RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY TO CELEBRATE $43 MILLION TRANSFORMATION OF LOEWS PITKIN THEATER

Adaptive Reuse Project Revitalizes Brownsville Neighborhood

WHO:               POKO Partners, LLC is hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the rebirth of the iconic building that once housed the Loews Pitkin Theater. Through POKO’s vision and Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group leading the financing the decaying landmark at 1501 Pitkin Avenue has finally been transformed into a mixed-use building featuring a 130,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility for Brownsville Ascend Charter School, managed by Ascend Learning. The high-performing, college-preparatory school occupies seven of the eight floors in the building, with DEALS anchoring 10,500 sq. ft. of the 12,500 sq. ft. prime retail space on the ground floor.

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, State Senator John Sampson along other local community leaders will join representatives from Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group, who led the financing for the $43.3 million adaptive reuse project, along with Seedco Financial Services, Inc., the Nonprofit Finance Fund, Carver Community Development Corporation and The Rose Urban Green Fund.

WHERE:           Brownsville Ascend Charter School

                        1501 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn

                        (Corner of Pitkin Ave. & Legion Street)

WHEN: Thursday, September 13, 2012

                        1:00 pm

CONTACT:       Food Shelter PR

                        Lorraine Gimblett                                 Joanne Jordan

                        Lorraine@food-shelter.com                Joanne@food-shelter.com

                        (917) 523-2327                                   (917) 673-9305