Project Grant CE152884

COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING - CONSTRUCTION - ADDRESS: 60 MADISON ST NEW YORK NY 10038 PROJECT DIRECTOR NAME: ERIC DIAZ CONTACT PHONE NUMBER: (646) 897-0968 EMAIL: ERIC@VISIONURBANA.ORG WEBSITE: WWW2.VISIONURBANA.ORG LIST ALL GRANT PROGRAM FUNDS REQUESTED IN THE APPLICATION: VISION URBANA, INC. WAS ABLE TO CONCURRENTLY APPLY FOR AND RECEIVE TWO SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL ALLOCATIONS FOR THIS IMPORTANT HEALTH CENTER PROJECT: 1. A $1MILLION NYS ALLOCATION THROUGH ITS DRI (DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION INITIATIVE) PROGRAM, WHICH WILL BE ADMINISTERED THROUGH ITS HOUSING TRUST FUND CORPORATION (HTFC) AND USED TOWARDS THE RENOVATION OF THE 60 MADISON STREET VU HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER INCLUDING MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL UPGRADES, HEATING VENTILATION SYSTEMS, AND INTERIOR FIT-OUT. AND 2. A $1MILLION COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/ CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING CONSTRUCTION PROJECT (CPF/CDS) AWARD, THROUGH THE AUSPICES OF CONGRESSMAN JERROLD NADLER, THEN REPRESENTING THE 10TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. VISION URBANA, INC. (VU) IS A NONPROFIT 501C3 HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ORGANIZATION BASED IN THE LOWER EAST SIDE OF MANHATTAN FOR OVER 30 YEARS. VU SUCCESSFULLY PROPOSED THE RE-USE OF A COMMERCIAL SPACE AT 60 MADISON STREET (CORNER OF CATHERINE STREET), LOCATED WITHIN THE ALFRED E. SMITH PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, VACANT FOR OVER SEVEN YEARS. WITH GREAT COMMUNITY SUPPORT, VU WAS ABLE TO EXECUTE A LEASE WITH THE NEW YORK CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR THE 3000 SQ. FT SPACE. THIS SITE WAS A FORMER MEDICAL CENTER CLOSED IN 2016...AN ACTION NOT WELL-RECEIVED BY LOCAL RESIDENTS AS THEY WERE LEFT WITHOUT A CRITICAL HEALTH CENTER, WHICH GIVEN DEMOGRAPHICS AND HEALTH DISPARITIES PARTICULARLY AMONG LOW-INCOME, WORKING POOR BIPOC FAMILIES, WAS A GREAT BLOW. LOCAL RESIDENT LEADERS ENGAGED VU, A TRUSTED COMMUNITY GROUP THAT HAD SERVED THEM WELL BEFORE AND ALL THROUGH THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC, TO HELP THEM RESTORE THE CLINIC. THIS CREATED THE MOMENTUM BEHIND WHAT IS NOW THE VU HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER CAPITAL PROJECT. THIS PROJEC T WILL REACTIVATE AN ABANDONED HEALTH CENTER FACILITY ON NYCHA PROPERTY AND RESTORE CRITICAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS SERVICES, WHICH WILL INCLUDE ON-SITE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND CLINICIANS, PROVISION OF MEDICAL SERVICES, WEEKLY AND MONTHLY TRILINGUAL HEALTH FORUMS LED BY MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS TO EDUCATE AND PREVENT CHRONIC DISEASES, AND A MYRIAD OF HEALTH RESOURCES INCLUDING CULTURALLY CARING NAVIGATION SERVICES THROUGH THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IN AT LEAST THREE OF THE MAJOR LANGUAGES IN THIS DISTRICT. SMITH HOUSES, AS IT IS LOCALLY CALLED, IS ONE OF THE LARGEST PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CITY, CONSISTING OF 12 RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS; 1,935 HOUSING UNITS; WITH A TOTAL POPULATION OF 4,072 REPORTED RESIDENTS, BORDERED BY THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE TO THE SOUTH, THE EAST RIVER TO THE EAST, CHATHAM SQUARE TO THE WEST, AND SEVERAL SHORT BLOCKS AWAY FROM THE MANHATTAN BRIDGE TO THE NORTH, IS WITHIN THE 9/11-GROUND ZERO CATCHMENT AND STILL SUFFERS ITS IMPACT AS WELL AS THAT OF HURRICANE SANDY. VISION URBANA WAS ABLE TO CONCURRENTLY APPLY FOR AND RECEIVE TWO SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL ALLOCATIONS FOR THIS IMPORTANT HEALTH CENTER PROJECT: 1. A $1MILLION NYS ALLOCATION THROUGH ITS DRI (DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION INITIATIVE) PROGRAM, WHICH WILL BE ADMINISTERED THROUGH ITS HOUSING TRUST FUND CORPORATION (HTFC) AND USED TOWARDS THE RENOVATION OF THE 60 MADISON STREET VU HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER INCLUDING MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL UPGRADES, HEATING VENTILATION SYSTEMS, AND INTERIOR FIT-OUT AND, 2. A $1MILLION COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/ CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING CONSTRUCTION PROJECT (CPF/CDS) AWARD, THROUGH THE AUSPICES OF CONGRESSMAN JERRY NADLER, THEN REPRESENTING THE 10 TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. AND WELLNESS CENTER PROJECT. BOTH AWARDS ($2 MILLION - STATE AND FEDERAL) ARE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS CAPITAL PROJECT.