[Hypothalamus]

Renderings Revealed for Rebuilding of Rockaway Boardwalk
Thursday, January 16, 2014, by Zoe Rosenberg

The Parks Department's final design for Rockaway Boardwalk, unveiled on Tuesday, was met mostly with enthusiasm by the public and won unanimous approval from Community Board 14, the Daily News reports. The new boardwalk, stretching from Beach 126 to Beach 19, won't be complete until Memorial Day 2017, but it attempts to responsibly account for future storms and other natural shifts by using both wood and concrete. The rebuilt walk will feature a 40-foot wide boardwalk that is elevated above the 100 year flood level, and it will include designated bike lanes, as well as stairs and ramps built out of wood salvaged from Hurricane Sandy-damaged parts of the boardwalk. Not the least of these improvements is the proposed bright yellow welcome mat of R-O-C-K-A-W-A-Y spaced over the boardwalk for all flying in to JFK to see. One neighbor said, "It will be just like the Hollywood sign." Uh, sure.

The first phase of building, from Beach 86 to Beach 97, will wrap up around Memorial Day 2015, with completion dates on following stretches rolling in steadily on July 4th 2015 and Memorial Day 2016. The whole project is estimated to cost about $250 million.