Schumer Cuts Ribbon With Boaters And NPS At Official Grand Opening Of Staten Island's Great Kills Park Nichols Marina; 2015 Summer Season Is The First Time The Marina Has Been Fully Repaired And Operational Since Senator Secured Major Victory For Local Boaters After Superstorm Sandy

Press Release

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, alongside local boaters, National Park Service (NPS) and Federal Lands Highway (FLH) representatives and "Marinas of the Future' operators, today attended the ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony of Nichols Marina at Great Kills Park on Staten Island. Superstorm Sandy destroyed 350 floating docks at the Nichols marina devastating a significant part of the Staten Island boating community. The marina has operated as an NPS concession on Staten Island for nearly 40 years and is an important part of recreational boating heritage for the community. After Superstorm Sandy, there were no immediate plans or funding to rebuild the marina.

In 2013, Schumer toured the marina and urged NPS to do everything in their power to keep the Nichols Great Kills Park Marina from shutting down. Shortly after, Schumer met personally with NPS Director Jon Jarvis and urged the Director to commit to maintain a marina at Great Kills Park and get a new concession contract in place as soon as possible; after Sandy, the lease ended on December 31, 2012. In the meeting, NPS Director Jon Jarvis committed to rebuild the marina with funds Schumer secured in the $60 billion Hurricane Sandy Supplemental Appropriation and issue a 3-year concession contract to the operator, "Marinas of the Future.' NPS worked with the Office of Federal Lands Highway, the federal agency that issued and managed the contracts, to rebuild the marina. While the marina stayed open after Sandy, this year is the first time since the storm that the entire marina has reopened to the public fully repaired and operational. Schumer explained that the persistence of the Committee to Save Great Kills Park Community helped make sure the Marina was built back after the storm, and they should be thanked for their efforts.

Schumer stood alongside Jennifer Nersesian, the Superintendent of Gateway National Recreation Area; James Gray of the Federal Highway Administration; Robert Bernstein of Marinas of the Future; Mark Competiello of the Committee to Save Great Kills Park Marina as well as a number of other boaters.

"Nichols Great Kills Park Marina is more than a marina; it's a home and seaside family to the vibrant boating community and small businesses it supports. I am pleased that NPS committed to rebuilding and reopening this marina and NPS along with Federal Lands Highway have been great partners. Today's grand opening signifies a rebirth of the strong Great Kills community since Sandy hit and I look forward to it being on Staten Island for years to come,"said Senator Schumer.

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