South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation

Filing Period

Apr 1, 2010 to Mar 31, 2011

Signed

Dec 20, 2011

Return Version

2010v3.4

Gross Receipts

$11,593,546

Mission

Major Activities

Activity 2

Sobro continued to offer numerous programs to adult learners and/or job-seekers, including english for speakers of other languages (esol), ged preparation, general literacy classes, and job readiness training. The unit served nearly 1,500 clients during the year. The workforce development program closed out two of its major contracts achieving 92% of placement target outcomes, helping our community's most vulnerable residents to find work despite the poor economic climate. Several new programs, initiatives, partnerships, and structuring plans implemented in the 2009-2010 program year will make sure that workforce development continues to provide job placement services successfully to the bronx community. To establish the workforce development program as a frontrunner, we provide the highest quality training, service, and job placement in career growth sectors that ensure positive outcomes, while simultaneously addressing the ever increasing needs of sobro customers (job seekers, businesses/employers, and funders). During the most recent program year, the department achieved the following: awarded new york city employment & training coalition 2011 opportunity award for building employer partnerships; awarded 2011 dress for success worldwide gordy award/spirit award; exceeded jobs to build on (jtbo) placement goals (119%); earned 97 % of btw performance monies by drawing down $186, 267.00 of the performance contract total of $192, 232.00; achieved 406 job placements across contracts jtbo, career pathways, back to work (btw), wage subsidy/transitional employment (ws/te); secured additional award of $188,000 from office of temporary disability assistance (otda) for the wage subsidy contract for exceptional performance; developed a partnership with the department of homeless services and provided customer service training at the life family residence for residence of the shelter; conducted training at bronx educational opportunity center (beoc) in national work readiness & customer service for educational opportunity center (eoc) students; and developed a wonderful new partnership with nycetc co-honoree gvc (employer).in conjunction with ecd senior management, the director of workforce development facilitated a series of staff meetings which culminated in a working group session with the entire workforce team. The purpose of this working group session was to address challenges in fostering/maximizing team synergy, communications and productivity across workforce development team functions (i.e., job developers, retention specialists and support staff).adult educationwithin the most recent program year adult educational services were provided to over 1,000 clients. The focus in servicing clients was to ensure educational gains, which were accomplished by providing classes to english speakers of other languages (esol), adult basic education (pre-ged), and ged prep classes. As planned and implemented in fy 2009-10, which continued throughout fy 2010-11, an internship component was integrated into the education for life (e4l) program, which increased our funding from $125,000 to $175,000. In addition, we provided esol/civics classes through funds provided by councilwoman maria del carmen arroyo. Throughout the year, we developed a series of instruments/tools that allowed staff to monitor/assess program quality. The qualitative reading inventory (qri) was used, which allowed ecd instructors the opportunity to observe students' reading behaviors. This qri also established a baseline for instruction and can be used as a tool in identifying patterns and reading tendencies to work on during future lessons. Weekly staff meetings were conducted, which entailed staff development and coaching for ecd instructors. Consequently, we exceeded our contractual obligations and received a combined above average and excellent ratings on program evaluations from the nyc department of youth and community development (dycd). In collaboration with dr. Denis

Activity 3

The community and economic renewal department (cer) administers an array of programs that seek to make a lasting impact on the economic, physical, and social fabric of our community. The department offers technical assistance to business owners and entrepreneurial development programs that help clients build and maintain a successful enterprise. It also provides an extensive range of commercial and industrial business incentives through partnerships with government agencies to attract investment and ensure that existing businesses can thrive. The department continued to successfully operate many programs that have attracted thousands of jobs, hundreds of businesses, and hundreds of millions of dollars in investment to the south bronx over the years. The procurement and technical assistance (ptac) and minority- and women-owned business enterprise (m/wbe) programs helped local businesses to secure lucrative government contracts; these, along with the industrial business zone and empire zone programs powerful incentive programs allowed our clients to access tax incentives, capital, and other benefits to weather the recession and, in many cases, even expand despite the tough economic times. The real estate development and property management activities of cer also continue to make a major impact on the south bronx landscape. We build attractive, high-quality, affordable apartments that offer residents a pleasant living environment they can feel proud of. Our buildings are energy efficient and built to nyserda specifications, making them affordable and environmentally friendly. To date, we have developed over 500 units of affordable and special needs housing, with another 600 in various stages of development. Our commercial real estate development projects are central to our overall efforts to revitalize the south bronx and have served to create jobs, attract new businesses and residents, and facilitate our business assistance programs. To date, we have successfully created over 120,000 sq ft. Of industrial space, 38,000 sq ft. Of commercial space and nearly 100,000 sq ft. Of office space. We have spearheaded the rezoning of neighborhoods, including morrisania and bruckner boulevard, where outdated zoning plans restricted development. Our initiatives have created the opportunity for the private sector to develop integrated residential, commercial and industrial development projects.other cer programs include avenue nyc, in which we support targeted districts through site-specific development projects, marketing and streetscape design studies, facade improvement, development of merchant organizations and real estate development projects. Sobro began assisting the tremont business and community organization through avenue nyc this year with the goal of better organizing and marketing the commercial district, attracting more diverse retail, and integrating the interests of the commercial, residential, and industrial communities in the tremont area. Cer also operates the brownfield opportunity areas (boa) program. This program facilitates brownfield and land-use planning in targeted study areas. The boa process is driven by a community vision that identifies under-utilized strategic sites whose revitalization would spur investment and sustainable economic development in the general area.

Filer

EIN

13-2736022