Revitalizing Neighborhoods

Neighborhoods need a good mix of businesses and services

In 1998, we established the Commercial Corridor Revitalization Program to help bring life back to the commercial districts of neglected and aging neighborhoods. It was a major step in helping CDCs take a broader approach to community development.

Our first investments were on St. Paul’s East and West Sides, where we worked with the City of St. Paul to support the initiatives of two CDCs: East Side Neighborhood Development Company, which was working along Payne Avenue, and Riverview Economic Development Association, which was working to promote District del Sol on the West Side.

Soon, we expanded program resources to support Selby Area CDC’s work to improve neighborhood marketplaces, and Sparc’s work with Hmong business owners along Rice Street.

Several years ago, the program further expanded to Minneapolis where LISC worked with the City to bring life back to Central Avenue and West Broadway. As a result, the City in 2007 established Great Streets in response to the needs of neighborhood commercial corridors. LISC, the City, and the Family Housing Fund also created the award-winning Corridor Housing Initiative, which aims to increase affordable housing along transit corridors throughout the region.

This kind of CDC-led commercial revitalization continues through the support of organizations such as Payne Lake Community Partners, and through LISC efforts like the Building Sustainable Communities demonstration.