Bronx Chamber of Commerce - Did you do it yet?

Are you ready for a good time? Are you ready to actually have fun at a Gala? We all get invitations to support great causes each year. It's usually a night of speeches, meh food, and our feet hurt by the end. But not at the gala for The Bronx Chamber of Commerce. Here, it's fun! It's exciting! It is complete with interesting people, great food, a beautiful skyline, and fantastic entertainment and surprises around every corner. The evening is the Bronx's #1 business networking event of the year and features a two-hour cocktail reception, dinner, dancing, and so much more. All while raising critical funds to support our borough's small businesses, economic recovery and development. Invited speakers include New York State Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams - both promised to keep their remarks to 5 minutes so we can keep the networking going! The evening includes star-studded performances by Master of Ceremonies, Sal Valentinetti, "The Voice,” Brenda K. Starr, C-Bank, Cynthia, Steven Maglio, and DJ Serg. We are also honoring the people who make us who we are: Joseph Kelleher, John Collazzi, and The New York Yankees. These individuals have contributed their lives to making the Bronx the borough we know and love - come and celebrate them with us! Our Gala is fewer speeches. More networking. More excitement. More FUN. This annual event raises critical funds for borough economic and workforce development. 100% of all contributions support the Bronx Chamber’s business and economic development programs.  Sponsor, Purchase Tables & Tickets - Click Here To keep the fun and party going we have invited some awesome artists which represent the rich diversity of the Bronx and our history. The 2022 Bronx Chamber of Commerce Gala artists include: Sponsor, Purchase Tables & Tickets - Click Here Sal Valentinetti is our Master of Ceremonies and is Heidi Klum’s unforgettable 2016 Golden Buzzer recipient and finalist of America’s Got Talent. He is an Italian-American crooner known best for his flawless vocals, larger than life personality, and his heart of gold. Born August 26, 1995, Sal was raised in the small town of Bethpage, New York where he still resides today. From a very young age Sal was influenced by his grandmother to love the musical genius of the classic crooner sounds of Dean Martin, Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra. In 2016, Sal made his debut on Season 11 of the NBC hit show “America’s Got Talent.” That night, The 20-year-old college student went from delivering Pizzas for his cousin’s restaurant, to delivering what’s considered one of the best performances in AGT history. Before long, the world would come to know and admire him as “Sal the Voice." Since racking up over 350 million views worldwide with his captivating AGT audition, the celebrated charismatic crooner has been invited to appear in hundreds of sold out solo performances on stages around the world. From Madison Square Garden in NYC, to opening for Jay Leno in Las Vegas, to selling out the legendary NYCB Theater at Westbury like all of the greats before him; it’s safe to say that Sal is only getting started. Brenda K. Starr born to a Jewish father and a Puerto Rican mother, Brenda K. Starr became one of the biggest names in freestyle music during the 1980's. Scoring a number one hit single with her song "I Still Believe," Brenda occasionally did film work before becoming a name in urban dance music. Brenda is famous for discovering singer Mariah Carey. Mariah, a friend of Brenda's, was a backup singer at the time. Brenda recorded a demo of Mariah's work, and forwarded to Sony Music Head Tommy Mottola. The rest is history and later Mariah married Mottola (they divorced after a few years). Mariah covered Brenda's hit "I Still Believe" on her "1's" album. Presently Brenda is very involved in the world of Latin music, especially salsa music. She lives in New York and is married with one child. Cynthia is a Puerto Rican-American freestyle and dance-pop singer. Cynthia is best known for her hits "Dreamboy/Dreamgirl" (with Johnny O), "Break Up to Make Up" and "If I Had the Chance", which peaked at numbers 53, 70 and 83 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. In 2005, she recorded a duet piece with Lisette Melendez entitled "I Can't Change Your Mind." C-Bank is an electro studio project by production and remix legend John Robie (Afrika Bambaataa, New Order, Cabaret Voltaire), was led by vocalist Jenny Burton. Robie and Burton took the group into the R&B charts in 1983 with the synth-heavy barnstormer "One More Shot." Later that year, however, Burton went out on her own with the Top 20 single "Remember What You Like" on Atlantic. C-Bank's label, Next Plateau, created a Greatest Hits compilation almost 15 years later. Sponsor, Purchase Tables & Tickets - Click Here Steven Maglio was born in East Harlem, N.Y. on December 25, 1958.  In 1966, his family moved to the Bronx, and being the new kid on the block, he walked back and forth to school alone for the first few weeks.  He heard a recording of Frank Sinatra singing MY KIND OF TOWN, and to pass the time on his new daily trek, he would sing the song to himself over and over. After a few days, he decided he needed another song and began to explore the only Sinatra album his parents owned at the time, A MAN AND HIS MUSIC. That was the beginning of his addiction to Sinatra and that whole world of standard songs and singers. He has performed at Resorts AC, The Sands Hotel & The Hilton Hotel in Atlantic City, The Paris Hotel & Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, The Breakers in Palm Beach, The Villages in Florida, and events in Nashville, Cape Cod, and Beverly Hills. Steven is an international performer, appearing on several occasions in Italy, Canada, Brazil, and with The Symphony Orchestra of Guayaquil in Ecuador.   He’s shared the stage with Frankie Valli, Wayne Newton, Dionne Warwick, Deana Martin, Jay Leno, Steve Tyrell, Tony Danza, Smokey Robinson, Lisa Lampanelli, Danny Aiello, Larry King, Joe Piscopo, Pat Cooper, Tony Orlando, Jordin Sparks, Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, and with Frank Sinatra’s former pianist, conductor & music director, Vincent Falcone. Sponsor, Purchase Tables & Tickets - Click Here DJ Serg is known to thousands in the Tri-State area as DJ Serg. Born and raised in an Italian neighborhood in the Bronx, he learned to mix records at a young age. Serg received his degree in engineering and producing at the Institute of Audio Research, and in the past few years his career as a DJ has brought him to an expert level of producing and remixing. He’s had a #1 Hit on the Billboard music charts with the song “L’italiano” in 2002, and appeared numerous times on Fox 5 Good Day New York with Rosanna Scotto and Mike Woods. Westchester Magazine awarded him “BEST DJ” in Westchester and the Bronx. He is CEO of a successful mobile entertainment company, DJ Serg Entertainment, which is rated BEST of KNOT Weddings for ‘Best DJ Company’. In addition, Serg is recognized by weddingwire.com for his excellent services and performance. Sponsor, Purchase Tables & Tickets - Click Here Secure Your Journal Ad - Click Here ‌  ‌  ‌  ‌

