FDBA Honors Lucille McEwen with C. Virginia Fields Award for Leadership and Community Development
The Frederick Douglass Boulevard Alliance will honor Lucille McEwen with its second annual C. Virginia Fields Award for Leadership and Community Development on Wednesday October 14th, at the Harlem Garage (318 West 118th Street) at 6:00 PM.
Lucille L. McEwen has been a leader in community development in Harlem for more than two decades. As General Counsel and Chief of Staff at the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, she assisted in the development of such anchor projects like Harlem USA.
Starting in 2002, as President and CEO of Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement (“HCCI”), she initiated over $220 million in residential and mixed use development resulting in more than 1,000 apartments with 48,000 square feet of new commercial space and moderate rehabilitation of more than 450 occupied apartments which included creative equity building models used at Angelou Court for long term homeownership.
“Lucille’s passion for community development has benefitted generations of Harlem residents. The turnaround of Frederick Douglass Boulevard would not have been possible without her energy and dedication.” said Paimaan Lodhi, Co-President of FDBA.
The numerous housing development projects completed, such as Harriet Tubman and the Douglass, provided critical retail space that enlivened the Boulevard.
Yvette Leeper-Bueno, owner of Vinateria Restaurant said, “As a Harlem resident and restaurateur, I am truly grateful for HCCI’s support and dedication to small businesses. Vinateria would not have opened and become the neighborhood mainstay it is without Lucille’s vision.”