By Bill Parry
Residents of the Ravenswood Houses in Astoria are relieved to be getting a $4 million overhaul of the facility’s outdoor lighting system, something they say has been needed for decades.
All of its 31 buildings, parking lots, playgrounds and walkways will be bathed in light within the next six months.
The 2,167-unit complex has been a haven for drug dealers, advocates said, and it is hoped the improved lighting will help make Ravenswood more secure.
“With these much-needed upgrades and improvements, this project will enhance security for all residents, families and seniors throughout the development,” City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Woodside) said. “This project has been a priority for me since the first day I took office.”
The project includes installation of new lighting, circuitry and controls, and the upgrades include LED fixtures that will reduce energy costs while illuminating the facades of every building.
Many of the complex’s 4,500 residents are senior citizens, who have been too afraid to venture out at night because of the darkness, according to Christina Serna, director of the Hanac Ravenswood Senior Center.
“With the enhancement of the lighting systems that will be installed here, seniors will be provided with the additional security they are entitled to,” Serna said.
But it is not just seniors who benefit.
Carol Wilkins, president of the Ravenswood Houses Tenants Association, said, “The residents and the executive board of the Ravenswood Resident Association are very grateful to the councilman for listening to our concerns and safety issues about not having enough lights on the grounds of the houses.
“We appreciate his ongoing advocacy and true dedication in getting the necessary funding of $4 million to have all new lighting put into Ravenswood Houses, making it safe for all.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com.
