presented by Vision Long Island and the Long Island Main Street Alliance

November 5th, 2020

Quotes of the Day

	“We are making a stand for justice to bring awareness of New York state constantly putting road blocks in front of us.” - Rebecca Genia, Shinnecock Indian Nation
	“We don’t have a tax base so this economic development literally puts food on the table for our members and improves our quality of life.” - Bryan Polite, Shinnecock Council of Trustees

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Watch us on YouTube

Join us on LinkedIn

View us on Instagram

Visit our website

Shinnecock Indian Nation Members Camp Out to Protest Treatment by State and Local Government

Members of the Shinnecock Indian Nation are camping out in the East End of Long Island in an effort to draw attention to the tribe’s treatment by New York State and the Town of Southampton.  Vision staff were out this summer speaking with members of the tribe, and there are a range of things that they are sorting out to lift up their community.

Tribal members claim that New York State and Southampton have stifled revenue to the tribe by opposing electronic billboards on tribal land and setting up road blocks.  The tribe has already built one sign and is looking to build another in spite of protests from NYS.  They claim the revenue is needed by members to help provide medical and day care safety while also maintaining roads.

“We are making a stand for justice to bring awareness of New York state constantly putting road blocks in front of us,” said Rebecca Genia, a local tribe member and one of the organizers of the grassroots movement along with Margo Thunderbird.

Tribal leaders say that the encampment is following all COVID-19 protocols and is raising money for food and supplies.  The Southampton Supervisor’s office says that Supervisor Russell has no issue with the protest, and is working with Shinnecock leaders on meaningful economic development.  Meanwhile, New York State continues to oppose the electronic ad towers, but is hoping to work with the tribe on possible solutions.

“We don’t have a tax base so this economic development literally puts food on the table for our members and improves our quality of life,” said Bryan Polite, who is on the council of trustees.

The encampment is currently slated to be continued until Thanksgiving, which the tribe considers a national day of mourning.

You can read more at CBS 2.

Cornerstone Project in Lynbrook Progressing

The controversial Capri Lynbrook Motor Inn in Lynbrook closed for good on April 9, 2020. The building has been demolished, excavation is now complete, and concrete is currently being poured to make way for The Cornerstone at Yorkshire, a $24 million-dollar, four story, 80-unit rental residence, comprised of 28 studios, 44 one- and 8 two-bedroom units.

Recently, the Village of Lynbrook and developers Terwilliger & Bartone received the 2020 Vision Long Island Smart Growth Award for Revitalizing Communities for The Cornerstone at Yorkshire. This complex is located less than half a mile from the train station and downtown Lynbrook, thus promoting walkability, green transportation and a healthy lifestyle. According to the developer, The Cornerstone amenities will include a modern fitness center, clubroom, courtyard, high ceilings, Quartz counters, stainless appliances, elevator, washer/dryer in all units and central air. Parking is provided on-site.

Lynbrook Mayor Alan Beach is pleased with the progress of the project, “This new Cornerstone building will complement our Village.” Mayor Beach acknowledges it is a long process, and the communication between the developer and the community is crucial.

Vision Long Island Director Eric Alexander, describing the importance of The Cornerstone, points out, “The site of the motel, which people didn’t want to have around, is now going to be multi-family housing, driven by the community and guided by the good work of the Village of Lynbrook.”

Expected completion is spring of 2021.

Suffolk County Route 110 Bus Rapid Transit Public is Conducting an Input Survey

Do you travel along Route 110?  If so, Suffolk County wants to hear from you!

The Department of Economic Development & Planning is in the midst of planning a Bus Rapid Transit, or BRT, for this important corridor.  BRT aims to combine the capacity and speed of a train with the flexibility, lower cost, and simplicity of a bus.

To improve planning and help the County better understand your commute and travel needs, please take the following two-minute survey: https://route110brt.metroquest.com/

There will be a Public Info webinar on Nov 18th, with more information on that event coming soon.

Visionary Planning Needed For Troubled Malls

A recent Barclay report reveals in the coming years, hundreds of America’s roughly 1,100 malls are expected to close, as retail, restaurant and movie theater closures pile up, and more people favor shopping on the internet over heading to the store. The fate of shuttered malls looms large.

In a recent CNBC interview, Barclay’s Ryan Preclaw describes the turmoil hitting the retail industry, which has been accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic, and its ripple effect for malls. When an anchor tenant like a department store closes, shopper traffic at the mall tends to drop by about 10%, setting off a “tipping point” for the property, as other retailers in the mall look to leave.

