CDC of LI and Conifer Realty provide employment opportunities for youth

Community Development Corp. of Long Island (CDC) and Conifer Realty LLC, owners of Twin Oaks, an affordable housing development that is undergoing substantial rehabilitation, is providing employment opportunities to local minority youth through the ABBA Leadership Group's Job Readiness Program. "Our goal from the beginning was to deliver not only state-of-the-art exceptional housing opportunities to local residents, but to offer opportunities for local jobs," said Marianne Garvin, president and CEO of CDC. At a press conference held today at Twin Oaks, ABBA's Executive Director Rev. Reginald Benjamin presented Brian Mullen of Conifer LeChase Construction, the general contractor for Twin Oaks, and Raymond Castronovo of The Zenith Group, Inc. with citations in recognition of their work with the Job Readiness Program and their investment in the local community. "Our goal to increase employment opportunities could not have been met without the Job Readiness program. We applaud the ABBA Leadership Center and Reverend Benjamin for recognizing that partnerships like these can have powerful outcomes," said Andrew Crossed, executive vice president of Conifer. CDC and Conifer's general contractor at Twin Oaks, Conifer LeChase, have given several minority-owned businesses construction contracts on the Twin Oaks re-development and will exceed the goals set by the State for Women and Minority Owned Businesses. The partners will shortly begin marketing this development, comprised of 94 one- and two-bedroom apartments, to residents, with lease up expected in late 2011.