FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 10, 2002 PR-180-02 www.nyc.gov |
MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG HONORS
RECIPIENTS OF 2002 NEW YORK CITY NEIGHBORHOOD
DEVELOPMENT AWARDS
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg this evening presented honors to the seventeen
recipients of the 2002 New York City Neighborhood Development Awards at a
reception held at Gracie Mansion. The awards, established in honor of the
late Barbara Wolff, are given to neighborhood organizations that have demonstrated
their commitment to excellence and an entrepreneurial spirit with a creative
flair, to enhance New York City's quality of life. Barbara Wolff led the Department
of Business Services' Neighborhood Development Division for over twenty-one
years, and she was instrumental in creating the City's Business Improvement
District (BID) and Commercial Revitalization programs. Department of Business
Services (DBS) Commissioner Robert Walsh, Deputy Mayor Patricia Harris, Chief
of Staff for the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding Sharon
Greenberger, President of Washington DC-based International Downtown Association
David Feehan, and Chief Operating Officer of Con Edison Kevin Burke also attended
the event. Con Edison underwrote this year's award ceremony.
"It is my pleasure to present these important awards to individuals and organizations from all the boroughs who have worked creatively and often times with limited resources to create communities and neighborhoods that are attractive and viable places to live, shop and do business," said Mayor Bloomberg. "The paths that lead to successful neighborhood development are as varied and vibrant as New York's neighborhoods themselves. The projects we honor this evening demonstrate that innovation, perseverance, ingenuity and collaboration come in many forms and fashions. Our goal in New York City is to help neighborhood and community development organizations succeed."
"Tonight we celebrate the collective success of those who have tirelessly invested in and developed their businesses, neighborhoods and communities to generate hope, opportunity and prosperity," said DBS Commissioner Walsh.
New York City's Business Improvement Districts, Local Development Corporations and other neighborhood business organizations nominated projects in four award categories for either an award of distinction or merit. Categories included Economic Development, Marketing & Promotions, Community Development and Public Space, and an overall award for outstanding achievement. Under the leadership of Assistant Commissioner of Neighborhood Development Mark Newhouse, DBS administered the nomination, evaluation and selection process in collaboration with Joe Chan of the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding, Dr. Mitchell Moss of New York University, and Hector Ramirez of Citibank. This year's award recipients are as follows:
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
AWARD OF DISTINCTION
Rolling Up
the Gates
Myrtle Avenue Revitalization Project Local Development Corporation
Rolling Up the Gates is a project of the Myrtle Avenue Revitalization Project designed to decrease vacancy rates, attract a broader range of high-quality businesses, and attract shoppers to this major thoroughfare in the Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, and Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhoods of Brooklyn. Property owners simultaneously opened their available storefronts for visits from more than fifty prospective tenants resulting in numerous signed leases.
AWARDS OF MERIT
Forward Fashion
Designer Incubator
Lower East Side Business Improvement District
Forward Fashion Designer Incubator, created by the Lower East Side BID, is a groundbreaking effort that successfully stimulates retail development in the neighborhood and provides business training and affordable commercial space to emerging fashion designers.
Jamaica First
Parking, LLC
Greater Jamaica Development Corporation
Jamaica First Parking merged two City-owned municipal parking lots into one state-of-the-art facility that provides much-needed affordable parking in downtown Jamaica, generating tax revenue for the City.
Staten Island
Economic Development Conference
Staten Island Economic Development Corporation
The Staten Island Development Conference is a highly attended, borough-wide event that showcases public-private development projects and business opportunities for entrepreneurs, investors, and other business leaders, and serves as an important catalyst for business development across the entire borough.
MARKETING
& PROMOTIONS
AWARD OF DISTINCTION
Madison Avenue:
Where Fashion Meets Art
Madison Avenue Business Improvement District
Madison Avenue: Where Fashion Meets Art is a ground-breaking promotional event that uniquely combines two of the great assets of Madison Avenue - fashion boutiques and art galleries - while underwriting an important arts in education initiative. Produced by the Madison Avenue BID, the event brought together over 100 neighborhood boutiques and galleries for a two-week campaign. Madison Avenue: Where Fashion Meets Art strengthens the district's identity as the fashion and fine art capital of New York City, while building ties to the larger community.