MAYOR ADAMS, NYC PARKS, NYCHA ANNOUNCE COLLABORATION TO BUILD NEW OPEN SPACES, PLAYGROUNDS AT SIX HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS

 

$23 Million Mayoral Investment Will Bring City Closer to “Walk to a Park” Goals 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks), and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) today announced a pilot program to re-imagine and invest in nearly three acres of NYCHA open space — including playgrounds — across three developments in Queens, two developments in the Bronx, and one development in Brooklyn. The announcement was held at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new open space at Pomonok Houses in Queens, which has been fully reconstructed under this pilot and now includes fitness equipment, sensory play equipment, seating, and new landscaping. 

 

“New York City’s parks, playgrounds, and open spaces aren’t luxuries, but necessities — playing a critical role to build community and nurturing our physical, mental, and emotional health,” said Mayor Adams. “This investment in NYCHA’s playgrounds and open spaces is a down payment on our city’s future that will pay dividends for generations to come.” 

 

“Every New Yorker should be able to walk to a clean, quality, and functional open space. By working closely, NYCHA and NYC Parks are making this reality,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “These revitalized areas will be important sources of health and community for the residents. We still have much work to do, but this is a big step in the right direction.”  

 

"Everyone should have access to quality resources and amenities in their community, and that includes places to play and relax outdoors, especially for our younger neighbors,” said Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz. “This new partnership between NYCHA and NYC Parks to overhaul open spaces and playgrounds at six developments will bring joy to thousands of public housing residents. Thank you to NYC Parks for being an incredible partner in building a stronger NYCHA as we work to improve services and quality of life for residents.”  

 

“All New Yorkers deserve to have high-quality parks that are just a short walk away from their homes,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “We are so proud of our partnership with NYCHA to transform underutilized areas under their jurisdiction into thriving public amenities, and grateful for the hundreds of NYCHA tenants and community members who came out to our input meetings and shared with us their dreams for these spaces.”

“Providing accessible open spaces that connect NYCHA residents to outdoor activity and recreation is essential to improving the quality of life for our campuses,” said NYCHA Chair and CEO Greg Russ. “Today’s exciting partnership is made possible through the support of the mayor’s office and the capacity of NYC Parks, and is in keeping with the Authority’s Connected Communities initiative, which engages in robust agency partnerships and resident-focused input to increase green space equity and integrate resilience in our neighborhoods.”   

 

NYCHA and NYC Parks met with the residents at Woodside, Pomonok, Redfern, Watson, Sotomayor, and Kingsborough Houses to choose locations and help create the vision for their brand new open spaces. Since receiving community feedback, construction has finished at Pomonok Houses, is underway at Woodside and Redfern Houses, is expected to begin at Watson and Kingsborough Houses by spring 2023, and begin at Sotomayor Houses by summer 2023.  

