|
|
 |
Dear
Friend of PACC,
My name is Adam Frank,
owner of Tacos Cochinita, a new restaurant in Clinton Hill and my
 |
|
l-r:
Trevor Adler, Stroock; Dale
Charles, PACC; Adam Frank, Cochinita.
|
first
business. Living in Brooklyn for the past ten
years, I
noticed a lack of good quality, inexpensive Mexican food in New York,
which was a large part of the food culture in California where I'm
from. When I decided to open a restaurant that would fill
that
gap in this neighborhood, a business counselor at Brooklyn Economic
Development Corporation recommended that I go to PACC's Rolling Up the
Gates Storefront Stroll (RUG).
The
businesses they were bringing in were all very appealing, but I still
had no idea of the extent of PACC's services. I met my banker
at
the event. I was put in touch with SEEDCO where I attempted to get a
loan, and CAMBA was there, which later helped me get
funding. During the event I compared spaces in the
area and
decided to lease the space I had been eyeing for a while, which is the
current location of Cochinita. It was all very helpful.
Dale
Charles (PACC's Economic Development Director) was
incredible.
She helped me get a pro-bono attorney from Stroock & Stroock
&
Lavan to assist me with my lease. She acted as a go-between
with
the landlord, and even held the lease negotiations at her
office.
She also introduced me to my contractor. We officially opened
June 3, 2011, just six months after the RUG event I attended.
Cochinita
was doing extremely well, but unfortunately at the end of July I was
forced to close the restaurant due to severe damage from a fire in the
apartment directly above us. When the fire happened, Dale and
her
intern were the first people there to help out. She contacted
the
Department of Small Business Services Emergency Response Unit (ERU) to
help me and was able to get the landlord and contractors back on board
to get Cochinita
re-opened ASAP.
As of
December 3, everyone is welcome (once again) to experience the flavors,
colors and tradition of Mexican market stall-style food - right here in
Brooklyn.
"I went from market to market
for years, because Mexico is in its
markets" - Pablo Neruda
|
Donate
now, so that PACC can continue to help
Adam and many other small business owners like him.
|
Championing
Small Business Owners on Fulton Street
Tacos Cochinita is one
of dozens of small enterprises that have opened their doors and
received the support they needed to keep doing business in central
Brooklyn. Since 2008, our innovative Rolling Up the Gates Storefront
Strolls have nurtured the opening of over 50 businesses. Annually, over
250 local merchants benefit from PACC's one-on-one small business
services obtaining business tools, services and referrals to a broad
range of no- and low-cost business specialists, such as pro bono legal
advice from Stroock & Stroock & Lavan. And, our popular
Small
Business and Marketing Workshop Series develops local merchants into
savvy small business owners through expertly led classes focusing on
obtaining and managing a thriving business.
Please donate
to help us
continue to provide local small businesses with the access to capital
and the expertise they need in order to compete in today's challenging
economic environment -- as we did for Tacos Cochinita and many others
like it.
|
 |
|
Protecting
Affordable Housing in Brooklyn
PACC has always
believed that the problems that affect our neighborhoods are best
solved by the people who are directly impacted. Our monthly free legal
clinics and tenants rights workshops teach people to stand up against
displacement and rectify long-standing maintenance grievances. Last
year we developed over 30 new tenant associations, giving tenants the
skills they need to advocate for themselves and their
communities. And through PACC Leadership Group, we are
developing
leaders who take major roles in statewide campaigns such as the Living
Wage Campaign.
Defending
People's Homes Against Foreclosure
PACC's Home Services
department first became involved with mortgage foreclosures in 1993
when a homeowner lost his Clinton Hill home due to a shady $75,000
predatory mortgage. While the profile of the home owners
seeking
PACC's assistance has changed from predatory lending victims to people
facing economic hardship, we remain at the forefront of the fight
against foreclosures. Since July 2010, we have individually counseled
over 260 people facing default or foreclosure, kept 32 families in
their homes by modifying their mortgages to affordable rates, and
persistently advocated on behalf of our community for legislation and
other initiatives to save people's homes.
Preserving
and Creating Homes
Over the past 20 years,
PACC has developed 88 buildings, or 813 low- and moderate income
apartments, of which we manage 697. Current projects,
totaling
187 apartments, include a new 98-unit supportive housing building, Navy
Green, in the Fort Greene/Wallabout neighborhood of Brooklyn; a 71-unit
renovation project at 265 Hawthorne; and the historic preservation of
an 18-unit affordable housing development that is also an exceptional
landmark building-the former Headquarters of the Fire Department of the
City of Brooklyn. By the end of this year, PACC will reach a
milestone of 1000 affordable rental and home ownership apartments!
For
47 years PACC has been working to keep
community residents safe in their homes. Please donate
now. As a not for
profit, 501(c)3, organization, your donation is tax deductible to the
full extent of the law.
|
|
Help
build a diverse, engaged, equitable
community with a donation to PACC.
|
Happy Holidays!
Seble
T. Williams
Deb Howard
Board
Chair
Executive Director
|
|
|
|