Citi gives $45,000 for study of vacant LI dealerships

Citigroup's Citi Foundation, whose work includes aiding neighborhood revitalization programs, has awarded not-for-profit Sustainable Long Island $45,000 for a study on improving stretches of roads in four low- to moderate-income communities blighted by vacant auto dealerships.

The Bethpage-based nonprofit declined to identify the four communities, saying their selection had not yet been finalized. A Citi spokesman, Tyler Daluz, said the grant was the first ever awarded by Citi specifically for revitalization of auto dealership corridors.

Sustainable LI says there were 30 to 35 closed dealerships on Long Island at the end of 2010. Many had closed during the recession.

"This generous grant will help initiate neighborhood revitalization within the communities looking to spur economic growth through job creation, curb sprawl, and add to their tax base," Ruth Negron-Gaines, Sustainable's board president, said in a statement. "The reuse of these closed corridors can spark redevelopment opportunities for surrounding properties, serving as a catalyst for a communitywide resurgence."

The study is to begin in the second week of August and take about a year, said Sustainable LI spokesman Scott Woodson.