 

As part of the partnership, NYC Parks will maintain and operate the renovated open spaces. Revitalizing these spaces will create new amenities for the NYCHA community and other New Yorkers who currently do not live within walking distance of a park. Citywide, 83.6 percent of New Yorkers currently live within walking distance of a park. The Walk to a Park initiative focuses on increasing access to parks and open spaces, concentrating on areas of the city that are under-resourced and where residents are living further than a walk to a park.  

 

Projects included in the initial pilot include:  

 

Redfern Houses ($9.3 million)  

• Size: 50,000 square feet of NYCHA recreation area and Redfern Playground 
• Scope: This project will reconstruct Redfern Playground and the adjacent NYCHA open space to include an upgraded ball field, basketball court, and handball court, play equipment, fitness equipment for teens and adults, and a grilling area.  

Woodside Houses ($1.2 million)  

• Size: 6,500 square feet 
• Scope: This project will revamp a passive seating and landscaped area at Woodside Houses with new game tables, benches, landscaping, and pathways. 

Pomonok Houses ($3 million)  

• Size: 13,000 square feet 
• Scope: This project has re-imagined an open space at Pomonok Houses to include fitness equipment, sensory play equipment, seating, and new landscaping. 

Watson Houses ($2.5 million) 

• Size: 9,300 square feet 
• Scope: This project will revamp a playground and seating area at 1471 Watson Houses to include new play equipment, game tables, benches, water play, landscaping, and brand new adult fitness equipment. 

Kingsborough Houses ($5.1 million) 

• Size:20,000 and 16,000 square feet 
• Scope: This project will revitalize two playgrounds at Kingsborough Houses with new play equipment, game tables, benches, water play, and landscaping. 

Sotomayor Houses ($1.9 million) 

• Size: 9,900 square feet 
• Scope: This project will revamp a playground at Sotomayor Houses with new play equipment, water play, game tables, benches, landscaping, and brand-new swings.

 

Third Avenue Business Improvement District - Missed out on COVID-19 Relief? Apply.

 

Governor Hochul Announces Launch of New York's First-in-the-Nation $200 Million Seed Funding Grant for Early-stage Businesses Impacted by Covid-19

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the applications portal for the first-in-the-nation Seed Funding Grant Program, created as part of the FY2023 budget, will open on September 14. The program provides flexible grants to support early stage, micro and small businesses in a still recovering New York State economy. The program will ensure that small businesses that opened shortly before or during the COVID-19 pandemic will have the funds to continue to operate and grow. This program builds upon New York State's existing $800 million Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program, which has delivered more than $639 million to over 35,000 small businesses since it launched last year, with ninety percent of funding having gone to minority and women-owned businesses. Starting today, Empire State Development will expand eligibility for the program, enabling more small businesses to access funding by removing the requirement that businesses show a twenty-five percent loss in annual gross receipts from 2019 to 2020. This expansion of eligibility comes in addition to previous program changes to profitability requirements and revenue thresholds, aimed at serving additional small businesses. The program, which will continue to process applications currently in the pipeline, will close as funding winds down on September 30, 2022.

Am I Eligible - CLICK HERE

Apply - CLICK HE

Governor Hochul Announces Launch of New York's First-in-the-Nation $200 Million Seed Funding Grant for Early-Stage Businesses Impacted by COVID-19

 

Provides Assistance to Help Early-Stage Small and Micro-Businesses Recover and Grow in a Post-Pandemic Economy

State's Successful COVID-19 Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program Will Expand Eligibility as it Winds Down Available Funding

More Information on the Seed Funding Grant Program Can Be Found Here

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the applications portal for the first-in-the-nation Seed Funding Grant Program, created as part of the FY2023 budget, will open on September 14. The program provides flexible grants to support early stage, micro and small businesses in a still recovering New York State economy. The program will ensure that small businesses that opened shortly before or during the COVID-19 pandemic will have the funds to continue to operate and grow.

"This first-in-the-nation Seed Funding Grant Program rounds out $1 billion in flexible funding to support both early-stage, and established small and micro-businesses," Governor Hochul said. "New York businesses were among the hardest hit nationwide at the height of the pandemic, but with this funding, we're extending a lifeline to help them continue to grow and operate. Applications open tomorrow, and I encourage all New York business owners to take full advantage and be a part of New York's remarkable recovery."

This program builds upon New York State's existing $800 million Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program, which has delivered more than $639 million to over 35,000 small businesses since it launched last year, with ninety percent of funding having gone to minority and women-owned businesses. Starting today, Empire State Development will expand eligibility for the program, enabling more small businesses to access funding by removing the requirement that businesses show a twenty-five percent loss in annual gross receipts from 2019 to 2020. This expansion of eligibility comes in addition to previous program changes to profitability requirements and revenue thresholds, aimed at serving additional small businesses. The program, which will continue to process applications currently in the pipeline, will close as funding winds down on September 30, 2022. 

