New York City Council Member Rafael Salamanca Jr. led a street co-naming ceremony on Saturday, June 14, to honor The Point Community Development Corporation, a cornerstone nonprofit based in Hunts Point. The stretch of Garrison Avenue at Manida Street will now bear the name The Point Community Development Corporation Way, recognizing the organization’s decades-long contributions to the South Bronx.
Founded in 1994, The Point CDC has been instrumental in advancing youth development, arts and culture, and economic revitalization throughout the Hunts Point community. The street co-naming celebrates the organization’s transformative impact on generations of Bronx residents through its advocacy, education programs, and commitment to environmental justice.
During the ceremony, Salamanca presented The Point CDC with a $3.22 million check to support major renovations at its headquarters at 940 Garrison Ave. The funding will go toward comprehensive interior and exterior upgrades aimed at enhancing the nonprofit’s facilities and expanding its community programming.
With this capital funding, Salamanca has allocated a total of $4,254,600 to The Point CDC since taking office in 2016. Other allocations include $643,000 toward the organization’s Coalition Theaters of Color, $191,000 toward domestic violence and empowerment programs, $80,000 for youth and summer programming, $80,000 for digital inclusion and $40,000 toward the “A Greener NYC” initiative.
“Celebrating over 25 years of service, The Point CDC offers a multi-faceted approach to community development aimed at the revitalization of the Hunts Point community,” Salamanca said. “In recognition of the significant impact that The Point has made to the borough of the Bronx, we honored them today with a street co-naming ceremony – unveiling The Point Community Development Corporation Way.”
When The Point CDC was founded in 1994, Hunts Point was facing disinvestment and declining community morale. In response, the organization partnered with local residents to drive positive change across the South Bronx—supporting grassroots efforts through arts programming, environmental advocacy, and business development services. These initiatives have helped spark a cultural resurgence in the neighborhood. Through its youth development, arts and culture, and community development programs, The Point CDC continues to play a vital role in the holistic revitalization of Hunts Point.
The Point CDC has become a trusted hub where children and teens can learn, grow, and enjoy themselves in a supportive environment. Serving students from grades 1 through 12, the organization offers robust after-school and summer programs that combine justice-based arts education with service learning. These initiatives are designed to foster academic achievement, pre-professional skills, and positive social development while empowering youth to take an active role in sustainable community building.
Key youth programs include the After School Program (ASP), which provides academic support and enrichment activities; A.C.T.I.O.N. (Activists Coming To Inform Our Neighborhood), a teen-led community leadership group; and the Mind’s Empowered Project, a peer education initiative focused on reducing HIV/STIs and teen pregnancy. The Point also partners with the International Center of Photography to offer arts-in-education programming, giving young people creative tools to express themselves and explore social justice themes through visual storytelling.
