About RIOC
Learn about the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation and our mission.
About Us
The Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) was created in 1984 by the State of New York as a public benefit corporation with a mission to plan, design, develop, operate, and maintain Roosevelt Island. With a focus on innovative and environmentally friendly solutions, RIOC is committed to providing services that enhance the island's residential community. RIOC manages the two-mile long island's roads, parks, buildings, a sports facility, and public transportation, including the iconic aerial tramway. Additionally, RIOC operates a Public Safety Department that helps maintain a safe and secure environment for residents, employees, business owners, and visitors.
Mission
The Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) was created in 1984 by the State of New York as a public benefit corporation with a mission to plan, design, develop, operate, and maintain Roosevelt Island. With a focus on innovative and environmentally friendly solutions, RIOC is committed to providing services that enhance the island's residential community. RIOC manages the two-mile long island's roads, parks, buildings, a sports facility, and public transportation, including the iconic Roosevelt Island Tramway. Additionally, RIOC operates a Public Safety Department that helps maintain a safe and secure environment for residents, employees, business owners, and visitors.
History
Welfare Island
1969Welfare Island in 1969 was a shell of its former self. Many of its institutions that buzzed with life had dispersed across the city, leaving much of the Island behind to decay. The large amount of underutilized land presented a canvas for ideas on how it could be best used. Mayor John V. Lindsay would utilize the NYS Urban Development Corporation, established under Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1968, to put forward a plan to redevelop the Island. Beginning in 1967, the Welfare Island Planning and Development Committee and Philip Johnson & John Burgee Architects would undergo a two-year process to thoroughly document Welfare Island's condition and prepare a proposal for its redevelopment. The surveying that took place was critical in the understanding of Welfare Island's history and how to maximize the Island's potential as New York's next neighborhood.
Smallpox Hospital
Opening as a quarantine hospital, the Smallpox Hospital aided in slowing the spread of the disease across the city. With the increase of people vaccinated against smallpox, the hospital became obsolete and was absorbed into the City Hospital, becoming a nursing school. The original structure saw three additions over its lifetime. The condition of the Smallpox Hospital in 1969 was abysmal but was deemed worth preservation.
Welfare Island Rededication Ceremony, 1973
Strecker Laboratory
Designed in the Romanesque style, the Strecker Laboratory was the first institution in the nation specifically for pathological and bacteriological research. The laboratory saw many important experiments that contributed greatly to the medical field. Being a part of City Hospital, it shuttered with the remainder of the campus in 1957. The building was left to decay, and its condition was very poor in 1969. Despite this, the building was recommended for preservation.
Strecker Laboratory, 1970
City Hospital
City Hospital took in the city's sick and destitute population. Over its 120-year history, the hospital changed names four times, also being known as: Island Hospital, Charity Hospital, and Renwick Hospital. The hospital's final days were in 1957 when patients were relocated to the newer Elmhurst Medical Center. The campus quickly deteriorated after vacancy and by 1969 the buildings were showing accelerating signs of decay. The main hospital building, with its mansard roof, was noted for rehabilitation in the 1969 Island survey.
City Hospital, 1970
