The South Street Seaport received one of the 38 grants

Thirty-eight grants were awarded on August 7th to an array of Lower Manhattan not-for-profit organizations. The grants are from the $17 million Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) Community and Cultural Enhancement Fund, and are now designated for a broad range of projects and services including youth, senior and social services; health care; education; recreation; and cultural initiatives.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Empire State Development Corporation made the announcement with LMDC officials, noting that since the funding details were released last year, the LMDC received 266 applications totaling $191 million in requests. Grantees were selected based on the rating of their applications by the Cultural Grant Advisory Committee, a six-member panel composed of three representatives from both the state and city.
 
To read a complete list of the grant recipients, click here.

“Ten years after 9/11, Lower Manhattan is full of life,” said Bloomberg. “The new residents have chosen to live there because of the many new schools, parks, restaurants, businesses -- and the fantastic cultural and community institutions. The groups that will benefit from this funding are what make Lower Manhattan a dynamic 24/7 neighborhood, not just a place to live or work.”
 
Funding allocations were based on adherence to the Community and Cultural Enhancement Guidelines, established by the LMDC board last year. They include the capacity of a project or program to:

• Spur long-term Lower Manhattan revitalization
• Build audiences; to encourage collaboration to strengthen the quality of life in the neighborhood
• Enhance existing infrastructure or create new infrastructure
• Sustain multiyear programs
• Create and sustain jobs in Lower Manhattan’s distinct and diverse communities

In the past, LMDC has awarded $27.8 million in cultural enhancement grants to Lower Manhattan arts organizations, and $37.4 million in community enhancement grants to Lower Manhattan community organizations through similar grant programs.

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