LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending the Gowanus Canal Community Develop-
ment Corporation upon the occasion of its 33rd Anniversary to be cele-
brated at its Annual Gala on May 5, 2011

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize organiza-
tions of commitment and high achievement whose purpose and endeavor are
dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in its communities, and to the
development of responsible citizens and community leaders; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern and fully in accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to recognize
and commend the Gowanus Canal Community Development Corporation upon the
occasion of its 33rd Anniversary to be celebrated at its Annual Gala on
May 5, 2011; and
WHEREAS, The Gowanus Canal Community Development Corporation (GCCDC)
is a not-for-profit neighborhood preservation organization formed in
1978 to revitalize the communities of South Brooklyn, with a particular
emphasis on the area surrounding the Gowanus Canal; and
WHEREAS, Since the late 1970s, GCCDC has converted tens of thousands
of square feet of dilapidated industrial buildings into affordable
apartments and housing for the elderly, including a 100-unit senior
citizen residence and a 90-unit gut rehab converting of a vacant paro-
chial school into below-market rentals, among many other projects; and
WHEREAS, GCCDC played an integral role in securing $478 million in
funding to help build the Red Hook sewer treatment plant and reactivate
the Gowanus Flushing Tunnel, both of which have been critically impor-
tant in restoring the Gowanus Canal; and
WHEREAS, GCCDC provides tenant and client assistance, loan program
assistance, homeownership counseling, organizational development, and a
Computer Training Center for single parents recently taken off the
welfare rolls; and
WHEREAS, This vital organization has been an active participant in the
local community, organizing public meetings, conducting community
outreach, and sponsoring and supporting a wide range of community events
and fundraisers; and
WHEREAS, GCCDC helped usher in the remarkable rebirth of the Canal
itself which now supports wildlife and recreational use, the restoration
of residential property, and the revitalization of Court Street as a
viable commercial strip; and
WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body that those who
enhance the well-being and vitality of their community and have shown a
long and sustained commitment to excellence certainly have earned the
recognition and applause of all the citizens of this great Empire State;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend the Gowanus Canal Community Development Corporation upon the
occasion of its 33rd Anniversary; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the Gowanus Canal Community Development Corporation.