An October 28, 2020 article by Robert Steuteville in PUBLIC SQUARE, A CNU Journal, contends that the Barclay Report pointedly reveals why municipalities with dead and dying malls need proactive and visionary planning. Nothing short of the Country’s long-term fiscal health of cities and towns is at stake.

According to Mr. Steuteville, coming out of Covid, we are likely to see even greater numbers of dying shopping malls, leaving sites in need of redevelopment or reuse. Hundreds of classic American shopping malls are expected to go out of business in the next few years, on sites that usually range from 40 to 100 acres in prime real estate locations (often at the intersection of two major thoroughfares).

Dead malls are most likely to be redeveloped into a lower-value uses like a call center or fulfillment warehouse, Barclays reports, resulting in a long-term hit on the municipality’s finances. The way to generate higher value reuse is to replace the mall with the mixed-use urban center—an outcome that can’t happen without municipal leadership and new urbanist planning.

The imminent closure of malls represents a fiscal blow to municipalities that already face severe financial difficulties. “COVID has dramatically cut tax revenues — $200 billion and counting by some estimates — at the very moment when US cities and states are dramatically ramping up expenditures to deal with the crisis. The result is budget shortfalls from coast to coast,” explains the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

When malls are healthy, they are major local tax generators—often the largest source of revenue for a city or town. The death of a mall would contribute substantially to the current municipal woes. Most malls are eventually reused, but in the majority of cases the new purposes represent a massive write-off of values, according to Barclays.

Turning a shuttered mall into an e-commerce warehouse or a residential complex could reduce the value of the property anywhere from 60 percent to 90 percent, Ryan Preclaw, a research analyst at Barclays, told CNBC’s “Worldwide Exchange” Thursday morning.

While the land that malls sit on may offer better recovery values if it is used for a mixed-use development, he said, historically that has only happened for about 15 percent of former malls.

About 1,500 enclosed malls have been built across the US. Prior to Covid, about 1,000 remained open for their original purpose, while 500 have closed or changed to a different use, according to research by Ellen Dunham-Jones of Georgia Tech. About 170 of these malls have been or are planned to be “reinhabited,” and office space is the number one use, according to a Public Square report in the fall of 2019. More than half of these have been, or are proposed to be, redeveloped. Of these, 56 projects have been built as mixed-use urban places, and another 75 are proposed to be transformed along these lines.

The mixed-use developments will probably include a smaller amount of retail, plus other uses like office, residential, entertainment, and civic buildings. Essentially, they become urban centers or downtowns, which have higher assessed values than malls and generate higher values per acre.

Just because a municipality plans for an urban center, doesn’t mean that one will be built. And the exact mix of uses will vary. Despite that 15 percent historical figure—if a municipality is determined to replace a mall with a mixed-use urban center, the prospects are good over time.

Click here for the full article.

LIA Small- and Mid-Sized Business Committee Hosting Economic Impact Webinar on Nov 10th

The Long Island Association (LIA) will be hosting a webinar on the Economic Impacts of COVID-19 on a Global, National, and Local scale.  This event will take place online Tuesday on November 10th, starting at 9 AM.

The event will feature Chief Economist Dr. John Rizzo for a presentation about the economic impacts of COVID-19.  There will be an in-depth analysis on key data about how the virus has affected economies around the globe.  There will also be a question and answer session.

You can register for this event here.

WEDLI to Host Conversation on Hunger on Long Island with Randi Shubin Dresner on Nov 12th

Women Economic Developers of Long Island (WEDLI) will be hosting a conversation with Island Harvest CEO Randi Shubin Dresner on Hunger on Long Island.

Island Harvest was created in 1992 by one woman with a cooler, a station wagon, and the desire to help people in need. Linda Breitstone was infuriated that food from a local convenience store was thrown away at the end of the day – with a safe house for women and children down the street. In response, she established Island Harvest and their mission to end hunger and reduce food waste on Long Island.

Since those early days, Island Harvest has become Long Island’s largest hunger-relief organization. Join WEDLI to hear from Randi Shubin Dresner, President and CEO of Island Harvest. Dresner, a longtime WEDLI member, will discuss the impact of COVID-19 on food insecurity on Long Island and will share updates on Island Harvest’s impact across Nassau and Suffolk Counties during these challenging times.

WEDLI Board Member Kennetha Pettus, Director of the Nassau County Office of Housing and Community Development, will moderate the discussion.

The event will take place on November 12th at 8:30 am.  This program is complimentary for members and non-members, but registration is required. You can register here.

