Lee on keeping grocery prices down and bodega impact

And then just really quickly, how will you be keeping prices down if they're name brand?

And I'm assuming it's because of the tax breaks and incentives that are going to go back into the...

Lowering the cost, but if you could clarify that question.

Yeah, so again, the tenant fit out, the grocery store wouldn't have to pay for that.

They're not going to have to pay for rent or for property tax.

And we're going to, because it's city controlled, we're going to ensure that that subsidy, so to speak, for lack of a better word, is going to go directly into the discounted basket.

Okay, great.

And her last question was just, and I think the speaker actually asked a very similar question about whether you're taking into consideration the mom and pop stores around the neighborhoods and partnering with them.

Yes, so we've had extensive outreach once a site has been announced and we'll continue to do so.

Both, again, it doesn't stop.

Once we open the

The grocery store will still have engagement as well as throughout the operations.

It's going to be an ongoing relationship.

Okay, perfect.

And with that, actually, Gail, did you want to ask more questions before we...

I just want to talk about life sciences.

I'm really impressed with your program that works with young people who are getting into the business.

That's a great program.

I know Westside Strategies runs it.

So my question is, is there a cut to life sciences in terms of what you're doing?

How do you see that as a growing industry and bringing, hopefully, people who are from CUNY or other backgrounds that wouldn't necessarily get in?

How are you looking at that?

Yeah, so I think you're referring to the Life Science Internship Program, which is a very successful, it's like we're going in our 10th year, so we're super excited about that, and so we have it this summer.

And we continue to have life science programs as well, both in terms of capital that we've

had, but also in these workforce development, including the life science internship, but we also have IDA benefits that we've allocated specifically for life science companies, and so our IDA team is open for business for life science companies to come.

So was there a cut to the budget for life sciences, or is it maintained the same?

There hasn't been as, well, we had a life science expansion fund that was part of our chief savings officer fiscal 26, but we still have $500,000.

That was specific, again, as you know, that...

DC does not get a lot of city tax levy, so for us to find something was really hard.

But we were sort of re-strategizing about that fund anyway because it had been an investment, and then we did a forgivable loan, and we only had like three we had given and only two now.

And so we're trying to rethink that.

Again, we still have $500,000, but we thought that that would be sort of where we could cut, not cutting these internship programs.

And also we have SPARC coming.

So that's a huge life science campus, as you know.

And so we are going to be putting on a par fee for E73rd this summer.

So I hope you'll be looking forward to that.

And then phase two of SPARC, which will have a lot of commercial life science after E73rd.

Okay, and then just quickly, how do you work with CUNY, with Ken Adams or anybody else?

In other words, we all are saying CUNY should be the bedrock to help get, as the speaker said, workforce, et cetera, et cetera.

So how do you work?

Obviously, SBS works, other agencies work, but how does EDC work, if at all, with CUNY?

Yeah, we have a lot of partnerships with CUNY, including these life science internships program, because that's a feeder.

There's a lot of other type programs like that where we access CUNY students.

But for example, SPARC, we're working very, very closely with CUNY because that's going to be their campus.

So our team meets with them like every single week to make sure that that campus is meeting their needs.

Okay, so that's the main program that you work with with CUNY.

Yeah, we have other programs, but that's the largest one right now.

All right, thank you.

Okay, great.

Sorry, just for the record, we were joined earlier by Councilmember Banks and Justin Sanchez, and I'm passing it back to you, Chair Maloney.

Thank you.