presented by Vision Long Island and the Long Island Main Street Alliance August 20th, 2021
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Quote of the Week
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Village of Amityville Creates “Fridays on the Greene”
The Village of Amityville, in partnership with the Amityville Chamber of Commerce, has introduced a series of street parties this summer to bring together residents and visitors alike. Across four evenings of live music, outdoor dining, and socializing, the event will be known as “Fridays on the Greene” and involve closing down a portion of Greene Avenue just off Broadway in the Village’s downtown, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tables and chairs are being provided by the Amityville Fire Department and Edison lights were installed by the Village’s Department of Public Works across the closed roadway. Nearby businesses have offered dining discounts and delivery to diners’ streetside tables along with menus provided at each table for ease of ordering. “The project was conceived as a way to spur business for downtown restaurants and deli’s and bring residents out of their homes to enjoy music and each other’s company after the long pandemic,” said Amityville Village Mayor Dennis M. Siry. “We wanted to try something different, and the space worked out really well for live music in a central location.” Local breweries, including Amity Ales and Small Craft Brewery, provided beverages, and on August 20th vintner Amityville Cellars will be joining to offer wines by the glass. “Word has spread that there’s something local to do on Friday nights when the weather cooperates,” said John Diliberto, President, Amityville Chamber of Commerce. “It is a new twist on the street party, with people of all ages and backgrounds participating and enjoying our downtown.” Downtown Block Parties Coming To Lindenhurst Village
The Village of Lindenhurst hosted a press conference on Monday, August 16th, in front of the Gazebo at Lindenhurst Village Square to announce plans for the upcoming “Wednesdays on Wellwood” downtown block parties. Vision and members of the Long Island Main Street Alliance were in attendance. Lindenhurst Village Trustee RJ Renna greeted attendees, stating that “Wednesdays on Wellwood” will be another opportunity for businesses to thrive in the Village’s downtown. “This is an amazing thing for the downtown. It will drive foot traffic to the Village,” Trustee Renna explained. Suffolk County Legislator Kevin McCaffrey spoke, acknowledging the hard work that has been put into Lindenhurst, “the evolution” of what has been going on in the Village, starting with housing in the downtown, vibrant restaurants and exciting events, including the upcoming block party. “The County has made an investment in Lindenhurst, a lot of organizations have come together to make Lindenhurst the place it is today,” Legislator McCaffrey stated. “This Village has done all the great things that you need to do to revitalize a downtown community,” noted Eric Alexander, Director of Vision Long Island and the Long Island Main Street Alliance. “We are excited to see the restaurants, we are excited to see the walkability in this community. Events like Wednesdays on Wellwood have been critical for downtowns across Long Island. They bring people together at a focused time, literally like a destination, and everyone benefits.” JoAnn Boettcher, President of the Lindenhurst Chamber of Commerce, discussing the new event stated, “We are looking to bring artisans into our community. We will have miniature golf; all restaurants and breweries will be out.” The Details: Hosted by The Lindenhurst Chamber of Commerce and The Village of Lindenhurst, “Wednesdays on Wellwood” will be held on August 18th and September 1st, 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM. This free event will be held on Wellwood Avenue between Hoffman Avenue and John Street. It will feature over forty-five local vendors, live music, outdoor dining restaurants, and breweries. You can find details and learn about all the exciting events happening in the Village of Lindenhurst here. Showcase Your Business at the Riverhead Country Fair
The Annual Riverhead Country Fair has been held for over 40 years. Historic Downtown Riverhead, from Main Street to the Peconic Riverfront, will be transformed into a fairground, with games, entertainment, demonstrations, competitions and tons of craft and food vendors. Thousands of people will visit the Fair on Sunday, October 10th and the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce is inviting businesses to showcase their business at the Chamber’s Business Expo. Business Expo booths are interspersed with the other vendor booths throughout the Fair to maximize foot traffic. The Fair will be held on Sunday, October 10th, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. You can find more information here. |
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Nassau Launches New Small Business Technical Assistance and Planning Program