Questions? Call Michelle McQueen (631) 344-4731 or Kennetha Pettus (516) 860-7507

W.I.N. Virtual Bridal Expo Taking Place on November 12th

During the pandemic of 2020, several local businesses in the wedding and events industry came together to discuss how they can help each other get through these challenging times and how they can help their clients. Celebrating a wedding is the most magical day in a couple’s life and the W.O.W. Focus Group, which stemmed from the Winning on Wednesday (W.O.W.) networking group, wanted to ensure they provided the best resources to their clients to keep the joy and magic of their special day!

As a result of these discussions, the WOW Focus Group founded the Wedding Industry Network (W.I.N.), which will remain committed and has vowed to not see the pandemic as a horrible experience but instead take a negative and turn it into a positive to accomplish a joyous wedding or event.

This organization will be holding a virtual bridal showcase to help engaged couples meet professionals in the industry as they prepare for what can still be one of the most joyous days of their lives.  The event will take place on November 12th at 7 pm.  People who are interested in joining the event can register here.  Please email hello@winbridalexpo.com with any questions.

The INN Organization to Hold Thanksgiving Curbside Food Drive on Nov 14th

The INN organization will hold its second curbside food drive this coming Saturday, November 14th from 10 am to noon at the Mary Brennan INN soup kitchen, 100 Madison Avenue in Hempstead.  This will be a safe, no-contact drive where donors will place donations on a table with a masked volunteer standing at a safe distance.  The volunteer will then retrieve the donation after the donor leaves.

If you’re interested in donating you can view a full list of items they are accepting here.  For any questions, please call 516-732-6009.

32nd Annual Keys for the Homeless Conference to take Place Virtually on November 18th

The Long Island Coalition for the Homeless is holding its 32nd Annual Keys for the Homeless Conference online this year to help bring relief to Long Island’s struggling homeless population.

This year’s event will take place on November 18th from 9 am to 3:30 virtually and will feature 14 workshop topics that address what can be done to help the most vulnerable residents in our region.  The theme for the conference is “Adapting to Changing Times: Where Do We Go From Here?”  Marc Dones, the Executive Director of National Innovation Services will be this year’s Keynote Speaker.

The Coalition is responsible for leading the region’s initiative to serve our most vulnerable and reducing barriers to housing.  With their Continuum of Care partners, they have referred more than 200 homeless households for permanent housing.  Throughout the years they have helped to guide over two hundred million dollars of US Department of Housing and Urban Development CoC funding to Long Island agencies, resulting in the development of over 2,700 units of housing for homeless persons. 

You can register to attend, become a sponsor, or exhibitor for this event here.  A full schedule of the workshops for the event is available here.

Long Island Coalition for the Homeless Seeks Crisis Counselors

Responsible for providing crisis counseling to individuals, households and groups experiencing crisis as a result of COVID-19 and provide supports, including linkages to essential services, benefits, and more in-depth mental health counseling as necessary and appropriate.

Crisis counselors will work with the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless’ Coordinated Entry Team and support housing-focused case management for households experiencing long-term homelessness either living on the street or living in shelter. Outreach will be assigned and targeted based regional needs related to the areas which have been most impacted by COVID and having households that have the highest levels of vulnerability and most significant barriers to exiting homelessness on their own. Crisis Counselors must be highly mobile (personal vehicle w/ reimbursed mileage) and will be assigned households that are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness in Suffolk counties.

Engagements focus around direct and person-centered support in obtaining necessary documentation/applying for various housing programs, as well as connecting households to other services that relate to housing placement and housing retention, such as employment, entitlements/benefits, medical/clinical services, linkages to care coordination, budgeting and credit, legal, and other services for which they are eligible and interested in.

Community Crisis Counselors will be responsible for hotline monitoring, referrals and support, homelessness diversion and community outreach and education in addition to crisis counseling

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

● Works with individuals, families, and groups to provide outreach, emotional support, individual and group crisis counseling, public education, and referrals when needed.
● Is synonymous with term “outreach worker.”
● Represents program in the community and networks with other agencies and partners to ensure needs of survivors are met.
● Provides presentations to community groups on disaster reactions, coping skills, stress management, and the CCP.
● May use the mobile application to complete data forms.

QUALIFICATIONS: 

Must have a willingness to provide Crisis Counseling services in a caring manner within the parameters of the FEMA CCP

Must have a commitment to organization’s mission and goals. Must be self-motivated; must be able to work effectively with diverse people and personalities and as a member of a team. Bilingual (Spanish and English) preferred. Experience/knowledge in trauma-informed care and motivational interviewing a plus.

