NTAC MARCH UPDATE

Submitted By:

Damon Y. Smith, Project Coordinator

Carver Community Center

The NTAC assisted the Carver Community Center develop and submit a $75,000 CDBG application for CDBG funds. This money will be used to repair the roof, HVAC system, and pay some utility costs. We also provided Carver Board members with sample lease documents to in order to work out a proper arrangement between them and the Northend Baptist Church and Carver Community Center.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Northwestern University Alternative Spring Break students worked at the Carver on a clean-up and were treated to a soul food dinner in St. Louis, courtesy of Deacon Andrew Jackson. These groups also provided a $200 donation to the Carver Community Center.

Edgemont Neighborhood Association/Olivette Park Neighborhood Association

The NTAC arranged a meeting between the presidents of these two organizations and Denise Chaffee and Marla Jones, two graduate students in Urban and Regional Planning, to begin an implementing the housing portions of their neighborhood plans. This project will involve a membership blitz, the organization of housing committees, the planning and implementation of neighborhood housing fairs, the designation of specific sites in the neighborhood for rehabilitation and redevelopment, training for negotiation with the Housing Authority and/or private developers, and the development of a proposal for funding of housing rehabilitation and construction. Denise and Marla were given tours of both neighborhoods by the neighborhood leaders and will be consulting with professors about preparing a proposal to present to the neighborhood organizations in May.

Olivette Park Neighborhood Association (OPNA)

Patricia Nolan, Project Associate, assisted OPNA in writing a grant for the Gideon Lovejoy Presbytery to obtain a tractor for clean up activities. She also printed programs for their ceremony honoring Chico Davis, for 25 years of service to the community through his work with youth at the Salvation Army. I have attended meetings with Miss Bolden, at her request, with Bi-State Development Agency pertaining to the planning and design of the proposed Metrolink stop North of I-64. Bi-State is conducting a series of public input sessions for all of the areas that will be impacted by the Metrolink extension.

Emerson Park Development Corporation (EPDC)

We have provided digital maps of Emerson Park to their director thanks to the assistance of Abhijeet Chivan, Deanna Koenigs, and Ling Ji. These maps contain data from the Emerson Park neighborhood plan as well as the existing parcel data, including ownership and assessed value of all parcels in their neighborhood. Staff also provided the Emerson Park director with sample budgets and assisted in the preparation of EPDC’s 1997 operating budget.

The Emerson Park Development Corporation has partnered with Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House, the Family Center, and Catholic Urban Programs in applying for HOME funds to provide subsidy for four homes in Emerson Park. This unique collaboration is planning a blitz-build for very-low income homeownership. NTAC staff has consulted this coalition on costs that are verifiable with the City of East St. Louis, HOME regulations, and requirements for potential homeowners.

Katherine Dunham Centers for Arts and Humanities (KDCAH)

The KDCAH has seen a lot of activity recently. The University of Illinois and Northwestern University Alternative Spring Break groups participated in the KDCAH Cultural Diversity and Global Awareness program and were very interested and interesting participants. The U of I group made a $100 donation and the Northwestern group made a $140 donation to the Dunham Centers.

NTAC staff has also assisted KDCAH with the preparation of an operating support grant to the Illinois Arts Council, a $50,000 Enterprise Community grant to provide arts education opportunities to children at Hughes-Quinn Rock Junior High School, and we are completing work on a National Endowment for the Arts Education and Access Grant. Furthermore we are working to secure “Local Talent” for the Dunham Fest dance fundraiser on May 30-31. Currently we are awaiting a response from Sunshine’s East St. Louis troupe, Mt. Zion Baptist Church Chorale, and the Save our City Youth Chorale sponsored by St. John’s Baptist Church in Centerville.

Lansdowne Improvement Association

The NTAC provided the Lansdowne Improvement Association with a list of potential funding sources for a staff position to undertake recruitment and project activities. They are planning on receiving training in landscape architecture during our next work weekend.

Good Shepard Shelter/Dorris’ Helping Hand

Patricia has been working with these emergency homeless shelters on grants for the Illinois Department of Public Aid (IDPA). Previously she completed work on their applications for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs (IDCCA), CDBG Emergency Shelter Grants.

Winstanley/Industry Park Neighborhood Organization (WIPNO)

We have reached the successful conclusion of the first and perhaps only phase of the Hinton-WIPNO partnership. Mr. Hinton supplied adequate working drawings and specifications to WIPNO which were also satisfactory to Nathalene Harper of CDBG. WIPNO will now utilize those documents to bid the work to local contractors. Mr. Hinton may submit a bid to work as construction manager, but will not likely partner in any further form through pro-bono services. Staff has also compiled a list of potential funding sources for WIPNO from housing-related foundations.

Administration

CDBG Contract

Some new difficulties have arisen with respect to the contract between the University of Illinois and CDBG. Apparently some onerous requirements for reporting remain in the contract, including the provision of documentation for all expenditures. Currently CDBG is asking that copies of every bill be sent with invoices for reimbursement from the University. However, that is not standard procedure for the University’s Accounting office and Grants and Contracts has refused. Since I am already receiving copies of CDBG related bills I have offered to act as an intermediary by supplying them to CDBG for reconciliation with invoices. However, I have not heard from Grants and Contracts about how they would like for me to proceed.

Architect Position

We have received two applications for the Project Associate (Architect) position from Demetrius C. Reynolds, and Craig A. Miller, Sr.

Demetrius Reynolds is a graduate of the University of Illinois Department of Architecture, BS 1978 and is currently working as a Construction Inspector for the East St. Louis Housing Authority.

Craig Miller is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Department of Architecture, MA 1993, and is currently an Instructor/Lecturer at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

Training

Patricia and I attended a conference in New York entitled “Challenges and Opportunities in Affordable Housing and Economic Development”. This conference was sponsored by the Association of the Bar (ABA) of the City of New York and included sessions on:

“The effect of welfare reform on affordable housing”, “Public Housing Development and Redevelopment”, “Financing Economic Development”, and “Joint Venture Agreements between non-profits and developers”, and “Affordable Housing Case Studies”. We also took a tour of local business improvement districts that leverage public and private funds.

The need for training in the area of housing development came up during our interview session at the Housing Authority with the Kriegsfeld Corporation. Not only did the ABA forum provide a lot of information, but it happens to also be the same session that Cheryl Lovell, Director of the Housing Authority attended last year. The materials and notes from the session should serve us in good stead as we move forward on the Housing Authority project.