The Lo-Down: Grants Go to Paul Taylor, Gulick Park, Allen Street

While the Lower Manhattan Development Corp., is winding down, it still has some money left to award.  Local elected officials, including U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer and State senator Daniel Squadron, have urged the LMDC to use some of the money to refurbish Pier 42, at the end of Montgomery Street.  While the city has plans to build a park and recreational area on the pier, there’s no money budgeted for the project.

Today, Squadron praised the LMDC for awarding the community grants. But, in a statement, he added, he would continue to “fight for the redevelopment funds necessary to compete the East River Waterfront park, including the redevelopment of Pier 42.”

By Ed Litvak

As we reported earlier, the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. today awarded $17 million in grants to downtown cultural and community groups. The post-9/11 recovery funds will help support all sorts of programs, including quite a few initiatives on the Lower East Side.

A few highlights… The Paul Taylor Dance Studio received $250,000 to create a black box studio in their new home on Grand Street. The Friends of Gulick Park collected another $900,000 from the LMDC, meaning they now have more than $3 million for a renovation of both the eastern and western portions of the park.  And the Hester Street Collaborative got $1 million to continue refurbishing the Allen Street pedestrian malls.

Here’s a detailed look at the LES-centric recipients:

Asian Americans for Equality: $300,000 for affordable housing advocacy programs

Common Ground: $500,000 for safety upgrades at The Lee, the supportive housing facility at 133 Pitt Street.

Educational Alliance: $300,000 for a program to prepare parents of Head Start students for college.

Grand Street Settlement: $1 million to replace the elevator in their main building at 80 Pitt Street.

Hamilton Madison House: Two separate grants totaling $450,000 for facility renovations and expansion of jobs center.

Friends of Gulick Park: $900,000 to complete the reconstruction of the western end of the park.

Hester Street Collaborative: $1 million for the renovation of a comfort station at Allen & Delancey streets.

Gouverneur Healthcare Services: $820,000 for installation of a CAT Scan system.

University Settlement: $250,000 for free programs at the Houston Street Center.

ABC No Rio: $275,000 for reconstruction of building.

Clemente Cultural Velez Cultural Center: $500,000 for interior design and planning.

LES Tenement Museum: $400,000 for exhibit development.

New Museum: $100,000 to hire a producer for the Festival of Ideas.

Paul Taylor Dance Company: $250,000 for renovation of dance studio into a multi-purpose black box performance space at 551 Grand Street.

While the Lower Manhattan Development Corp., is winding down, it still has some money left to award.  Local elected officials, including U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer and State senator Daniel Squadron, have urged the LMDC to use some of the money to refurbish Pier 42, at the end of Montgomery Street.  While the city has plans to build a park and recreational area on the pier, there’s no money budgeted for the project.

Today, Squadron praised the LMDC for awarding the community grants. But, in a statement, he added, he would continue to “fight for the redevelopment funds necessary to compete the East River Waterfront park, including the redevelopment of Pier 42.”

Read more here.