On Thursday, August 12th, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran was in the bustling downtown of the Village of Cedarhurst to launch the County’s new Small Business Technical Assistance and Planning program. Joining the County Executive from the County’s team was Dr. Regina Williams, Deputy Director of Nassau County’s Minority Affairs and Evlyn Tsimis, Deputy County Executive for Economic Development. Also in attendance was Izzy Wasser, Cedarhurst Village Trustee; Ari Brown, Deputy Mayor, Village of Cedarhurst; Sharona Hoffman, Executive Director of the Cedarhurst Business Improvement District; Richie Kessel, Chairman of Nassau County’s Industrial Development Authority (IDA); IDA CEO Harry Coghlan; Eric Alexander, Director of Vision Long Island and the Long Island Main Street Alliance; Luis Vazquez, President, Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Melissa Connolly, Vice President for University Relations, Hofstra University; Larry Levy, Executive Dean of the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University; Frank Camarano, First Vice President, Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce; Ever Padilla, North Shore Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Matt Cohen, President, Long Island Association; along with various Cedarhurst business owners. The newly unveiled Small Business Technical Assistance and Planning program, part of Nassau County’s ongoing economic recovery initiatives, offers technical assistance grants for local chambers of commerce and downtown business organizations in order to support business development, training resources, and promotional activities. The program utilizes $1.5 million of American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding, aimed at supporting current and new programs that these organizations provide for businesses hard-hit by the pandemic. “The Covid-19 pandemic may have slowed down businesses temporarily, but our local chambers and the organizations with us today have been busier than ever,” explained County Executive Curran. “We are working together to see that businesses recover strong and take advantage of the many resources the County has available. These groups right here are the voice of our Main Street communities, identifying the real needs of businesses in real time. In many cases, the County has used their input to provide targeted support and advocacy.”
“With this new program, we look to deepen our support for Main Street businesses by bolstering the efforts of the groups that have been an invaluable asset to the County and small businesses during this pandemic,” County Executive Curran stated. “If you think your organization has an existing program or an idea for a new creative way to help businesses, I encourage you to apply.” “Pandemic help has really been business to business, local government working with the County, villages, members of the Main Street Alliance, and local chambers. All working together, putting government resources, and getting government dollars, into local communities, which assists local communities to do what they do best - filling up our local Main Streets,” explained Eric Alexander, Director of Vision Long Island and the Long Island Main Street Alliance. “This is really going to help our Hispanic businesses,” Luis Vazquez, President of the Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and LI Main Street Alliance member, stated. “We need it.” Frank Camarano, First Vice President, Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce and member of the LI Main Street Alliance noted, “This program is an opportunity to directly help chambers of commerce.” County Executive Curran also presented a ceremonial $10,000 check to Tassel Children's Shoes, recognizing this Cedarhurst small business as the first approved grant recipient under the County’s Boost Nassau Main Street Recovery Program. More than 100 other businesses have also been approved and are being notified starting this week. The County expects to support more than 1,000 businesses - prioritizing MWBEs and underserved communities. The County is presently accepting funding proposals for the small Business Technical Assistance and Planning program through the County’s Boost Nassau portal. You can find morer information on this program, and other Nassau County resources here. Town of Babylon Creates New Small Business Support Program
Recently, the Town of Babylon held a zoom event to discuss the Town’s newly launched program, the Town of Babylon Direct Support Program, which provides millions in grant money to town businesses and nonprofits that are still struggling due to COVID-19. “This program will bring back and spur our small businesses and non-profits throughout the Town of Babylon,” Councilman and Small Business Committee Chairman Anthony Manetta explained. “We all saw first-hand how devastating COVID-19 was on all of our families and our businesses throughout the town. The negative impact is still being felt today.” The Town of Babylon, in response, has allocated 3 million dollars of the $13.5 million it received through the federal American Rescue Plan Act local recovery fund. “Allocating this money was certainly the right thing to do,” Councilman Manetta added. The program is being run by the town’s Direct Support Program Director, Viscel Moore. Ms. Moore provided an overview of the program. The program is open to all small businesses, including sole proprietors, and non-profits, including civic and fraternal groups. The criteria for eligibility include:
