Monthly
Update - September 2010
After
a great July and the ground breaking ceremonies August was a month
to prepare the site for the building of the facility.
We
will be adding and updating pictures on a regular basis to show
the development of the site.
Monthly
Update - August 2010
Wow,
what a month! Fourteen years after SITRAC was formed we have
seen the most heavily attended ground breaking the Dept. of
Parks can recall.
We
will start giving you monthly updates in pictures as the
project develops.
SITRAC's
newly expanded Board of Directors still has a lot of work to
do on a license agreement and management control of the
track & field component of the facility.
Most
of SITRAC's meeting are open to the public (some are
closed). If you are interested in attending contact Bob
Orazem at Bobmile@aol.com
Stay
tuned!
Monthly
Update - July 2010
With
the Mayor's office announcement that the ground breaking for the
Ocean Breeze Indoor Track & Field facility will be Wed. July
21st at 11AM a big step has finally been taken.
We
urge everyone to attend the event with their families, neighbors
and teammates. With Mayor Bloomberg presiding over the event we
want him understand the great support this facility has on
Staten Island.
Good
neighbors: Bill Henri, executive director of South Beach Psych.
Center has offered his lots for parking and his auditorium
for inclement weather.
A
meeting with the Dept. of Parks and Recreation will be held in
the next week to gather more information and offer our help with
this event. THE EXACT LOCATION in the Ocean Breeze Park land
parcel and additional information will be available here as it
becomes available.
Since
SITRAC was born in Feb. of 1996 this day has been dreamed about.
We look forward to your support. It will be a great day in
Staten Island Track & Field history!
Monthly
Update - June 2010
Well June 1st is here. After 14
years since SITRAC was formed could this be the month when the
shovel goes into the ground?
We have been told it will happen
this month and the Dept. of Parks is just waiting word on
Mayor Bloomberg's availability to announce the date.
SITRAC's office is open two days a
week in South Beach Psych. Center adjoining the track's site.
Much work has been done, and more has to be done, to determine
how the facility will be operated. One thing is certain,
Staten Island will host the best Indoor Track & Field
facility in the USA.
Keep tuned to this web site as
more announcements will be coming soon.
Monthly
Update - May 2010
April was another busy month of meetings and planning for the grounds-breaking of the Ocean Breeze Indoor Track & Field facility.
Department of Parks reps. have stated to SITRAC that "everything indicates a June 2010 grounds-breaking" With the start of June just a few weeks away from the writing of this update, we wait patiently. We have been advised that the official date of grounds-breaking will come from the Mayors Office.
The May 6th Fundraiser "One City in Track" was a huge success and brought needed funds into our organization as we are now preparing a business plan for a formal management agreement.
Our office at the South Beach Psych. Center will soon be manned a few days a week. The building's meeting room overlooks the actual building site. We expect to post pics weekly as the building goes up.
We hope that the next time you read a new monthly update it will include these words. "Grounds-breaking set for....."- We are ready!
Monthly
Update - April 2010
SITRAC
announced the information for the Third Annual
Fundraiser titled this year "One City in Track" This
years honorees are Peter Murray who won the SI Cross Country
Championship 50 years ago,Jim O'Neill who coached 1984 Olympian
Winnie Ng and All-American Jessy Carlin.
There
will also be a Citi-Wide honoree who will be announced soon.
With
the dream of Staten Island having it's own Indoor Track &
Field Facility moving forward quickly your help and support is
needed more than ever.
Monthly
Update - March 2010
The
weather was a little rough but much was being done in warm
buildings to get this Indoor Track & Field facility opened.
The
DOP has signed contracts with two companies to do the foundation
and the actual building .The grounds-breaking is still holding
steady for "late spring"
SITRAC
has meet with DOP officials to help coordinate naming rights for
the facility.
SITRAC
is planning the 3rd annual Fundraiser for late April/early May.
Details will be announced soon on StatenIslandtrac.com
Stay
tuned!
Monthly
Update - February 2010
Now
that the holidays are over, there is a lot of information coming
out about the Ocean Breeze Track & Field Facility and Park.
The
ground-breaking has been moved back to "late
spring" but the funding is secure and the Mayor's
Office will announce the date of the actual ceremony.
SITRAC
has met with the Department of Parks in January to discuss some
Track & Field modifications for the layout. The Department
of Parks has been very cooperative in working with our experts to
insure the viability of the track and field areas.
SITRAC
will be working with the the Department of Parks marketing
department to help secure a sponsor for the naming rights of the
building.
SITRAC
is also working on a gala fundraising event with the Department of
Parks.
Many
more meetings are set for February so stay tuned to StatenIslandtrac.org
for the latest.
Monthly
Update - January 2010
December was a slow
month for information coming out of the Dept. of Parks for the
Ocean Breeze Indoor Track & Field facility. With several key
meetings planned for this month
(January) we hope to have more to report as the month
progresses.
Monthly
Update - December 2009
There's
not that much new to report for the past month. The word out
of the Dept. of Parks is that the Ground-breaking is February
of 2010. Let's hope for a warm winter!
Monthly
Update - November 2009
New developments on
the Ocean Breeze Indoor Track & Field facility are occurring
on almost a weekly basis. On Sept. 16th. Borough President James
Molinaro held a press conference in Boro. Hall, St. George. The
conference outlined all the funded parks programs that are
expected in the next year. The biggest and most expensive and
extensive is the long awaited Indoor Track (70 Million dollars).
NYC Parks
Commissioner Adrian Benepe, a long time proponent of track
& field (think Icahn Stadium in Manhattan) was present and
spoke at the ceremony. "All the bids are in and we expect
to break ground for this long awaited track & field
facility in about two months. It will be the best facility in
the North-East" Benepe chuckled when Bob Orazem of SITRAC
corrected him "This facility will not only be the best in
the North -East but will be the best in the United
States". Molinaro
spoke about his extensive record of park development in the
"Borough of Parks" "More than 1/3 of Staten
island is parkland. 'Our residents want parks and we are
giving them to you" He spoke specifically about the
Indoor Track and what it will mean for Staten Island.
SITRAC held it's
Annual Meeting on Tues. Oct 27th. Specific details and
renderings of the facility were presented to the community via
powerpoint. The bids for the foundation were closed in early
Oct. and a company has been selected to start the foundation
work.
In the Staten Island
Advance the week of Oct 25th two full page political ads
appeared by Mayor Bloomberg and Borough President Molinaro touting
the "World Class Indoor Track coming"
The expected
ground-breaking is now set for January of 2010.
