Today, U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand are thrilled to announce that they secured $104,913,000 for critical local projects in Manhattan in the just-passed FY2024 spending bill. The senators personally delivered funding for these projects as congressionally directed spending requests.
“I’m proud to bring home over $100 million in federal funds for critical investments in our communities,”said Senator Schumer. “From the rehabilitation of the Lexington Avenue Armory, the construction of a new food distribution facility, to expanding services to families impacted by gun violence and much more, these funds included in the federal budget bill are supporting projects that will make a difference in the lives of New Yorkers. I won’t stop fighting to deliver the resources needed to better our communities and support the organizations that help them flourish.”
“I am thrilled to bring home more than $100 million in federal funding to Manhattan, including $90 million for a complete renovation of the historic Lexington Armory. These federal dollars are proof of the federal government at work for NYC,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This critical funding will invest in New York’s great parks, artists, and culture, and will help preserve the city’s rich and diverse history. This funding will also improve our military readiness, access to affordable foods, and museums so they can be enjoyed for generations to come. I’m proud to have fought for these important projects, and I’ll continue to work tirelessly to make sure families, workers, artists, and businesses in Manhattan have what they need to thrive.”
A full list of funded projects is below:
$90,000,000 for the Lexington Armory National Guard Readiness Center:
The funding will be used for a much-needed rehabilitation of the historic Lexington Avenue Armory in Manhattan to support military training, administrative, and logistical requirements. After completion of this top to bottom rehabilitation, the armory will provide a professional military presence and a state-of-the-art mobilization station while efficiently supporting unit training, equipment modernization priorities, and talent management objectives, and it will serve as the epicenter of the state’s civil support response capabilities in Manhattan.
$4,000,000 for the National Urban League to Renovate the Urban Civil Rights Museum in Harlem:
The funding will be used to support critical renovations for the Urban Civil Rights Museum in Harlem. These renovations will allow for over 15 permanent new hires for the Urban Civil Rights Museum, and the museum will commit to hiring low- and moderate-income individuals for 51% of those positions.
$1,750,000 for The Metropolitan Museum of Art for Security Enhancements:
The funding will support upgrades and enhancements related to counterterrorism, as well as vehicular and other threats to The Met’s public plaza. The enhancements include the construction of new security barriers, including bollards, retractable barriers, and other physical impediments to vehicular access, and upgraded surveillance systems to protect the millions of visitors and commuters who pass through The Met plaza annually.
$1,400,000 for the Center for New York City Neighborhoods Homeownership for All Program:
The funding will be used to support the City for New York City Neighborhoods’ Homeowner Rescue Package, which aims to both preserve and create homeownership opportunities in New York.
$1,250,000 for the American Museum of Natural History for Climate and Biodiversity Research & Education:
The funding will support a comprehensive initiative at the American Museum of Natural History to drive cutting-edge research in climate and biodiversity. This initiative will form the foundation of new engagements with students, teachers, and the museum’s 5 million annual visitors on next-generation climate and biodiversity education approaches.
$1,000,000 for the New Museum of Contemporary Art Capital Expansion Project:
The funding will support a 55,000-square-foot capital expansion of the New Museum that will double the number of visitors served and undo limitations of the current building, such as alleviating the overwhelmed circulation capacity with improved public circulation, enhancing indoor air quality and energy efficiencies, and increasing open air spaces via terraces. The expansion will create new jobs, attract national and international tourists, and drive additional city and state tax revenue, acting as a catalyst for the Bowery’s economic revitalization.
$1,000,000 for the West Harlem Environmental Action WE ACT Environmental Justice Center:
The funding will support capital improvements, construction, and operating costs for a WE ACT Environmental Justice Center located in Harlem.
$1,000,000 for GrowNYC’s New York State Regional Food Hub:
The funding will be used to help complete construction on GrowNYC’s new food distribution facility, the New York State Regional Food Hub. This new facility will contribute to a more resilient and sustainable New York food system by providing distribution opportunities for local farmers and growers while increasing the availability of fresh, healthy foods in underserved neighborhoods and communities in NYC.
$963,000 for John Jay College of Criminal Justice:
The funding will be used to establish a Digital Forensics and Cybercrime Investigations Lab to enable students, information technology professionals, faculty experts in computer science, and others to conduct cutting-edge research in critical national security-related issues.
$850,000 for an Elevator Modernization Project for the High Line:
The High Line is a 1.45-mile-long elevated park on the West Side of Manhattan and serves as a destination and resource for over 8 million New Yorkers and tourists annually. The funding will be used help repair and modernize its five passenger elevators to standards that will allow them to remain functional for the next 30 years, helping to move millions of visitors from street level to park level, three stories in the air.
$500,000 for The Public Theater for the Anspacher Theater Preservation and Rehabilitation Project:
The funding will be used to restore the damaged plaster ceiling in the Anspacher Theater, a New York City and national historic landmark.
$500,000 for CareerWise New York-Modern Youth Apprenticeship Training Program:
The funding will be used to improve and expand CareerWise New York’s front-loaded training and curriculum to help up to 1,000 youth apprentices succeed in tech, finance, and business fields.
$500,000 for Not Another Child’s (NAC) Survivor Support System:
The funding will be used expand therapeutic services to families impacted by gun violence and provide capacity-building support and trainings to survivor-led organizations, strengthening the survivor support system in NYC through a model that can be replicated nationally.
$200,000 for Manhattan Together, a Metro-IAF Affiliate:
The funding will be used to train volunteers to act as early interventionist in their institutions to aid individuals with mental health or substance abuse issues, and to identify policy solutions at the local level to help steer individuals in crisis away from the criminal justice system and into a community-based care model.