www.BXTimes.com BRONX WEEKLY March 15, 2020 8
Brookfi eld Properties delivers opportunities to residents
BY JASON COHEN
A developer that is in the midst
of constructing a mega million
dollar luxury residential project
in the borough is also providing
jobs for local residents in the process.
In November, Brookfield Properties
unveiled their plans for the
Bankside mixed-use development
in Mott Haven and also brought
hundreds of construction jobs,
many of which were filled with local
residents.
Bankside, a $950 million, 4.3-
acre mixed-use multi tower development
is located along the Harlem
River waterfront in. Bankside
will consume two sizable parcels
located on each side of the Third
Avenue Bridge – at 2401 Third Avenue
and 101 Lincoln Avenue.
For this project, Brookfield
is using its Social Inclusion Program
with local workforce intermediaries
and a host of community
and faith-based organizations
located in the Bronx to match residents
with opportunities on projects
like Bankside. Brookfield
has had several success stories
through their work with workforce
intermediaries.
Behind this effort is Andre
Banks, director of the Social Inclusion
Program. He works with
workforce intermediaries and
community and faith based organizations
in the Bronx and Washington,
D.C. to help supply local
residents with job opportunities.
“We want to help people,” Banks
said. “We’re putting a lot into the
community. It’s going to change
the lives for some.”
Banks told the Bronx Times he
understands how difficult it can
be to find a job, so being part of
this program is gratifying for the
employer and employee. People
struggle putting food on the table
and helping local people is important,
he stressed.
“When they see this coming
down the pike, they really want to
be a part of it,” he said. “There’s
nothing worse than well-trained
people that can’t find jobs.”
One person who can attest to
the success of the program firsthand
is Dwayne Campbell. Campbell,
53, was referred to Building
Skills NY from their workforce
partner Bronxworks.
He was hired by RC Structures
and is now doing general labor,
flagging and fire watch.
“I am so thankful for this opportunity
to work on the Brookfield
site,” Campbell said. “Building
Skills connected me to a job
where I am now making a good
salary and my rent is back in good
standing.”
Campbell said things have not
always been easy. He was married,
lost his son, fell into depression,
dealt with addiction and sold
drugs.
In the 90s he was in the drug
game and aimed to be a ‘successful
Scarface.’
In 1996 he left it all behind. He
went to college and began working
various jobs, none of which made
his pockets fat. Campbell was living
paycheck to paycheck and often
falling behind on rent.
“Inching your way through
your rent is not good,” he stated.
On Wednesday, January 2, he
joined Brookfield and things have
been smooth sailing ever since.
Buildings Skills NY has made
a difference in his life, he said. It
helped him get licenses, a job and
ultimately has lead to his happiness.
“It feels fantastic,” he said. “It’s
money that I haven’t made in a
longtime. I’m just so grateful for
the chance that they gave me.”
Dwayne Campbell, a Bronx resident who is part of Brookfi eld’s Social
Inclusion Program. Photo by Building Skills NY
Medical experts and Sen. Rivera discuss pot legalization
BY JASON COHEN
As more and more states are legalizing
marijuana, many are wondering
when New York will follow
suit. Governor Andrew Cuomo is
considering putting it in the budget
in April.
Marijuana is legal in 11 states
and Washington, D.C. for adults
over the age of 21, and legal for medical
use in 33 states.
On Thursday, February 28, a
panel of representatives from coalitions
hosted a town hall at Hunts
Point Library, 877 Southern Boulevard,
where they discussed the
potential impact marijuana commercialization
could have on
communities in the Bronx. The
speakers were Melissa Robbins
(moderator), regional director,
Smart Approaches to Marijuana
(SAM), Dr. Joseph Lurio, Family
Physician Institute /associate professor
Icahn School of Medicine, D,
Angela Torres, vice president PTA
P.S. 304, Rev. Addie Banks, CEO,
Groundswell, creator of WEPA (We
Engage in Prevention Awareness)
and Senator Luis Sepulveda.
Sabet, who travels the world and
country opposing the decriminalization
of marijuana, said legalizing
weed would not help the Bronx.
Sabet stressed that alcohol and tobacco
don’t make towns rich, so why
would weed?
“You aren’t going to make money
selling legal marijuana,” he said.
In fact, since Colorado legalized
marijuana arrests for public marijuana
use and accidents have increased.
Many pot users have trouble
fi nding work or get fi red because
of their weed use.
Furthermore, there is no test to
determine if someone is high or how
high if pulled over while operating
a vehicle.
“We don’t have to be geniuses to
know it doesn’t exactly make you a
very alert person,” he said.
Torres, who has traveled to California
for work the last 12 years, has
witnessed legal weed fi rsthand.
While living in the Bronx, the
smell of weed is everywhere, she
explained. Whether it’s in the street
or in a Burlington Coat Factory, the
aroma is evident.
“This is alarming to me because
of the amount of asthma that our
residents are already affecting. Attacking
our young ill children is
already so great and that is without
adding the smoke of weed,” Torres
said.
According to Torres, if weed
is legalized there needs to be a
system in place to determine how
high a driver is when pulled over
by the police.
She emotionally asked: “Do
we really want a society where
accidents increase because of legal
weed?
Sepulveda took a bit of a different
approach. He said while
he doesn’t support legal weed, it
needs to be decriminalized.
He stressed he is not encouraging
people to smoke, but said
an underlying issue is people
of color get locked up for using
marijuana far more often than
white people. Having an arrest
can prevent someone from getting
a scholarship, job or derail
their life.
“Weed has been incredibly
destructive in terms of criminal
convictions primarily in black
and brown communities,” the
senator said. “Why is it always
the poor black and brown communities
that suffer? People are
not going to stop smoking marijuana.
It’s a fantasy to think that
we can regulate this type of be-
Dr. Kevin Sabet, president and CEO, Smart Approaches to Marijuana speaks at a town hall about legalizing weed on Feb. 28.
Schneps Media Jason Cohen
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