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BY SCOTT STIFFLER | Capital improvements have been secured, indoors and outdoors, for four public projects, thanks to their status as the top vote-getters in the Participatory Budgeting (PB) process of NYC Council District 3–whose coverage area includes Chelsea, and whose Council Member is Erik Bottcher.

Details on the winners momentarily–but first, for the uninitiated, PB is a pprocess by which a City Council Member earmarks a certain amount of dollars ($1 million in D3’s case) from their capital discretionary funds to be spent on physical infrastructure projects in public spaces. Community members identify a group of worthy projects, woo supporters at an annual Expo, and vote for the winners, with the top vote-getter fully funded, with other popular projects funded until the $1 million has been spent.

The winning projects for each participating Council District were announced via a May 30, 2025 press release (click here to read it). Noted the announcement, more than “ 93,000 New Yorkers voted to allocate $30 million in capital funding for local improvements to schools, parks, libraries, and other public spaces across 24 Council Districts in New York City. This year marks the 14th cycle of Participatory Budgeting by the City Council since it launched the initiative in 2011.”

As we noted in previous coverage, the Fiscal Year 2026 cycle of PB began with a September 30, 2024 brainstorming session (click here for that article) and ended with a March 29-April 6, 2025 voting period (click here to read that article). 

In the end, four local projects emerged with enough support to be funded. They are:

Library Technology Upgrades

Location: All libraries in District 3 / Cost: $250,000

Project would provide technology upgrades. 

Bathroom Renovations at Quest to Learn Middle School

Location: 351 West 18th Street / Cost: $300,000

Project would renovate bathrooms on the 7th floor, adjacent to the gym that serves multiple schools.

Tree Guards on the Avenues

Location: Avenues in District 3 / Cost: $200,000

Project would install over 100 tree guards to protect trees.

Hell’s Kitchen Park – Initial Funding

Location: 10th Ave. btw. West 47th & 48th Sts. / Cost: $350,000

Project would provide initial funding for renovating the park.

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