Based on the applicant’s submission, does the applicant’s business or non-profit reside in or support low moderate income communities This is a grant, not a loan and there is no cost to apply. The town offers tools to help applicants, including an overview, criteria and the application. Grant amounts will not exceed $49,500.00 and business and non-profit owners must be located in the Town of Babylon. According to Ms. Moore, a decision on the application will be made by an application committee within sixty days. There is no deadline to apply, it is on a first come first serve basis, until the money runs out. “Our goal is to get this money out into the community, with the least amount of red tape as possible,” Ms. Moore advises. Click here to access complete information about the Direct Support Program and to view the zoom recording Contact: Email at dsp@townofbabylon.com or call 631-957-4488 Town of Hempstead Extends Outdoor Dining Program for One Year
On August 12th, Town of Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin, in front of Borrelli’s Restaurant Café and Pizzeria in East Meadow, announced a one-year extension of the Town’s outdoor dining program. This program has helped hundreds of businesses stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. It waived building permit fees, allowing eateries to create outdoor seating sections in spaces such as parking lots or sidewalks. Flanked by several local restaurant owners and town colleagues, Supervisor Clavin stated, “It was just fifteen months ago that the Town of Hempstead initiated a program to help restaurants like Borrelli’s with an outdoor initiative – and it proved to be very, very successful.” Supervisor Clavin continued, “Unfortunately, we are seeing this Delta variant have an impact on people. We are happy to announce that we are going to be extending the ability of our local residents and eateries to have outdoor dining at least through October 2022.” Acknowledging this past fifteen months has been a difficult time for restaurant owners throughout the Town of Hempstead, Supervisor Clavin stated that government needs to listen to the business owners. "It’s about helping, and that is exactly what allowing outdoor dining does." Supervisor Clavin noted that the outdoor dining application process was made easy, and hundreds of restaurants have applied. As the COVID-19 infection rate on Long Island is back on the rise as a result of the Delta variant, Supervisor Clavin acknowledged, “We recognize that the pandemic is not over and we encourage restaurant owners to utilize the outdoor dining initiative.” Frank Borrelli, owner of Borrelli’s Restaurant, told those in attendance, “Without our outdoor patio, it would be tough to survive. We do give people a choice. Without it, we probably would not have survived that first year.” “We want to help our businesses in the Town of Hempstead, and this program has proven a great success,” Supervisor Clavin concluded. You can view the August 12th press conference here. Town of Hempstead Extends Emergency Rental Assistance Program
Town of Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin, along with the entire Town Board and the Long Island Housing Partnership, Inc. (LIHP), are reminding residents they still have an opportunity to apply for the second round of Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), which began on August 17th. The ERAP is a program directed to tenants and landlords who are facing housing insecurity because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The application phase will run from now through September 28th. “The COVID-19 pandemic continues to present unprecedented challenges to families in our community, and using these funds to help alleviate concerns with housing insecurity is one of our top priorities. We implore any Town of Hempstead resident facing challenges in keeping a roof over their heads as a result of the pandemic to apply as soon as possible to ensure they can take advantage of this assistance,” Supervisor Clavin explains. The program can assist with current and prospective rent, arrears for utilities and home energy costs, and other expenses related to housing such as rental security deposits to ensure housing stability. Assistance could be provided for up to 18 months of payments and will cover arrears and costs accrued on or after March 13, 2020. There is no cap on the amount, and amounts may include the full amount of both rental and utility payments. Qualifying Criteria Eligible residents must be able to answer yes to the following questions: • Do you live in the Town of Hempstead as your primary residence? Should residents need help filling out the intake form online, there will be resources