FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SEPTEMBER 17, 2020
QUEENS, N.Y. (September 17, 2020) – The Rockaway Development & Revitalization Corporation (RDRC) is pleased to announce through a multi-year grant award from the NYC Department of Small Business Services its commercial revitalization activities that will benefit our Downtown Far Rockaway Commercial corridor during the 2020-2021 fiscal period. We are pleased to announce our Downtown Far Rockaway Neighborhhood 360 projects and project partners:
Street Cleaning and Trash Can Removal Services will be provided by the Association of Community Employment Program for the Homeless (ACE) four days per week – Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. ACE will provide sidewalk sweeping and rubbish removal, empty filled City trash cans and replace with fresh liners, and provide sidewalk snow removal services. ACE will be servicing the following downtown areas: Mott Avenue from Cornaga Avenue to Beach Channel Drive; Beach 20th Street from Mott and New Haven Avenues; Central Avenue from Mott Avenue to Nameoke Place; and Beach 21st Street from Mott to Cornaga Avenues.
Cornaga Avenue Business Engagement Services will be provided by the Jewish Community Council of the Rockaway Peninula (JCCRP). Our objective is to strengthen our engagement and business support efforts to businesses located along Cornaga Avenue that includes several Kosher businesses. JCCRP in conjunction with the RDRC Rockaways Business Resource Center will conduct monthly district walks to assess existing conditions along Cornaga Avenue, engage business owners, identify and promote commerical space vacancies, and provide information about COVID-19 resources, loan and grant opportunities to sustain and grow their businesses.
Downtown Far Rockaway Storefront Mural Project will be coordinated by Queens Council on the Arts (QCA). One of the key findings identified by community stakeholders in the Downtown Far Rockaway Commercial District Needs Assessment conducted in 2019 was the lack of arts and culture in the district. The Project will help address this challenge by using local artists to design and paint “themed” artwork on solid rolldown gates located throughout the district. The Project will include the establishment of a “community artists panel” to coordinate local artist outreach activities, review artists submissions, conduct artists interviews, and selection recommendations.
In addition to the projects mentioned above, RDRC will continue to provide business support and retention services to businesses located throughout Downtown Far Rockaway as well as the entire Rockaway Peninsula and Broad Channel areas. The RDRC Rockaways Business Resource Center was established this past April in response to COVID-19. The Resource Center is focused on collecting and disseminating information about COVID-19 resources, grants and loan programs; marketing and promoting our businesses to residents; assisting business owners complete applications and compiling supporting documents for programs such as the SBA Payroll Protection Program, NYC Open Restaurants and the LISC Small Business Relief & Recovery Fund.
“The NYC Small Business Services Neighborhood 360 grant is enabling RDRC to strengthen its capacity to assist struggling Rockaways businesses now heading into the off-season, collaborate with several impactful organizations to clean and brighten our downtown district, and leverage Neighborhood 360 grant to attract additional funding and resources to serve our Rockaways community better”, stated RDRC Board Chairwoman, Linda Plummer.