Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Announces $100 Million in NY Bricks Grants for 30 Community Center Projects Statewide

Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul announced 30 awards totaling $100 million through the Building Recreational Infrastructure for Communities, Kids and Seniors (NY BRICKS) capital grant program. The grants will support municipalities and nonprofit organizations across New York State in building or renovating community centers that promote physical health, mental well-being, and community connections for youth and older adults. The awards, which will benefit nearly 400,000 New Yorkers across the State, are funded from the $100 million NY BRICKS program, which Governor Hochul secured in the FY 2026 Enacted Budget.

VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

AUDIO: The Governor's remarks are available in audio form here.

PHOTOS: The Governor's Flickr page will post photos of the event here.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

 Good afternoon, everyone. What a happy place to be. If I look a little tired and maybe a little sweaty, I was up with the zumba dancers upstairs. A lot of my contemporaries and friends and what a place of energy and friendship, a place of gathering. And that's why we're here today, to continue to support what the mission of this incredible place here is that Pomonok Houses and so many other places across the state. So I'll make an announcement to come in, but I also want to thank our host, Tamika Williams-Moore. You'll be hearing from her, from the President's Association here. Let's give her another round of applause.

Ben Thomases, the Executive Director. You'll be hearing from the Borough President, who's always picking my pocket when I come to Queens and he does very successfully. And a great champion for this area, our Senator, John Liu. I want to thank all of them. Robert Rodriguez, a member of my cabinet. He's head of DASNY, which helps fund projects like this. Let's give him a round of applause as well, Robert.

And all the BRICKS awardees who are here today, although I'm not saying who yet. Okay. Have to get that drum roll of suspense, but it's great to be back here today.

Back in my State of the State address, which was announced in January, I realized that as we try to get people to engage in healthy activities, and we talked about getting kids off of cell phones and getting kids outside, and families playing together again, and having gathering places for seniors as we know are one of the great challenges for older Americans - older New Yorkers is to have that sense of comradery. They may have lost a spouse and their friends may be passing on, and so loneliness can really take hold and it's painful. It's truly painful. And to have a place like this and many across the state, where people feel valued, they have relationships and services provided to them. I knew we needed to do even more across the State of New York.

So we announced our BRICKS program, and this is just simply to support places exactly like this one and to bring us back to a time when we weren't so distracted. We put a premium on personal friendships and hanging out together and talking and not talking into your cell phone or looking at social media feeds and TikTok dance videos and things instead of talking to your friends in person. And I want to get back to that time. I think it was a healthier time. It was better for the mental health of everybody from our teenagers up to our older adults.

So that's exactly what this place has been for a long time. And I recognize that we have to put some money behind this because some of these have been around a long time and they become a little in need. But also there's opportunities to build new spaces as well. So I said we will deliver this. I'm really proud here today - that just a little less than one year later, from the support of the legislature and Senator Liu and others to fund this program, $100 million statewide - that today we're announcing that there are 30 New York BRICKS Awards going to communities across 22 counties. So from right here in Queens to the North Country.

What that'll give us is 10 new community centers - refurbish major renovations to over 20, and that's 400,000 New Yorkers who will have the knowledge and the sense of security that they'll have a place in their community to go and gather and just have friends. And so most of this money is actually being allocated - 90 percent of the money of the $100 million is being allocated to underserved communities where they need a little extra help. Some communities can afford their own community centers and senior centers and don't need the extra help from the state, but I want to make sure we focus on communities where a little extra love is needed.

And that's why we're here today, and I'm proud to announce that Pomonok Community Center will receive - drum roll, here it comes - $5 million. $5 million.

Now I want to point out, this is the first - Everybody's so excited in the back. Thank you. Thank you.

Now get this. This is the first major renovation, our contribution and the contributions of others, in 75 years. So I think it's overdue, don't you? I think it's overdue, right? So we have a lot of demand for this. I'd like to keep funding it, but also just tell you how much you mean to me.

And I want you to know that you have a government that cares deeply about every single person. And I want you to know as New York's first mom-Governor, you're all part of my family. Alright, want to make sure my kids behave, Senator Liu. I also know how to discipline my kids.

But we're going to continue focusing on getting families connected, kids outside, seniors in healthy relationships and friendships and programs. And I will tell you this as I wrap up and introduce our next speaker. We are going to keep doing this because your family really is my fight. We're not stopping, we're not backing off. Families are feeling under siege right now. The cost of everything going up.

One of our friends upstairs in zumba class just thanked me for having over $150 in her bank account. He says, "You just sent me a check," and this is part of our inflation refund. Well, we allocated money that had been - we over collected money in sales tax because of inflation.

We collected more last year and I said, "This doesn't belong to us." We sent it out to millions and millions of New Yorkers all across the state to just help them with a little extra money to help with the rent or the payments they have to make at the end of the month, and utilities and holiday gifts as we're approaching the holidays.

So, that's a small token of appreciation to all of New Yorkers for making this your home. So we're going to continue that and continue focusing on kids. And anybody have any grandkids out there? I do. You see what your own kids are going through with the cost of everything for the kids.

And so, we have a thousand dollars starting this upcoming year for every parent to have off their taxes if they have children under the age of four. So we're going to keep doing that. We now have free school lunches and breakfast for every child in the state. So now we're going to make sure our kids don't go hungry, but we're just getting warmed up and supporting this community center is just another statement of our priorities, how much you matter to all of us, and I hope you look forward to the next 75 years. Everybody in this room needs to be here for the next 75 years and we'll allocate another million dollars, $5 million to probably by then, inflation, probably $25 million.

But I want to make sure that you feel this is your home. And we're going to keep making your home be beautiful, welcoming, and a place for you. So congratulations. Let me present the check to our friends at Pomonok Houses.

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