{"id":256813,"date":"2026-06-05T20:48:21","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T20:48:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/256813\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T20:48:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T20:48:21","slug":"new-york-state-awards-east-williamsburg-20-million-to-boost-local-economy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/256813\/","title":{"rendered":"New York State Awards East Williamsburg $20 Million To Boost Local Economy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Wednesday that East Williamsburg had won grants totaling $20 million<\/a> from the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) and NY Forward. <\/p>\n

The grants will be used to strengthen commercial corridors, create and improve public spaces, support workforce development and expand housing opportunities.<\/p>\n

The Office of the Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso<\/a> and the Graham Ave and Grand Street Business Improvement District<\/a> (BID) led the application for the DRI grant. The application included \u201cextensive community outreach, hundreds of survey responses, and detailed feedback from residents, business owners and community organizations like St. Nick\u2019s Alliance, Evergreen Exchange, RiseBoro, Boricua College and Williamsburg Houses,\u201d Reynoso said during a press conference at the Williamsburg Community Center.<\/p>\n

Some of the proposals Hochul highlighted during the announcement\u00a0to improve quality of life in the neighborhood involve upgrading Cooper Park, including a new playground and running track; turning the area around Boricua College into an outdoor plaza, opening STEM innovation centers, and improvements in public housing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFor too long, East Williamsburg has watched investment flow to other parts of North Brooklyn while its own needs and opportunities went overlooked, but not anymore,\u201d said Reynoso. He\u00a0 described the investment as \u201ca resounding victory for the generations of families, workers, small business owners and community organizations that have built East Williamsburg and stood by it through decades of change.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Grand Street and Graham Avenue BIDs, established in the 1980s, together represent 395 businesses. In 2025 they hosted more than 20 events, including Restaurant Week<\/a>, community clean-ups, small business consultations and street festivals. In September, the two BIDs were also awarded a $350,000 Avenue NYC Commercial Revitalization Grant<\/a> by the New York City Department of Small Business Services.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur neighbors in East Williamsburg have been showing up for decades, through the hard times and underinvestment, advocating at local meetings, caring for their blocks and building community,\u201d said Francesca Fernandez Bruce, executive director of the Grand Street BID<\/a>. \u201cNow it\u2019s our turn to honor that commitment and help our neighbors not just survive, but thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n

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