequate transit options, school facilities, shopping options, a general physician, a pediatrician, a vet, children play areas, etc. Also, the public infrastructures and areas that have been in disrepair for a long time now need to be fixed! (Eleanor’s pier, dock area across The Sanctuary, water play area in The Blackwell Playground, etc)
Since it’s city property it will be sold and made residential in “a deal”. The remediation will take a looooong time. How long did it generate power as in the 2013 video it was evidently working?