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, "The pandemic has had profound impacts on our economy and our small and micro businesses were among the hardest hit, especially in New York State. Supporting our State's small businesses has been a priority of Governor Hochul's administration and the steps taken to expand eligibility and get funding out the the door has helped countless businesses stay on track. The $800 million Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program and now the new Seed Funding Grant Program marks unprecedented support for New York State's small businesses and for our economic success moving forward." 

SEED FUNDING GRANT PROGRAM:

The new Seed Funding Grant Program is designed to support New York State small businesses, micro-businesses and for-profit independent arts and cultural organizations that started operations on or after September 1, 2018 and have been operational for at least six months before an application is submitted. Applicants must have between $5,000 and $1 million in gross receipts per year as reflected on their most recent federal business tax return.  More detailed guidelines can be found here. 

Awards for eligible businesses are based on their 2020 or 2021 tax returns. Businesses with gross receipts ranging from $5,000 to $49,999.99 can receive $5,000 per business. Businesses with $50,000 to $99,999.99 in gross receipts may be awarded $10,000 per business. Businesses with $100,000 to $1 million in gross receipts will be awarded ten percent of their gross receipts with a maximum grant amount of $25,000 per business. Eligible applicants that have not yet filed a federal tax return can receive $5,000 per business.  

PANDEMIC SMALL BUSINESS RECOVERY GRANT PROGRAM:

Businesses that have started but not yet completed their current application for the Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program must submit all necessary information by 5:00 p.m. on September 30, 2022. Recognizing the various challenges that small business owners face, New York State provides one-on-one assistance, webinars, a call center, and materials in fourteen languages to ensure greater access to this critical funding. Additionally, ESD's network of partner organizations that offer support services to entrepreneurs and small businesses will help with pandemic relief grant and loan applications. More information can be found here.

The successful Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program has as strong track record of ensuring critical funding is going towards those eligible businesses most in need:  Micro-businesses, defined as companies with ten or fewer employees, have received over 98 percent of the awards. Just over 90 percent of the grants have been awarded to minority- and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs) and over 47 percent of grant awards went to socially and economically disadvantaged businesses.  To date, the average grant award is $17,783. 

About Empire State Development 

Empire State Development (ESD) is New York's chief economic development agency (www.esd.ny.gov). The mission of ESD is to promote a vigorous and growing economy, encourage the creation of new job and economic opportunities, increase revenues to the State and its municipalities, and achieve stable and diversified local economies. Through the use of loans, grants, tax credits and other forms of financial assistance, ESD strives to enhance private business investment and growth to spur job creation and support prosperous communities across New York State. ESD is also the primary administrative agency overseeing the New York State Regional Economic Development Councils and the marketing of "I LOVE NY," the State's iconic tourism brand. For more information on Regional Councils and Empire State Development, visit www.regionalcouncils.ny.gov and www.esd.ny.gov. 

Van Nest Neighborhood Alliance September Meeting

 

This was the first meeting after taking two months off for summer vacation and VNNA President Bernadette Ferrara had a full agenda with several special guests. The two speakers were City Council members Oswald Feliz and Marjorie Velazquez. Councilwoman Velazquez had a family emergency but Councilman Feliz was able to talk for more than the amount of time both council members would of. 

Councilman Feliz went over a long list of items saying however his top priorities are Public Safety and Crime. He wants the streets to be safe and the no consequences to many small crimes is not helping the quality of life in the city. The garbage in the streets and graffiti with the business crime on Fordham Road makes his head want to explode. He wants more cops, and the city needs to do a better job in improving the quality of life in the Bronx. He then went through a list of monies he earmarked for various parks and playgrounds. Jacqueline Crossan of Councilwoman Velazquez's office agreed with Councilman Feliz that quality of life is important to people. 

VNNA President Bernadette Ferrara gave her President's report giving a brief summary of dates and events over the past two years of Community Board 11, and called on the District Manager of CB 11 to announce the September 29th Public Hearing CB 11 will be having on the Just Home proposal to house severely ill former inmates and those awaiting trial in a currently unused building on the Jacobi Hospital Campus. The public hearing will be held at the Jacobi Hospital Medical Center Rotunda to the right of Building #4. 

Councilman Oswad Feliz address the audience at Monday's Van Nest Neighborhood Alliance meeting.

VNNA President Bernadette Ferrara calls on Community Board 11 District Manager (far right) to raise his hand so the audience can see him. To Ms. Ferrara's right is VNNA Senior Advisor Bob Nolan, VNNA Vice-President Sharlene Jackson Mendez, and Secretary Marion Manfredi.

The VNNA Executive Board, Councilman Feliz, Jacqueline Crossan of Councilwoman Velazquez's office (far right) and the many people who were in the audience.