Community Centers
Humble Beginnings is a community nonprofit that serves residents of Paterson, New Jersey. Among its activities, the organization is dedicated to the revitalization of Paterson’s Northside neighborhood. The firm’s real estate group represented Humble Beginnings in purchasing the Northside Library from the City of Paterson with the goal of converting the building into a vibrant community center in the heart of the First Ward. The library had been abandoned and left in disrepair for over a decade. The purchase was the culmination of four years of negotiations with the city government that included discussion of the need for environmental remediation and extensive repairs. Humble Beginnings plans to use the building for substance abuse and mental health counseling; job development; vocational rehabilitation; ex-offender, postrelease, and reentry services; and community and economic development. The organization hopes that restoring the library structure to its past glory will inspire the redevelopment of other abandoned structures in the neighborhood.
Photo courtesy of Humble Beginnings
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QSpot is a nonprofit that fosters the health, well-being, and pride of New Jersey’s LGBTQ and allied community by providing resources, referrals, education, and outreach. The firm’s real estate group helped QSpot purchase a new facility in Asbury Park that serves as a dedicated safe space where LGBTQ and allied community members can socialize, engage, and be supported without fear of prejudice or discrimination. The community center has a café and indoor and outdoor meeting spaces, and hosts an array of events including QFest, an annual LGBTQ film and digital media festival.
Lowenstein’s work with QSpot began five years ago, when the nonprofit faced eviction by its previous landlord. The firm handled the landlord-tenant litigation and then guided the client in addressing environmental issues and raising funds so that it could accomplish its goal of acquiring a permanent home for its clients.
Photo courtesy of QSpot