available to assist. These include satellite locations in the Town of Hempstead, such as the Family and Children's Association (FCA), where representatives are available; the LIHP’s established Call Center at (844) 260-7536; and informational videos for both tenants and landlords on the LIHP website (www.lihp.org). Intake forms, as well as the program guidelines, are available in English and Spanish. Those who fill out the intake form will be contacted after for the submission and compilation of documents. This assistance program works solely on a first-come, first-served basis; however, priority will be given to applicants that have a household member who has been unemployed for more than 90 days prior to the submission of the Intake Form; or have household incomes at or below 50 percent of the area median income as established by HUD. English form: https://www.lihp.org/herapintake.html Suffolk County Economic Opportunity Council Receives $300K in NYS Grants
The Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk (EOC) has received a $300,000 New York State grant to help eligible county residents who lost have income due to COVID-19. This grant is made possible through the $2.1 billion Excluded Workers Fund (EWF), which was approved as part of the New York State budget. The EWF provides financial help to New Yorkers who have lost income during the COVID-19 pandemic and were left out of various federal relief programs, including unemployment and pandemic benefits. “This historic fund offers desperately needed help to the undocumented community,” Adrian Fassett, chief executive officer of EOC, said in a statement to the Long Island Business News. “Excluded workers have faced months of lost income for themselves and their families. EWF funds will help them make up the difference.” To be eligible, the applicant must meet the following criteria: • Lived in New York State before March 27, 2020, and continue to live in New York State; Applicants may qualify for EWF benefits in one of two amounts, depending on the amount of work proof provided: Tier 1 - $15,600 (minus taxes); or Tier 2 - $3,200 (minus taxes). The fund is managed by the New York State Department of Labor. You can apply here at the Department of Labor website. Contact EOC of Suffolk at 631-842-6100 with questions. You can read LI Business News article here. |
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Great Neck Plaza’s Summer Concert Series Returns
The Village of Great Neck Plaza is pleased to announce its summer concert series has returned. The concerts are free and are held in Firefighters Park on Grace Avenue. The concerts are scheduled for every Tuesday night at 8 PM through August 31, 2021. In the event of inclement weather, the concerts will be held on the Thursday following the original scheduled date. Upcoming schedule: · August 24 - Dr. Pamela Levy, “Opera Under The Stars” Welcome Back to Farmingdale Village
Upcoming Summer Events: Farmers Market by Schneider's Farm Movies On the Village Green Music on Main Stay tuned for more event updates. Live Summer Concerts Coming to Freeport’s Nautical Mile
The Long Island Arts Council at Freeport will be hosting live, free summer concerts at the Esplanade on the Nautical Mile. The concerts are held Thursday nights from 7 PM to 8:30 PM. Attendees need to bring their own chairs. Concerts are rain or shine, and location is determined at 6 PM the night of the concert. You can find updates, possible changes, and rain date location (the tented outdoor area across the street from BrewSA) here. Summer Concert Line-Up • August 26 - Columbus Circle Live Music Returns to the Glen Cove Village Square
The Glen Cove Downtown Sounds committee has announced its annual concert series will take place live this summer with a diverse array of artists scheduled to perform on nine Friday evenings in July and August. Beginning July 2nd, bands will be performing in person on the Village Square stage. Produced by the Glen Cove Business Improvement District (BID), Downtown Sounds began in 1997 with local jazz musicians playing at the intersection of Glen and School Streets. “After two years, the Glen Cove BID and the Downtown Sounds Concert Committee are thrilled to be able to present live music for the enjoyment of our community and benefit of our businesses,” said Patricia Holman, Executive Director of the BID. “This year more than ever, we have a diverse lineup that will appeal to a wide range of musical tastes.” This year’s artists will be performing on the Downtown Sounds stage, as opposed to the show mobile that has been used in recent years. In addition to better sound quality, restoration of the stage presentation increases the space available for dancing. The program includes: Downtown Sounds 2021 will be live in-person concerts, but will still be live-streamed through Facebook Live, and broadcast on large screen TVs throughout downtown. Concerts start at 7 PM. You can find more information here. Free Outdoor Concert Series in Westbury
