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The New York Empowerment Zone Corporation recently approved funding totaling over $6.4 million for 10 programs aimed at supporting arts programs and stimulating economic growth in the Bronx and Upper Manhattan. Most of the funding went to established programs like the Jazz Museum and Harlem Stage but a $510,352 grant and a $1.5 million loan go to the Business Resource Investment Service Center to fund BRSIC operations and a loan pool for the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Small business lending program. A $200,000 loan and a $50,000 grant will help Project Enterprise Inc. establish a micro-loan program in the Bronx Empowerment Zone.

Additionally, a $250,000 grant will go to help Rocking The Boat Inc. establish its first permanent home at 812 Edgewater Road in the Bronx, while a $150,200 grant will help the New York Gauchos and Teamwork Foundation renovate its main gymnasium and entranceway at 478 Gerard Avenue in the Bronx.

A detailed list of the programs approved after the jump:

• $1.26 million grant to Jazzmobile as part of a $3.65 million project that will help the oldest jazz organization in the United States continue strengthening its mission to bring jazz and jazz education to underserved communities in New York City. Jazzmobile plans over a three-year period to expand programming, increase its fund-raising efforts, add staff and increase marketing and promotions. Founded in 1964, Jazzmobile reaches approximately 250,000 persons annually through Summer Jazz Festival concerts, Sunday Jazz Workshops, public school jazz lecture demonstrations, a Jazz Vocalist competition and the Jazz Jams program.
• $1 million grant to Harlem Stage to help fund a $5.33 million project to expand its operations at the 135th Street Gatehouse, which is becoming its primary venue. Using both Aaron Davis Hall at CUNY’s City College Campus and the Gatehouse, Harlem Stage presents a variety of dynamic programs in theater, music, art, film and dance which are rooted in and reflect the rich and diverse traditions of people of color and has established itself as Harlem’s premier center for the performing arts.
• $550,000 grant to the Museum of the City of New York as part of a $2.9 million project to digitize 32,000 images from five iconic photographic collections that concentrate on the borough of Manhattan dating from the 1890s to the 1960s.
• $450,300 grant to help fund the National Jazz Museum in Harlem’s $1.15 million project to develop the museum’s capacity to ensure its sustainability. Over the past decade, the Jazz Museum has established itself as a vital and growing jazz organization in Harlem whose operations include four highly-successful programs: Jazz for Curious Listeners, Harlem Speaks, Jazz for Curious Readers and Jazz in the Parks.
• $336,000 grant to help the Association of Hispanic Arts implement its $491,800 strategic plan. Founded in 1975, the Association of Hispanic Arts provides development aid to emerging and seasoned artists. It anticipates that it will serve almost 700 people this year.
• $173,750 grant to help fund the $347,500 build-out and start-up cost of Allianza Dominicana’s Centro Cultural Afro-Quisqueya. Founded in 1985, Allianza’s mission is to revitalize economically distressed neighborhoods and interrupt the poverty cycle by partnering with youths, families and public and private institutions and offers over 20 programs serving 20,000 children and adults annually. The Central Cultural Afro-Quisqueya is envisioned as a center devoted to the programming of Dominican arts and cultural activities.
• $510,352 grant and a $1.5 million loan to the Business Resource Investment Service Center to fund BRSIC operations and a loan pool for the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Small business lending program. The Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Corporation founded the BRSIc in 1996 and reestablished it in 2004 as a one-stop capital shop providing loans, technical assistance and other business essential resources for small businesses in the Upper Manhattan empowerment zone. If all loans are approved as anticipated through fiscal year 2008, BRSIC will have approved 24 loans totaling $4 million to viable but “un-bankable” businesses since being re-established in September 2004.
• $200,000 loan and a $50,000 grant to help Project Enterprise Inc. establish a micro-loan program in the Bronx Empowerment Zone. Since its creation in 1996 as a US Tressury-certified Community Development Financial Institution, Project Enterprise has served more than 1,300 entrepreneurs, disbursing more than 350 loans totaling over $1.2 million.
• $250,000 grant to help Rocking The Boat Inc.’s $960,000 project to consolidate and renovate its educational facilities. The project will help the company establish its first permanent home at 812 Edgewater Road in the Bronx. Rocking the Boat used traditional wooden boatbuilding and on-water education to help middle- and high school-age youth develop into empowered and responsible adults. Its programs serve nearly 2,000 students and community members, mostly from the south Bronx.
• $150,200 grant to help the New York Gauchos and Teamwork Foundation renovate its main gymnasium and entranceway at 478 Gerard Avenue in the Bronx. The Teamwork Foundation, founded 40 years ago, serves as the general business administrator of the New York Gauchos basketball program that has served approximately 11,000 young people ranging in age from 5 through 18. Fifteen Gaucho alumni have played in the National Basketball Association (including, currently, Stephon Marbury of the New York Knicks).

Source: Empire State News