SoBRO: South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 7, 2010: SoBRO is pleased to announce that it has successfully coordinated the future installation of parking meters in the Tremont and Bathgate sections of the Bronx with the support of local merchants of the Tremont and Bathgate Industrial Business Zones (IBZ) and the New York City Department of Transportation. The parking meters, which will be installed in the Fall of 2010, will help local businesses by freeing up parking space for customers who want to shop at the local stores.

SoBRO Contact:
Ayca Ergeneman, Vice President of Development, 718-732-7520

NYCAL CONTACTS:
Anthony Ng, United Neighborhood Houses, 917-723-4607
Bruce Carmel, Turning Point, 646-522-8889

NEW YORK COALITION FOR ADULT LITERACY & SoBRO
Media Advisory

1,000 to Rally Against Devastating Adult Literacy Cuts
14,000 New Yorkers Impacted by Mayor’s Cuts
Literacy Programs at 100 NYC Nonprofits at Stake

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SoBRO’s PS/MS 3 Students Win Grant from Nickelodeon to “Green Their Park”

Contact:
Rogina Coar-Smith 718-732-7564

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SoBRO Partners with NASA-Funded Program to Provide Free Assistance to Local Businesses

April 1, 2010: SoBRO is pleased to announce its partnership with a unique program supported by a grant from the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA), the Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program (SATOP), which provides local businesses with free engineering assistance.

SoBRO held a moderated panel discussion today addressing the Bronx’s lack of access to fresh food and outlining various financing programs available to operators and developers of fresh food retail stores in underserved communities. The Fresh Food Retail Attraction Seminar was moderated by SoBRO’s Executive Vice President, Gerard Weinbrecht, and included representatives from prominent City agencies, development corporations, and the food industry.

In 2007, SoBRO initiated the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) certification process for an empty lot at Boston Road and E 175th Street, just east of Crotona Park in the Bronx. ULURP is a major step toward getting property rezoned and ready for mixed-use development.

The area currently surrounding this lot is characterized by storage facilities, gas stations and vacant, contaminated lots (or “brownfields”). The current zoning, C8-3, even allows for junkyards in this area.

SoBRO was recently awarded a contract from the NYS Department of Labor (NYSDOL) to offer 100 young adults (ages 16-24) from the South Bronx basic education and career development services. The new program will include a vocational training component in the health and environmental sectors. The environmental track that will prepare participants to work on Brownfield sites located throughout the city, as well as green construction and deconstruction projects.

In October 2009, the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) awarded SoBRO a grant as part of its "Program for Investment in Micro-Entrepreneurs" (PRIME) funding opportunity.

The program will offer micro-entrepreneurial assistance to 36 individuals over the course of its 1 year duration. The program differs from SoBRO's current Entrepreneurial Assistance Program (EAP) in that it will specifically target “Low and Very Low-Income” Individuals residing in public New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) developments interested in starting or who already own a business.

The Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation (DBAF) announced that SoBRO will participate in their new Green Carts Microenterprise Intermediary Program. DBAF and SoBRO—which received lead agency designation for the program—have a twofold purpose for the program: to provide fresh produce to the City’s low-income “food deserts” and to offer entrepreneurial opportunities for those interested in operating Green Carts.

Press Release
For Immediate Release
Contact: Miriam Johnson, 718.292.3113

SoBRO Receives M/WBE Grant From NYC Dept. of Small Business Services