More than 100 members of the New York City real estate industry helped renovate a NYCHA community center for Rebuilding Together NYC’s annual She Builds Day on September 28.
Spearheaded by co-chairs Laura Jackson and Laurie Grasso, along with the She Builds Women in Real Estate committee, the day of service brought volunteers together for vital renovations to the Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center, a program of Goddard Riverside.
“Clean, healthy and positive public spaces are the backbone of communities and a much-needed resource for families in crowded, expensive cities like New York,” Rebuilding Together NYC Interim Executive Director Sarah Desmond said. “We are thrilled to be part of this exciting project that brings together women in real estate to share their knowledge and expertise to better our communities.”
Over the course of the day, the women helped provide ADA accessibility modifications and renovations of classrooms and the lending library, while also repainting the gymnasium, outdoor playground and other areas. The renovations are designed to improve the public spaces to ensure the community has a safe, healthy and positive place to spend time in.
Goddard Riverside at Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center delivers programs and services to the over 2,700 individuals and 1,250 families, from pre-schoolers to seniors, who live and work in the community to meet the social, educational, recreational and cultural needs of the people of the West Side.
“The She Builds Women’s Committee is proud to have completed its 3rd transformative community event,” Laurie Grasso, co-chair of the She Builds Planning Committee and partner at the law firm Hunton Andrews Kurth said. “We had over 100 real estate players taking a ‘break’ from work to concentrate on doing important renovation and repair work at the Lincoln Square Community Center.
“The Committee will be pushing forward policy initiatives, looking to the real estate industry to focus more on our integrity and gender equality,” Grasso added. “Together with Rebuilding Together NYC’s Workforce Training Program, we are hopeful that we can work with our friends in the industry to find life-changing jobs for their graduates – with particular emphasis on their women graduates.”
For the first time, the committee was joined by interior designer Libby Langdon, who brought design expertise to this annual project. Presenting sponsors for She Builds 2018 were Sherwin Williams, Hunton Andrews Kurth, SL Green and Fried Frank.
“I was honored to lead the design makeover of the Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center,” Langdon said. “As an interior designer, it’s such a privilege to offer my insights on how to revamp, refresh, and rejuvenate a place that so many people in this NYC community get to use and enjoy. As a local to the neighborhood myself just 8 blocks away, I’ve loved the opportunity to dive in, roll my sleeves up, and help make a difference in the way people feel and connect with the center on a daily basis.”
