The Long Island City Business and Organization Survey is your chance to make a difference in LIC! If you own or work for a business or organization in LIC, fill out the 10-15 minute survey and submit your email to enter into a raffle for 2 JetBlue tickets!

We are excited to introduce Sierra Brown, our new Senior Manager, Communication and Marketing. Sierra is a public relations and marketing professional with extensive experience in tourism, economic development, food & beverage and arts & culture. She also has extensive experience promoting "The World's Borough" with stints at the Queens Economic Development Corporation and Queens Tourism Council and at Yelp, focused on Queens. As a publicist, she has secured print and online placements in outlets such as GQ, Travel + Leisure, Vogue, The New York Times, Forbes and USA Today. Sierra is a native New Yorker who is thrilled to join the team at LICP and serve the community. She can be reached at sbrown@licpartnership.org.

On Tuesday, April 13th, LICP hosted our 16th LIC Annual Real Estate Breakfast, showcasing current projects and real estate leaders across our uniquely mixed-use landscape in Long Island City. This panel was moderated by LIC BID Chair, David Brause, Brause Realty, and panelists included, Alissa Bersin, Tishman Speyer; Tracy Capune, Kaufman Astoria Studios; Andrew Chung, Innovo Property Group; and Gretchen Werwaiss, Werwaiss Properties. This virtual event was attended by over 200 attendees, and we want to thank all our sponsors and attendees for their support. For more information on the event, please click the link below.

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, in partnership with ROAR (Restaurants Organizing, Advocating & Rebuilding), will be bringing the NYC Mobile Vaccine Bus to Astoria from Sunday, April 25 to Tuesday, April 27 to vaccinate restaurant workers and restaurant delivery workers, and will also accept community walk ups. They will be offering Moderna vaccines, so when you schedule an appointment, please confirm you are available when the Bus returns 28 days later for your second shot. 

Location: 31st Avenue and Steinway Street, Astoria, Queens

Timing: Sunday, April 25 to Tuesday, April 27, 8:00-3:00p daily

To Schedule: Walk up appointments accepted, but appointments can also be made by visiting www.roarnewyork.org, emailing vaccbus@roarnewyork.org or calling 1-833-762-7692. On-site interpretation will be available. 

On April 17, the SBA released additional information on the highly-anticipated Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) created to support restaurants, bars, cafés, caterers, bakeries, breweries and other eligible businesses. Please join us on Tuesday, April 27, at 12:30 pm for a webinar with Man-Li Lin, Economic Development Specialist in the New York District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration on the RRF and other federal relief programs. 

Please RSVP here. If you have any questions, contact Osagie Afe at oafe@licpartnership.org.

As we reflect on the turmoil of the past year, this is a great moment to remember all the great organizations that work towards social justice and equity in our neighborhood and our city, and give them our support, including: Hour Children, Urban Upbound, Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement, Community Capacity Development, NYC Kids RISE, Variety Boys and Girls Club, LIC Astoria NAACP, Sunnyside Community Services, the Fortune Society, and Zone 126. Please click here for a page of links to these organizations to learn more and see how you can help. 

Community Capacity Development (CCD) will host Summer of Peace, a series of events throughout the month of June to help reduce violent crime in the city. Each Saturday, the organization will host community BBQs at one of four local housing developments, featuring food and artists such as DJ Envy, DJ Enuff, DJ Camilo and Funk Master Flex. Hiring business are welcomed to inquire about tabling and sponsorship opportunities. More information can be found at www.aboutccd.org.

LICP Member i2print and Artist Choichun Leung’s initiative to spread the message of anti-hate to our LIC community was recently covered on NY1. We are still helping local businesses show their support by distributing posters, and now stickers to any businesses who would like them. If you would like a to request a poster or stickers please contact Angelica Hart at ahart@licpartnership.org. Posters and stickers can be dropped off if you are located in the LIC BID or they can be picked up at the LIC Partnership office.

For more information on the program and application, please visit here. If you have any questions, contact Osagie Afe at oafe@licpartnership.org.

Please join LICP Member, Hour Children on Mother's Day weekend - May 6th through May 9th - for a special virtual auction in support of Hour Children's prison programs. Donate or participate to help them bring children to visit their mothers after long separations as prisons and jails reopen.

Registration is required and will be open from April 7, 2021 through April 27, 2021. To register for the exam, visit www.nyc.gov/oasys. For more information, contact 212-RECRUIT or visit the NYPD's website. 

*NEW* Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) – The SBA released additional information on the highly-anticipated Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) created to support restaurants, bars, cafés, caterers, bakeries, breweries and other eligible businesses. This fund helps cover pandemic-related revenue losses. Businesses owned primarily by women, minorities, and veterans will be prioritized in the first three weeks of grant applications. If you have any questions please contact Osagie at oafe@licpartnership.org

*UPDATE* Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) Application – The SBA has temporarily suspended the SVOG application portal shortly after it went online due to technical issues. As of Wednesday, 4/21, SBA continues to work on reopening the application as soon as possible. Applicants may continue to register for a new account.  We recommend those who are interested in applying to go through the SVOG Preliminary Application Checklist and begin collecting the required documents. If you have any questions, please reach out to Osagie Afe at oafe@licpartnership.org.

COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility Expanded – The Governor has announced a new expansion of COVID-19 vaccine eligibility in New York. The details of the expansion are below:

The PPP deadline has been extended to May 31st from March 31st. The additional two months may also open the door for small businesses that got a first PPP loan this year to apply for a second one. We encourage businesses to put in their application as soon as possible. Please see the updated information below:

EIDL Now Covers Up To $500K And 24 Months of Operating Expense – For loans approved starting the week of April 6th, the SBA has expanded EIDL to cover 24-months of economic injury with a maximum loan amount of $500,000. Some loans approved prior to the week of April 6th will be eligible for an increase. Businesses that already received a loan do not need to submit a request for an increase at this time. SBA will reach out directly via email closer to April 6th to provide more details about how businesses can request an increase.

If you have any questions please contact Osagie at oafe@licpartnership.org

Weekly Webinars in Partnership with SBS – In partnership with NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS), we have scheduled weekly webinars. These webinars will provide guidance for businesses interested in applying for loans and grants. Specifically, we offer guidance on items to consider before taking on additional debt, documentation that is commonly required to apply for funding, and an overview of additional loans and grants that are available to NYC businesses. These webinars will be run weekly, click here for a full list of upcoming programming from NYC SBS.

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