Staffing for New Athletic Complex Provided by Lower East Side Employment Network
June 11, 2012 - By Ryan Wenzel
Basketball City — a sparkling new athletic complex at the foot of Montgomery Street on the Lower East Side — opened with great fanfare on June 8. State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, City Council Member Margaret Chin, and hundreds of Lower East Side residents were on hand, celebrating the increased recreation opportunities the complex will offer both youth and adults.
They also celebrated the new jobs created by Basketball City. Working with the Lower East Side Employment Network, a collaboration between Henry Street Settlement and other neighborhood-based organizations that offer job training and placement services, Basketball City has hired local residents to fill its jobs and plans to continue hiring from the neighborhood.
"The Lower East Side Employment Network leverages the strength of community-based organizations, allowing us to work together instead of compete," said David Garza, Henry Street's Executive Director. "The network looks forward to a long, productive relationship with Basketball City."
Basketball City's 70,000-square-foot complex features seven courts, locker rooms and a sports-themed cafe. It operates basketball and volleyball program for youth and adults, hosts special events and fundraisers for nonprofit organizations, and will offer free programs and scholarships to children in need.
