Cheers, jeers for new speaker
THE VOTE was unanimous to make Melissa Mark-Viverito speaker of the New York City Council Wednesday, but for folks Uptown emotions were mixed.
Viverito, a third-term Councilwoman representing East Harlem, ascended to the second most politically powerful post in the city after a behind-the-scenes battle to become the first Latina and the first person of color to serve as speaker.
“It's a historic moment for the Puerto Rican community,” said Debbie Quinones, member of Community Board 11 and founder of the International Coquito Tasting Federation. “She has the skills to lead Council.”
Assemblyman Rober t Rodriguez, Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez and state Sen. Adriano Espaillat echoed similar sentiments, noting her ascension is a win for Uptown.
“As an East Harlem resident, Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito understands the shortage of affordable housing and other challenges that families in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx are facing,” said Espaillat in a statement. “Having a new leading city official with firsthand knowledge of local issues is going to result in better public policy and better results for our community.”
Not too far away in Central Harlem, Lloyd Williams, head of the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, thought Mark-Viverito was a good fit for the post, citing her encouragement of development in the area.
“Melissa put East Harlem back on the map and made East Harlem a major player,” said Williams. “She has not allowed development taking place in Manhattan to bypass East Harlem."
But, some folks in Mark-Viverito's neck of the woods were not so thrilled about her win.
“I'm proud that a Puerto Rican, a Latina gets that position,” said Luis Cordero, founder of Puerto Rican Institute for the Development of the Arts and Cemi Underground. “But on the other hand, I know a lot of Puerto Rican artists who are disappointed in how she has treated Puerto Rican artists.”
Cordero pointed to a bitter squabble over the Julia de Burgos Cultural Center in East Harlem several years ago in which longtime arts organization Taller Boricua, co-founded by Fernando Salicrup, lost control of the underutilized building.
Mark-Viverito led the charge to change the management of that space, which upset locals who argued Taller was never given a chance to address concerns regarding management of the building.
“As long as she does what (Mayor de Blasio) wants she can do no harm,” said Eugene Rodriguez, head of the Puerto Rican Intercultural Drama Ensemble, known as PRIDE. “If anybody is expecting her to be a visionary of any kind it's not going to happen.”
jransom@nydailynews.com