NYC's 14th Street Y Gets
$15M for Renovations

$10M to Support Improvements to the 14th Street Y

Project Will Revitalize a Cornerstone of the East Village and the Only Jewish Community Center for the Southern Half of Manhattan

Renovations will Include Critical Building Systems and Modern Spaces for Early Childhood Education, Fitness, Aquatics, the Arts and Older Adult Services

Governor Hochul today announced $10 million in support for renovations at the Sol Goldman YM-YWHA 14th Street Y (14th Street Y) in Downtown Manhattan. The 14th Street Y is a vibrant Jewish community center that caters to tens of thousands of New Yorkers of all ages, races and ethnicities for many programs centered around arts and culture, early childhood education, summer camps, fitness and aquatics, Jewish life, arts and culture and older adult services. The 14th Street Y is currently undergoing a capital campaign to make significant upgrades to the existing building and transform their facilities to fit the needs of their programming and the community. In addition to the $10 million in support from the Governor, Senator Brian Kavanagh secured $5 million for the renovations, bringing the total amount of State support to $15 million.

“For years, the 14th Street Y has been a gathering place where New Yorkers of every age and background come together to learn, play, create and connect,” Governor Hochul said. “I am proud to commit $10 million to support this much needed renovation so it can continue to serve families, children and older New Yorkers for generations to come.”

The 14th Street Y is part of Educational Alliance. Educational Alliance is one of New York City’s oldest settlement houses, a 137-year-old Jewish nonprofit organization serving tens of thousands of New Yorkers each year across Lower Manhattan. The 14th Street Y is Educational Alliance’s Jewish community center and is the only JCC in Manhattan south of 59th Street. UJA-Federation of New York is partnering with the 14th Street Y on the renovation. The building is deteriorating and key infrastructure is partly or fully out of service, which impacts daily operations as well as the building’s safety, performance and efficiency. The full renovation is projected to cost $52.3 million and will be done in phases. When finished, the redeveloped building will offer new event space and entrances, modernize the gym, pool, classrooms and theater and refresh the lobby and building facades bringing accessible, sustainable modern spaces for a wide range of programs.

State Senator Brian Kavanagh said, “Today’s announcement of $10 million secured by Governor Hochul and $5 million secured by the Senate for the renovation of the 14th Street Y brings us one step closer to a new, state of the art facility, worthy of the longstanding commitment of this wonderful institution to the community. The Educational Alliance’s 14th Street Y is an essential hub for social services, cultural life, and community gathering, particularly for the Jewish community. I am proud to have led the effort to secure funding through the Senate, and I thank Governor Kathy Hochul and Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins for their leadership and commitment to this project, as well as Rich Baum and the entire team at Educational Alliance for their tireless advocacy and all that they do to support New Yorkers every day.”

Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick said, “I am thrilled that the 14th Street Y will receive this funding which is critical to ensuring their long-term presence in Lower Manhattan. The 14th Street Y provides essential programming for downtown residents, through a wide range of arts and culture offerings, early childhood education, summer camp, fitness and recreation programs, Jewish life and older adult services, and I applaud Governor Hochul and Senator Kavanagh for securing this funding.”

Assemblymember Keith Powers said, “The 14th Street Y is a historic and indispensable resource to our community. Its offering of early childhood education, fitness and aquatic facilities, or arts, cultural, senior and Jewish programming, the 14th Street Y is a cornerstone of our community and the ultimate embodiment of New York City. I thank Governor Hochul for her unwavering support for the Y, and for the $10 million in capital improvements that will revitalize and modernize this space.”

Educational Alliance CEO Rich Baum said, “For more than a century, the 14th Street Y has been a vital neighborhood institution, bringing together people from the Jewish and broader communities who might otherwise never connect. As the only Jewish Community Center serving southern Manhattan, the 14th Street Y plays an indispensable role in sustaining Jewish life and building community downtown. Governor Hochul’s extraordinary investment will allow us to undertake critically needed infrastructure improvements, helping to ensure that this historic institution can continue serving generations of New Yorkers into the future. We are deeply grateful to the Governor for recognizing the importance of the 14th Street Y to our community and for making our essential work possible.”

The 14th Street Y Executive Director Alexis Offen said, “Now more than ever, the 14th Street Y is an essential anchor for Downtown’s growing Jewish community. From our Jewish preschool, summer camps, arts and culture programming, fitness and aquatics, bridge building initiatives, to LABA, our renowned artistic fellowship for Jewish and Israeli artists, we have expanded our programming to meet the expanding needs and interests of the entire downtown community. We are grateful to Governor Hochul for her support and recognition of the role that the 14th Street Y plays as Downtown’s JCC.”

UJA-Federation of New York CEO Michael Kay said, “We are deeply grateful to Governor Hochul for allocating $10 million to the 14th Street Y. This commitment will help sustain a vital community institution and builds on the Governor’s longstanding support for Jewish communities across New York. We’re proud to partner with her in strengthening the organizations and spaces that bring people together.”

Source: New York Governor's Office