Thursday Nights in the Piazza! Westbury Arts is launching its free outdoor summer concert series, with live, in-person concerts held in the village’s central plaza: The Piazza Ernesto Strada located at 200 Post Avenue in Westbury. All the concerts are held on Thursdays from 7 to 9 pm. Here is the line-up: August 26 - Jimbo Ro and Friends (Island, blues, jazz) In case of rain, concerts will be held at the Westbury Community/Senior Center at 360 Post Avenue in Westbury. For more information, contact info@westburyarts.org or 516-400-ARTS (2787) Bethpage Community Council Hosts Upcoming Events
Bethpage Community Council will be holding the following events: 4th Annual Music On Broadway Bethpage Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day Parade Bethpage 9/11 20th Anniversary Candlelight Ceremony East End Arts to Hold Annual Street Painting Festival September 5th
East End Arts’ 25th Annual Community Mosaic Street Painting Festival will be held Sunday, September 5th, from 12 PM to 5 PM throughout downtown Riverhead and on the green at East End Arts at 133 E. Main Street, Riverhead. Since 1972, East End Arts has been enriching communities through the arts by way of creating a vibrant arts community on the East End which enhances individual and professional artistic development, stimulates community enrichment, economic development, and cultural tourism while encouraging a wide range of artistic expression through education, exhibition and performance, and collaboration across the community. Artists, musicians, and lovers of the arts, young and old, will gather along the Peconic River for this day-long celebration of the arts, centering around the Street Painting Festival, fashioned after the Italian street painters "Il Madonnari", a street chalk art form dating back to the 16th century, as well as activities and entertainment for everyone. Street painting squares sponsored by businesses, families, and individuals are used as a canvas for inspirations in chalk. Happenings include: • Street Painting For more information, contact Monique Parsons at mparsons@eastendarts.org or 631-727-0900 x303. You can find more information East End Arts here. Registration is now open for vendors, sponsors, & artist squares. Rain date is Monday, September 6th, from 2 PM to 5 PM. Asbury Shorts Outdoor Film Concert Coming to Westbury on September 10th
Asbury Shorts, New York City’s longest running non-competitive short film exhibition and touring show, is returning to the founder’s hometown of Westbury on Friday, September 10th, for a free outdoor evening film show at Piazza Ernesto Strada on Post and Maple Avenues, in the middle of the Village. The show will open with live music by the Vince Scuderi Quartet at 7:15 PM, with the first film showing at approximately 8 PM. The show will feature a mix of past audience request favorites, mixed with new global festival winners and honorees. Past show guest hosts from the early years of Asbury Shorts’ Long Island days will be on hand to introduce some of the films. Reservations are not necessary. Bring a folding chair just in case seating runs out. Rain date is Saturday, September 11th. This 10th anniversary Short Film Concert of Westbury is presented by Westbury Arts and is sponsored in part by Rowan Realty. You can find more information here. |
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Parks Department Looking for Capital Facilities Regional Manager for NYS Parks
NYS Department of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation currently has a position open in the Long Island region. The position is for a Capital Facilities Regional Manager 2, M-4 position. NYS is looking for someone who is a licensed engineer, architect, or landscape architect to fill this position. The salary range is $112,000 to $141,000. You can find a link to the job posting here. |
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Grants Available to Homeowners that Assist Peconic Estuary Watershed
The Peconic Estuary Partnership (PEP) continues to provide a unique opportunity for those that live within the Peconic Estuary watershed. The PEP will provide financial rewards for homeowners who remove turf and pavements, and add green alternatives to their properties that benefit the environment. One project is allowed per homeowner/property address. Homeowners can earn up to $500 to offset the expense of installing green infrastructure on their properties including rain barrels, rain gardens and native plant gardens. Stormwater filtered through the soil, sand and gravel within these gardens is dramatically cleaner when it enters our groundwater, nearby bodies of water, and storm drains. Rain barrels collect rainwater from roof runoff that can be reused in gardens, reducing the amount of water flowing over paved surfaces and into storm drains and nearby bodies of water. This is a great opportunity to make a positive impact for your local estuary and all its amazing bays. While improving your property, you are reducing pollution from entering local waters. Funds are limited and will be granted on a first come first served basis. For more information on the Homeowner Rewards Program. For the Homeowner Rewards Program webpage. For the interactive tool and plant database. SBA PPP Forgiveness Webinars
