For Immediate Release
May 21, 2018
Contact: Whitney Barrat, [email protected]
CITY AWARDS GRANT TO JAMAICA CENTER BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT TO FUND COMMERCIAL REVITALIZATION PROJECTS IN DOWNTOWN JAMAICA, QUEENS
New York – NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Gregg Bishop announced $300,000 in grant funding to the Jamaica Center Business Improvement District (BID) to provide commercial revitalization services to the Jamaica Avenue and surrounding Downtown Jamaica retail corridors. The grant, which is part of SBS’ Avenue NYC initiative, will help strengthen organizational capacity to carry out locally-tailored projects targeting the small businesses and residents of Jamaica Center. This grant award will allow the Jamaica Center BID to hire a full-time program manager, conduct an in-depth district needs assessment, and execute commercial revitalization programming for several years. This grant award is part of SBS’ larger announcement of a total of $1.17 million in grants to community-based development organizations (CBDOs) through its Avenue NYC initiative.
“We are thrilled to have been awarded this grant, which will enable us to delve in and better understand how we can be most effective in serving our commercial and residential stakeholders,” said Whitney Barrat, Jamaica Center BID’s Executive Director. “We’re so grateful to SBS for their partnership, and to have this opportunity to plan and implement programming that will truly reflect the evolving needs of our community.”
“As New Yorkers, we take great pride in our neighborhoods, which is why the City is committed to empowering community-based organizations to strengthen and preserve their neighborhoods,” said Gregg Bishop, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. “With these new multi-year awards, we’ve taken this commitment to the next level by funding valuable commercial revitalization projects for up to three years.”
This is the first year that Avenue NYC is awarding larger, multi-year program grants that will help to further develop CBDOs understanding of their local commercial district needs and allow them to create more impactful commercial revitalization projects.
About Avenue NYC SBS’ Avenue NYC program is a competitive grant program that funds and builds the capacity of community-based development organizations (CBDOs), including business improvement districts (BIDs), local development corporations (LDCs), merchants associations, and other non-profit organizations, operating in low- to moderate-income neighborhoods to execute commercial revitalization initiatives. Avenue NYC is funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. More information on Avenue NYC can be found at nyc.gov/avenuenyc.
About the Jamaica Center Business Improvement District (BID)
Founded as the Jamaica District Management Association in 1979, the Jamaica Center BID is central to one of New York City’s fastest growing communities, Jamaica Center BID is the proud home to more than 35 national and regional retailers, several major cultural and educational institutions as well as City, State and Federal Offices, and more than 300 businesses. The Jamaica Center BID seeks to maintain Jamaica Center as a thriving business hub and premier destination to shop, work, live and visit.
About NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) SBS helps unlock economic potential and create economic security for all New Yorkers by connecting New Yorkers to good jobs, creating stronger businesses, and building vibrant neighborhoods across the five boroughs. For more information on all SBS services, go to nyc.gov/sbs, call 311, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
For more information, please contact: Whitney Barrat, Executive Director Jamaica Center BID
718.873.2507, or email [email protected]
