"If you go anywhere in the world they've figured this out," said Gianna Cerbone, owner of Manducatis Rusticate. "They just can't figure it out for a piece of Queens? Why?"
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That age-old question is one that comes up often in regards to aging infrastructure battered by Hurricane Sandy and Ida. Last month marked two years since the latter storm ravaged the city.
"The sewer system is outdated and because of that, a lot of businesses and residents are experiencing flooding whenever there is a major rainfall," said Laura Rothrock, who is the President of LIC Partnership.
Under the De Blasio administration in 2018, the city announced $180 million in new funding for Long Island City. $95 million of that total amount was slated for upgrades to the sewer system and water mains.
However, nearly five years later, the project appears to have stalled.
"We're in hurricane season right now, and we're unprepared," said Rothrock. "I don't know where that money is. I don't know what they've done."
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The project was put into a 10 year capital plan - but remains unfunded, according to the President of the LIC Partnership.
"A lot of times New Yorkers aren't thinking about infrastructure under the ground until there is something like a water main break, and that's why it's important for us to get to these problems before there's a catastrophe," said Rothrock.
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