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has scheduled several informational webinars regarding the new Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) forgiveness platform, which will begin accepting applications from borrowers on August 4th, 2021. The new "Direct Forgiveness" Platform will help the PPP borrowers with loan amounts of $150,000 or less (93% of the PPP borrowers) apply for PPP Forgiveness directly through SBA (not the lenders). The dates for the webinars include: (in English) Tue. August 24, 2021 from 10am to 11am (SBA and Renaissance EDC) Thurs. Sept. 2, 2021 at 2pm (SBA and Manhattan Chamber of Commerce) Thurs. Sept. 16, 2021 at 9:30am (SBA and York College SBDC) Thurs. Sept. 23, 2021 at 9:30am (SBA and LaGuardia Community College SBDC) Mon. Oct. 4, 2021 at 2pm (SBA and Manhattan Chamber of Commerce) For more information. The NYS Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) Open
The New York State Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) provides economic relief to help low and moderate-income households at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability by providing rental arrears, temporary rental assistance and utility arrears assistance. Seven communities that received funding for emergency rental assistance directly from the federal government opted to administer their own programs. Residents of the Towns of Hempstead, Islip and Oyster Bay must apply with their local programs for emergency rental assistance and are ineligible for assistance from the state-administered Emergency Rental Assistance Program. Town of Hempstead: https://www.lihp.org/herapintake.html Eligibility: New York residents are eligible for ERAP if they meet all of the following criteria: • Household gross income is at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). These income limits differ by county and household size. A household may qualify based on current income or calendar year 2020 income that is at or below 80 percent AMI. There are no immigration status requirements to qualify for the program. Households eligible for rental arrears may also be eligible for help paying utility arrears at the same rental unit. Priority Applications: For the first 30 days of the program, priority will be given to households in the following order: 1.Households with income at or below 50 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) that also include a household member who: • Is currently unemployed for at least 90 days; or 2. Households with income at or below 50 percent AMI 3. Households with income at or below 80 percent AMI that also include a household member who: • Is currently unemployed for at least 90 days; or 4. Households with income at or below 80 percent AMI After the first 30 days, applications for all eligible households will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis, as long as funds remain available. Benefits: Households approved for ERAP may receive: • Up to 12 months of rental arrears payments for rents accrued on or after March 13, 2020. Payments will be made directly to the landlord/property owner and utility company on behalf of the tenant. Tenant applicants will be notified of the amounts paid on their behalf. If a landlord is difficult to locate or does not otherwise provide information needed to complete the application, funds will be held for up to 180 days to allow sufficient time to locate the landlord and collect required information as well as to provide tenant protections and maximize landlord participation. Please note: Once the application is started, all questions must be answered and the application signed and saved to submit the application. There currently is no way to save a partially completed application. Applicants are encouraged to gather all the information needed before starting an application including income of household members and rental amounts. NYS Coronavirus Relief Grant Program for Small Businesses
The NYS Legislature has approved $800 million in grants for small businesses across New York. Applications are now open for anyone who is eligible to apply. The following is from New York State’s website: The New York State COVID-19 Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program was created to provide flexible grant assistance to currently viable small businesses, micro-businesses and for-profit independent arts and cultural organizations in the State of New York who have experienced economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Grant awards will be calculated based on a business’s annual gross receipts for 2019 (see below for more information). Grant amounts and calculations are subject to change by Empire State Development. Annual gross receipts: $25,000 – $49,999.99: Award is $5,000 / business Eligible Businesses Include: Small businesses, Micro-businesses, and For-profit independent arts and cultural organizations (collectively, “Eligible Applicants”) must be currently viable and have begun operation on or before March 1, 2019, and continue to be in operation as of the date of application (maybe shuttered due to COVID restrictions). See the FAQ section below for definitions of business categories above. Eligible Applicants will be required to show loss of gross receipts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or compliance with COVID-19 health and safety protocols which resulted in business modifications, interruptions, or closures. Small businesses and Micro-businesses must: 1. Have 2019 or 2020 Gross Receipts of between $25,000 and $500,000 per annum More information on the grants as well as a guide on how to apply is available here. PSEG LI Local Community and Small Business Grants Available