Must have access to a personal vehicle for travel within Suffolk County

These positions will require local travel as needed. A clean Driver’s License and private vehicle are required. 

Benefits after probationary period will be available. These include paid time off (vacation, holiday, sick, personal), medical insurance for the employee (premium paid by LICH), Dental and Vision insurance optional, Life Insurance for the employee and Simple IRA plan (with employer match).

Interested parties should submit a resume and salary requirements via email to gguarton@addressthehomeless.org, specifying which position the candidate is seeking.  Please do not call the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless regarding this position.  Questions should be submitted via email only.

Orgs Team up to Provide Grants for Black-Owned Businesses

The Long Island African Chamber of Commerce and Wish Local have teamed up to provide grants for local black-owned businesses.  There are no specific parameters surrounding the allocation of funds, but Wish Local recommends using the money for employment needs, paying rent or operational costs, connecting with new customers, and providing opportunities in the community.

Eligible candidates must be a black-owned business with an applicant at least 18 years of age or older.  Candidates must also be in a brick-and-mortar shop and employ 20 or less employees.  The shop’s annual revenue must be under a million dollars.

Those selected must also sign up for Wish Local, which is a series of programs that allow small businesses to participate with Wish, including selling inventory on the platform and sourcing wholesale items and more.

Applicants can fill out a form online at Wish Local Empowerment Program.

NYSERDA, Affordable Solar and Storage Predevelopment and Technical Assistance (Predevelopment Program)

The Predevelopment Program provides grants to address barriers to solar installations serving low-to-moderate income (LMI) households living in rental housing, multifamily buildings or other households not served by traditional on-site residential solar. Individual awards will not exceed $200,000. Funding to proposals through this solicitation will offset costs for predevelopment and technical assistance work needed to implement solar installations for multifamily affordable housing and/or shared solar (Community Distributed Generation) installations that benefit LMI households.

- Eligibility: Applications must be submitted by or include the documented participation of any of the following: owners, providers or managers of regulated multifamily affordable housing, community land trusts, land banks or portfolios of single-family affordable housing; local government agencies; Community Development Corporations (CDC), Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) or other community organizations providing services to LMI households and/or demonstrating an LMI constituency; and prior recipients of Predevelopment Program grants seeking to replicate and expand upon the success from a prior completed Predevelopment

Program project.

- Funding: Up to $10.65 million is available with individual awards not to exceed $200,000.
- Deadline: Continuous through December 31, 2024, or until depleted
- Contact:
Email: affordablesolar@nyserda.ny.gov
Website: www.nyserda.ny.gov/funding

New York State Accepting Applications for NY Forward Loan Fund

New York State has opened pre-applications for the New York Forward Loan Fund. Loans from this fund are available to small businesses, nonprofits, and small landlords in New York State. New York Forward loans must be fully repaid over a 5-year term with fixed annual interest rates of 3 percent for small businesses and landlords.

Small businesses may apply for the lesser of $100,000 or up to 100% of the average monthly revenues in any 3-month period from 2019 or the first quarter of 2020. This loan can be paid back over five years with first year being interest only.  However, if small businesses have received either a PPP loan or an EIDL loan from SBA, they would not be eligible to apply. NYS has set a goal of 18% of total funds under this Program for Long Island

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as industries and regions reopen however, priority for New York Forward Loans will be given to industries and regions that have been reopened. Resources are available to assist in preparing applications for small businesses, landlords and nonprofits in industries and regions that have not yet reopened.

To view more details, including eligibility requirements and how to apply, click here:

If you need technical assistance through this process, please contact an Entrepreneurial Assistance Center near you and inform the counselor that you need help for the NY Forward Loan application.  You can find your closest contact center here.

Today's Sponsor

Ruskin Moscou Faltischek

Founded in 1968, Ruskin Moscou Faltischek has consistently evolved and expanded to meet their clients’ changing needs. As specialized as they are diverse, they have built cornerstone groups that represent all major practice areas of law including: corporate & securities, financial services, commercial litigation, health care, real estate, employment, and trusts & estates. Their clientele is diverse, sophisticated and includes large and mid-sized corporations, privately held businesses, institutions and individuals. With more than 60 attorneys, superior knowledge of the law, polished business acumen and proven credentials, Ruskin Moscou Faltischek has earned a reputation for excellence and success. It is this ongoing achievement that makes them an acknowledged leader among their peers and the preferred choice among Long Island business leaders.