Having been a graduate of New York University, Brooklyn College, and the College of St. Rose, not only earned Ericka K Wala remarkable credentials, but she was also able to gain a true sense of being involved in various community affairs. After a decade of working for the NYC Department of Education, Ericka Wala decided to apply her skillset to add value to the construction and development business her family built.

Ericka expanded the company’s reputation as a HUD 202 General Contractor by building senior housing for faith-based sponsors and transformed the organization to one that would build on the growth of affordable housing with faith-based establishments and religious partners.

Wala has received numerous awards and certifications during the progression of both of her careers that include:

• The 2009 Queens Rotary Club “Unsung Hero Award”
• The 2010 NYS Senate “Constituent of the Month Citation”
• The 2012 National Association of Professional Women (NAPW) “Woman of the Year Award”
• The 2015 Mayor Hall -Village of Hempstead “Woman of the Year Award”
• The 2016 “General Contractor and Emerging Developer of the Year Award” from the New York State Association of Minority Contractors

The above-listed awards do not include the many recognitions and honors she has received for non- profit and for profit affordable housing efforts.

Ericka K. Wala of Brisa Builders Brings Affordable Housing Development to Brownsville

Between being a resident of several NYC communities, and the skillset and compassion she developed as a teacher, Ericka has become a true staple in community development and renaissance.

One of Wala’s most recent projects involves the erection of a 230-unit affordable housing building that will also include an addition of commercial units being built in the Brownsville community where Wala grew up. This development will provide housing to low-income seniors, formerly homeless families, and low-income residents.

Situated in the corner of Brownsville, Brooklyn where Christopher Avenue meets Glenmore Avenue, this venture will be led by a team of developers which includes the teams at Brisa Builders, Lemle & Wolff, and the African American Planning Commission, Inc. (AAPC).

The new development will feature 20,000 sq. ft. of new community and commercial space where the Brooklyn Cooperative Federal Credit Union will call home. Moreover, locals will be able to enjoy a new sit-down restaurant, along with a salon that will be managed by a cosmetics establishment that is owned by a local resident.

The new location will also dedicate space to the Central Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation (CBEDC), and other associates who will inflate their programming for young business owners and deliver services for entrepreneurs and nonprofit organizations.

New York City salutes Ericka Keller- Wala!

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Brownsville was one of five parks in New York City to be granted $30 million for renovations, in 2016, by Mayor DeBlasio. It seems the renovations are scheduled to begin in November 2018.

The Betsy Head Park overhaul will include the following: (See the images as well)

• Construction of a synthetic turf field, rubberized track, sport courts and adult fitness equipment area
• New skate park, basketball courts, active fitness area and multi-purpose space
• Comfort station (bathrooms) and utility building in Betsy Head Park.

About the Friends of Brownsville Parks

Due to the planning & advocacy of local community stakeholders & residents,  Brownsville’s partnering agencies and advocates formed the Friends of Brownsville Parks (FoBP) organization with the NYC Parks & Recreation Department (NYC Parks). Under the leadership & expertise of FoBP’s Chairman & Founder, Duane Kinnon, the community’s largest park (Betsy Head Park) was designated as one of only 5 parks in NYC to receive $30 Million as an Anchor Park by NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2016. In addition to this milestone, the NYC Parks Department presented the Friends of Brownsville Parks group with the Borough Award for Brooklyn, NY in 2017. The FoBP is fiscally sponsored by the City Parks Foundation and works in partnership with Partnership for Parks, New Yorkers for Parks, the Mayor’s office of Criminal Justice, Medgar Evers College, the NYS Health Foundation, L+M Development Partners and others to implement community sports, wellness, parks activation and improvement projects for Brownsville parks and families.

Duane Kinnon is the President & CEO of the Kinnon Group consulting firm and he is a member of the Coalition of Young Professionals in Ocean Hill – Brownsville (CYP).

The Founder and President of NSA (National Standard Abstract), Osei Rubie, used his extensive experience in title-insurance to launch a full-service firm that could handle important legalities of real estate development, for property owners, developers and brokers.

NSA is one of the very few certified minority-owned enterprises in the state of New York that handles title insurance, on a large scale.   The company is comprised of a powerful team of experts who thrive to provide real estate developers and property owners with the necessary tools to work through multifaceted transactions, such as the expansion of affordable housing, hospitals, amusement parks, office spaces, and mixed-use properties. NSA’s good works quickly earned the firm accolades for their efforts towards affordable housing developments.  In 2018, NSA has closed half-a-billion dollars of deals with $389 million more in the transaction pipeline.

In one of Rubie’s most recent projects, and perhaps the biggest real estate development game-changer the Brownsville community has experienced in recent years, NSA worked with The Church of God in navigating the development process that is typically daunting for churches and non profits.

The Church of God located on East 95^th Street in East Flatbush has been known as the crowded little church the community adores, is soon to be large enough to accommodate all its worshippers, which consists of over 1,600 members. That’s nearly triple the size of an average Sunday service at nearby houses of worship. According to Bishop RC Hugh Nelson, the congregation has increased drastically over time due to the church’s influence on the community and the uplifting spirituality it offers its members.

“The space is surely an issue,” said the pastor of Church of God of East Flatbush R.C. Hugh Nelson.

With the new expansion, The Church of God’s growth will also contain an addition of 531 affordable housing units. The people of Brownsville will have Osei Rubie to thank for his works at the National Standard Abstract for assisting with this faith-based development. Rubie predicts that more religious establishments will begin to partake in the real estate game.

“This trend is growing in such abundance because of the fact that churches like the Church of God in East Flatbush have these properties and parcels and are able to capitalize on it by monetizing it and providing affordable housing,” Rubie said.

Church-owned developments are considered public property so the entire plan needed approval by the attorney general, and the endorsement mandated that 25,000 sq. ft. of space of the expansion be dedicated to retail space.

The Church of God project which is due to be completed by 2020, has surely proven to be an advanced mission that will not only change the real estate game in terms of being one of the first expansions of this magnitude, but a venture that encompassed the needs of the community by adding an affordable housing component, along with a dedicated percentage of space for business owners.

“I think this is a tremendous project,” said Ericka Keller, CEO of Brisa Builders, the development firm for  multiple upcoming projects in Brownville. “The fact that a church had two city blocks and they were willing to not only advance their own mission of a larger community facility where they could provide services but include affordable housing under the Mayor’s housing initiative, I think is phenomenal.”

For more information about Osei Rubie and National Standard Abstract Call 516-302-8451  or Visit their Website