PSEG Long Island is proud to announce funding for the Outdoor Spaces program has been renewed for a limited time. More than $2 million in grants and discounts were provided last year to help more than 1,000 local businesses and organizations meet the ever-evolving challenges of COVID-19 and continue to thrive. “PSEG Long Island knows that small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of our communities and our local economy,” said John Keating, manager of Economic and Community Development at PSEG Long Island. “Even before the pandemic transformed all of our lives, we were offering grants and discounts to encourage foot traffic in downtown commercial districts and bring businesses into empty storefronts. We evolved our programs to address the new realities our commercial customers are seeing, and the response has been enormous.” PSEG continues to offer Main Street Revitalization grants and Vacant Storefront discounts to businesses. In 2020, the company also began offering “Outdoor Spaces” grants to local chambers of commerce to help transform sidewalk areas and plazas with the seating, lighting and heating needed to keep customers dining and shopping locally. Limited funding for this grant program will be renewed for 2021 on a first come, first served basis. The program will offer funding of up to $5,000 to a Chamber of Commerce or Business Improvement District. Applications will be accepted until June 1, 2021. Here is a breakdown of PSEG Long Island’s 2020 support of local businesses: Small Business First • Supplemented PSEG Long Island’s already significant energy efficiency rebates with $1.8 million in PSEG Long Island Economic Development funding, allowing most projects to be done with no customer cost. Outdoor Spaces • PSEG Long Island approved 29 applications, representing a total of more than $125,000. Main Street Revitalization • More than $254,000 was provided to businesses and organizations through standard Main Street Revitalization grants in 2020, supporting upgrades and projects at restaurants, arts centers, breweries and more. To learn more about all the programs PSEG Long Island offers to support local businesses, please visit this site. |
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Our SponsorPosillico Inc.
For four generations, Posillico has combined an ironclad commitment to quality and performance with an unequaled family work ethic, making the company a leader in public works projects. Incorporated in 1946 under the presidency of Joseph D. Posillico, Sr. as a small trucking contractor, the company has grown to become one of the top engineering contracting firms in New York. They employ as many as four hundred people and serve the entire Tri-State area. Over the decades, Posillico has completed many large and highly difficult civil engineering and construction projects. These complex projects more often require off-peak construction during nighttime hours with stringent penalty and bonus clauses. But no matter the parameters, the Posillico team consistently demands and achieves excellence. Their integrated services of civil, materials, environmental, paving, drilling, utilities, development and consulting have allowed them to provide the seamless, cost-effective construction solutions to multilayered problems that clients will demand today and in the future. |
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“The Covid-19 pandemic may have slowed down businesses temporarily, but our local chambers and the organizations with us today have been busier than ever. We are working together to see that businesses recover strong and take advantage of the many resources the County has available. These groups right here are the voice of our Main Street communities, identifying the real needs of businesses in real time. In many cases, the County has used their input to provide targeted support and advocacy.” - Nassau County Executive Laura Curran
“The County has made an investment in Lindenhurst, a lot of organizations have come together to make Lindenhurst the place it is today,” - Suffolk County Legislator Kevin McCaffrey
“The project was conceived as a way to spur business for downtown restaurants and deli’s and bring residents out of their homes to enjoy music and each other’s company after the long pandemic. We wanted to try something different, and the space worked out really well for live music in a central location.” - Amityville Village Mayor Dennis Siry
