The Yemeni American Merchants Association (YAMA) was searching for a space to rent in the Bronx to house a new community center. However, searching for a building that would suit their needs proved to be challenging.
At a Bricks and Mortals membership meeting, Dr. Debbie Almontaser put out a call in search of available buildings to rent for YAMA. Dr. Debbie connected with Michael Tortorici, a Founding Partner at Ariel Property Advisors, who answered the call with two buildings to potentially purchase located in Little Yemen in the Bronx, exactly where the organization was looking. The building that YAMA ended up buying is at 3305 Wallace Ave in the Bronx.
YAMA’s plans for the new building include a community center with offices, a community food pantry, ESL classes, computers, and educational programs. The grand opening for the community center was July 19th, 2024. Many dedicated elected officials were in attendance.
The building was previously a convent and the building’s existing use under R4A zoning made it especially appealing to non-profit organizations. This interfaith element to this success story truly reflects the unity and collaboration between diverse communities, showcasing the potential for shared spaces to bridge gaps and foster understanding.
“Bricks and Mortals provided this platform for nonprofit leaders and real estate companies, architects and for people who are in this space [to connect]. We were able to save this building and turn it into religious development and community development,” says Dr. Debbie.
Funding was a significant hurdle, as it is for many faith-based organizations. At Bricks and Mortals we strive to provide a platform for nonprofit leaders to connect with a variety of industry experts to come together and build projects such as this one.
Through this connection, two Bricks and Mortals members preserved this historic property, turning it into a hub for religious and community development.
The collaboration of these two Bricks and Mortals members, Ariel Property Advisors and YAMA, is exactly the type of partnership that Bricks and Mortals seeks to generate – partnering faith organizations with the specialized assistance they need to serve their mission and communities. Collaborations like this are imperative to creating exciting projects like this.
As we celebrate this triumph, it is a reminder that community development, interfaith collaboration, and perseverance can transform even the most challenging undertakings into opportunities for growth and unity. Bricks and Mortals brings together religious professionals and advocacy organizations and plays an important role as convener to help congregations thrive in NYC.