Marvel Consults secures city council funding for $2.9 million to renovate space at the GRACE Foundation into a culinary facility.

NY City Council Minority Leader David Carr, Councilmember Frank Morano, and Majority Whip Kamillah Hanks announced the funding Thursday morning at the GRACE Foundation, which will oversee the project funded through discretionary council allocations.

The GRACE Foundation is a Staten Island-based nonprofit, founded in 2000, that provides programs and services primarily for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their families.

The renovation will upgrade the other half of the foundation’s W. Brielle Avenue building, which was previously occupied by the NYPD.

“There’ll be about seven kitchens of various sizes,” Brian Licata, founder of Marvel Consults, said. “One large kitchen, which will be the training kitchen for our participants. And then small and medium sized kitchens, which will be used by would-be food entrepreneurs.”

Licata said the kitchens will serve multiple purposes. The organization already operates a food truck and is planning to begin a program staffing the cafe at Sea View Hospital.

“The first is us working with our participants and teaching them skills, having them prep the things that we need for our cafe, prep the things that we need for our food truck,” Licata said.

He said other nonprofits seeking to run culinary programs but lacking kitchen space can use the facility for free by signing up for community time slots.

Licata said the facility will also run a formal kitchen incubator program guiding food entrepreneurs through the full process of launching a business.

That includes “filing with the city and the state, getting the Department of Health permits, working with a marketing team, lawyer, an accountant, doing all the things that they need to do in order to launch their business as part of that program. They will have use of the food truck,” Licata said. “They’ll be incorporated in the cafe.”

“I do want to take special note that one of the kitchens will be dedicated in memory of Nicky D’Amora,” GRACE Foundation Executive Director Cathy Del Priore said.

Nicholas D’Amora was a Staten Island-based autism advocate and co-founder of CrimsonRise, a nonprofit led by nonspeaking autistic individuals. He became a prominent disability rights activist before his death in May 2023 at age 25.

Licata said there will also be space for classrooms, conference rooms, studios, bathrooms, an office and extra storage space.

“We’re so excited,” Del Priore said. “It’s 6,000 square feet of space we’re ready to dive in.”

The construction timeline depends on finalizing a lease agreement with the hospital.

“So once construction can begin, it’s an 18 to 24 month process,” Licata said.

Planning for the project began around 2022, Licata said, driven by an observed gap in employment opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“One of the things they noticed was that with this population, there wasn’t a lot of opportunities for jobs. There’s a lot of internships, a lot of these programs run their own internships, but businesses aren’t really hiring them after. Also, a lot of them need more assistance,” he said.

Carr said he allocated $500,000 of his own discretionary funds in addition to the broader $2.9 million total. He said Borough President Vito Fossella also contributed funding over the last two fiscal years.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity, because it’s a way for folks to learn basic skills, and also potentially even to enter the workforce,” Carr, a Republican representing the Mid-Island, said. “Workforce development is a key component of our Staten Island borough agenda, and making sure that the IDD community has access to that is critically important.”

Intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) is an umbrella term for a range of conditions, including autism, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy, that affect cognitive functioning, adaptive behavior, or both.

“They absolutely belong front and center, along with the rest of our young working people, taking advantage of opportunities in the job market, and learning basic skills to support them in their homes,” Carr said.

Morano said the return on the public investment would be measurable.

“$2.9 million of taxpayer money, it sounds like a lot because $2.9 million is a lot,” Morano, a Republican representing the South Shore, said. “This is not a grant. This is an investment. This is an investment that is going to pay untold returns for Staten Island, for the disabled community.”

“It’s going to turn people, young people and young adults, into taxpayers and people who can contribute not only financially in a meaningful way, but contribute and give something back to their communities,” he said.

“We may be in the 50th Council district today, but when it comes to groups like GRACE, this is not something we see districts with. This is not something we see borders with,” he said. “We are one island, and that’s how we fight cohesively when it comes to budget time.”

Hanks, a Democrat who represents the North Shore, emphasized that the project transcends district lines, noting that the GRACE Foundation draws participants from across the Island.

“These projects are not about brick and mortar. They’re about building the future for young people who have developmental disabilities,” Hanks said.

Del Priore said the foundation is eager to expand what it’s been building for more than two decades.

“We’re dedicated to the mission. The mission’s been out there for 25 years,” Del Priore said. “We’re trying to bring opportunities to our kids and other nonprofits.”