AWARDS OF MERIT
Astoria Destination
Campaign
Central Astoria Local Development Corporation
Astoria Destination Campaign earns high marks as an innovative approach to promoting tourism in Astoria among New Yorkers and out-of-town visitors. The campaign effectively positions Astoria as a vibrant and multicultural neighborhood with a range of cultural, shopping and dining attractions.
Atlantic Antic
Atlantic Avenue Local Development Corporation
The Atlantic Antic is one of the preeminent neighborhood festivals in the City, characterized by its unique grassroots flavor that reflects the best of Brooklyn commerce and culture. The event attracts over 400 merchants and 500,000 attendees to the Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, and Brooklyn Heights communities.
The Marketing
of Columbus Avenue
Columbus Avenue Business Improvement District
The Columbus Avenue BID has creatively branded its neighborhood through a progressive and dollar-smart set of marketing initiatives that enhance the area's appeal to shoppers and tourists.
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
AWARD OF DISTINCTION
Arts @ The
Point
The Point Community Development Corporation
Arts @ The Point is an innovative set of arts and cultural offerings in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx including Live from the Edge Theater, a 220-seat performance space, poetry "slams," bi-weekly hip-hop nights for up and coming young poets and rappers, daily instruction at the El Grito Dance Studio, and photography classes developed in partnership with the International Center for Photography.
AWARDS OF MERIT
Fulton FIRST
Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce
Fulton FIRST is a comprehensive three-year economic development initiative aimed at revitalizing the Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, and Bedford-Stuyvesant sections of Fulton Street. The comprehensiveness of this initiative and extensive dialogue with the local community are remarkable among planning efforts of this nature.
Partners in
Education
14th Street-Union Square Local Development Corporation
Partners in Education is a collaborative effort between the 14th Street-Union Square Local Development Corporation and Washington Irving High School, which has made it possible for hundreds of students to excel in high school, attend college, and explore a wide range of career opportunities through robust partnerships with local businesses.
Pride of the
Heights
Washington Heights Business Improvement District
The "Pride
of the Heights" campaign joins together Upper Manhattan merchants,
not-for-profit organizations, and the community to promote child healthcare
in the local Washington Heights community and provide aid to the Dominican
Republic.
PUBLIC SPACE
AWARD OF DISTINCTION
Campaign for
the New Madison Square Park
City Parks Foundation
The five million dollar initiative successfully transformed Madison Square Park from a state of decay into a beautiful, functioning park. The group rebuilt the park's infrastructure, expanded the park by 2,200 square feet, repaved paths and streets, created a maintenance facility, replanted lawns, installed new benches and fences, cleaned monuments, added a reflecting pool, and rebuilt the Southern Fountain. An ongoing education program teaches visitors about the environmental and historical significance of the park.
AWARDS OF MERIT
Beautification
of the Broadway Malls
Lincoln Square Business Improvement District
The Lincoln Square BID has created an alluring atmosphere in the heart of the Upper West Side through its Beautification of the Broadway Malls public space project.
Courtney Callender
Playgrounds
Abyssinian Development Corporation
The development of the Courtney Callender Playground into a beautiful, functional public space serves as a symbol of triumph in the Central Harlem Community.
Herald and
Greeley Square Parks
34th Street Partnership
Herald and Greeley Square Parks provide ample reasons to visit and linger on 34th Street. The renovated public space welcomes pedestrians and visitors and significantly brightens this important crossroads in midtown Manhattan.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center
The Greenpoint
Manufacturing and Design Center (GMDC) has pioneered a highly regarded
and unique approach to real estate redevelopment that has lead to
significant business expansion and job growth. Founded in 1992, GMDC
has rehabilitated five major centers of industrial activity, four
in the last three years alone. Today, GMDC manages a portfolio of
over 600,000 square of space that is home to 115 businesses in the
light manufacturing, textile and food industries. These businesses
generate over 650 blue-collar jobs, many of which go to residents
in the immediate area. GMDC's unique approach to redevelopment and
revitalization has maintained the diversity of the economic, physical,
and social fabric of New York City.
www.nyc.gov
Contact: | Edward Skyler / Jennifer Falk (212) 788-2958 |
Dawn
Schneider (DBS) (212) 618-8749 |