MOTT HAVEN - PORT MORRIS COMMUNITY LAND STEWARDS INC

1) HEARTS CENTER -- MAJOR PROGRESS IN 2024 TOWARDS MAKING THE CENTER HAPPEN! FUNDING MILESTONESSECURED AN ADDITIONAL $3.45 MILLION IN CAPITAL FUNDING. THIS INCLUDES $1.2 MILLION FROM NEW YORK STATE SENATOR JOSE SERRANO AND $2.25 MILLION FROM NEW YORK CITY DEPUTY SPEAKER DIANA AYALA, ADVANCING TOWARD OUR $45 MILLION PROJECT GOAL. APPLIED FOR $5 MILLION IN CAPITAL FUNDING. WERE CONFIDENT WELL SECURE IT IN 2025.DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT PROGRESSCOMPLETED HALF OF THE DESIGN PROCESS (50% DESIGN DEVELOPMENT) WITH OUR PROJECT ARCHITECTS, BKSK ARCHITECTS AND BAGCHEE ARCHITECTS. ANALYZED THE CURRENT BUILDING TO INFORM NEXT DESIGN PHASES.ADVANCING TOWARD CONSTRUCTIONWEVE MET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS FOR OUR EXCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS AND NYC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. WEVE STARTED DRAFTING THE LEASE AND PREDEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, A KEY STEP TOWARD SECURING LONG-TERM CONTROL OF THE SITE.2) AIR QUALITY PROGRAM THE DATA FROM OUR NETWORK OF 40 AIR QUALITY MONITORS TELLS AN ALARMING STORY: PM2.5 LEVELS IN THE SOUTH BRONX REGULARLY SOAR TO TWICE THE EPA'S RECOMMENDED LIMITS. WHILE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES CLAIM ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ARE "INCONCLUSIVE," OUR COMMUNITY-OWNED MONITORING NETWORK PROVIDES IRREFUTABLE EVIDENCE OF THE CRISIS. BY COLLECTING OUR OWN DATA, WE ARE TAKING CONTROL OF THE NARRATIVE AND EXPOSING THE STARK REALITY OF AIR POLLUTION IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.KEY ACTIVITIES, CLEAN AIR COMMUNITY CONVENINGS, ENGAGEMENT & EDUCATION:IN 2024, WE ORGANIZED THREE COMMUNITY CONVENINGS TO COLLECT INPUT FROM LOCAL RESIDENTS ABOUT THE IMPLEMENTATION AND FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE MONITORING PROJECT. WE NOW HAVE OVER 40 AIR QUALITY MONITORS INSTALLED ACROSS THE COMMUNITY. THEIR LOCATIONS ARE BASED ON FEEDBACK FROM LOCAL RESIDENTS. WE ARE CONTINUING TO MAKE OUR AIR QUALITY DATA MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR THE COMMUNITY, TURNING COMPLEX INFORMATION INTO UNDERSTANDABLE AND ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS.3) GREEN SPACE/WATERFRONT PLANNINGCOMMUNITY TOURSLED MORE THAN TWENTY WALKING TOURS OF OUR TOXIC WATERFRONT TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THE AREAS POLLUTION BURDEN AND TO INVITE PARTICIPANTS TO ENVISION A WATERFRONT THAT IS ACCESSIBLE AND PROMOTES COMMUNITY HEALTH. LOCAL RESIDENTS, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, STUDENTS, ACADEMICS, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, AND MANY MORE JOINED OUR TOURS.MARIA SOLA COMMUNITY GARDEN HAS BEEN A ROUTINE STARTING POINT ALONG OUR COMMUNITY TOURS, SERVING AS A POWERFUL EXAMPLE OF GREEN SPACE STEWARDSHIP, THANKS TO THE DEDICATION OF THE STEWARDS OF MARIA SOLA AND THE MOTT HAVEN-PORT MORRIS COMMUNITY LAND STEWARDS. PARTNERED WITH NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN, EL BARRIO BIKES, MONTEFIORE EINSTEIN HOSPITAL, AND LA FINCA DEL SUR TO DO AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE-THEMED BUS AND BIKE TOUR OF COMMUNITY GARDENS AND POTENTIAL GREEN SPACES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.ORGANIZED BIKE AND BUS TOUR HIGHLIGHTING CONNECTION BETWEEN GREEN SPACES AND HEALTH OUTCOMES.