The end of April marks two South Minneapolis milestones that embody the kind of comprehensive, community-driven, collaborative community development TC LISC believes in so strongly.

On April 29, Allina Hospitals and Clinics and the Cultural Wellness Center will celebrate the successful completion of an ambitious, year-long community engagement process for Allina’s Backyard Initiative (BYI). That process gathered the opinions and ideas of 1,200 area residents about what constitutes good health and how to promote it in their neighborhoods. The next phase of BYI centers on a new 35-member Community Commission on Health, which met for the first time in February, and neighborhood CHAT teams that will plan neighborhood projects to improve residents’ health.

One day later, the Native American Community Development Institute will unveil its American Indian Community Blueprint at the kick-off celebration of Minnesota American Indian Month. The plan includes the creation of an American Indian Cultural Corridor along Franklin Avenue. Street banners for the new corridor will be displayed at the celebration.

Twin Cities LISC supports both the Cultural Wellness Center and the Native American Development Institute through its Building Sustainable Communities pilot, funded primarily with the generous support of the John L. and James S. Knight Foundation. The pilot also supports work in North Minneapolis, Hopkins, and the East Side and Central Corridor of St. Paul.  The Frogtown Rondo Action Network approved an action agenda for Central Corridor last year and the Blake Road Corridor Collaborative approved a Hopkins action plan in February.  A comprehensive community development plan for the North Side is currently being fine tuned, and LISC has supported similar efforts on St. Paul’s East Side.  Over the next months, we'll be tracking the progress of these local initiatives in our newsletters and on our website.

Turning a corner: Frogtown Square construction starts soon

This spring, residents of the Frogtown community will witness a 30-year-old dream become reality—a large, new, mixed-use development that melds physical improvements with economic opportunities. Frogtown Square is about to turn an infamous crime corner into a showplace entrance for one of St. Paul’s most historic neighborhoods. We’ve provided financial support for this project for 10 years, and last year, our COACTION grants went to all four CDCs taking the lead on this development.
 

West Broadway’s future emerges

Want to see wealth building in action in North Minneapolis? Take a look at what Emerge—another COACTION grantee and a co-lead agency in our Building Sustainable Communities work—is doing through their four related programs: Community Development, Workforce, Ventures, and Villages. They call it “building social momentum,” and it’s a great fit with TC LISC’s vision of comprehensive community development that improves both the vitality of neighborhoods and the lives of residents.
 

Our 2009 grantee list

Here’s a full list of the organizations that received grants and loans from us last year.
 

Careership: Changing the face of local community development

Sarita Turner, executive director of the West Broadway Coalition in North Minneapolis, the recipient of KMOJ radio station’s 2010 Community Leader Award, and a 2010 Bush Foundation Leadership Fellow, is living proof of the difference that our Careership program has made in the local community development field. She’s also the tip of the iceberg. Dozens of other Careership alums are bringing new perspectives and talent to local community development; people like Nieeta Presley, executive director of the Aurora Saint Anthony Community Development Corporation; Ramon Leon, executive director of the Latino Economic Development Center; Ellsworth Latang, manager of the Midtown Global Market; and Sheng Lee, director of economic development and housing for the Hmong American Partnership. Here’s a list of the Careership grads working in local community development related jobs.
 

Getting it done: Transit-oriented districts

Everybody wants communities where there are lots of transportation choices, nearby housing, and plenty of pedestrian friendly places to walk, but developing them isn’t easy. Regulatory challenges, opposition to higher density development, the labyrinth of multi-jurisdictional collaboration, and long term timelines are only a few of the obstacles to success. Over the next three months, TC LISC is co-sponsoring a series of free public workshops on transit oriented development strategies for funders, policy makers, community developers, financial institutions, and others.

"Travelers really embraces the new comprehensive community development approach that Twin Cities LISC and local nonprofit developers are adopting. We know it takes a range of economic opportunities—like quality housing, employment training, jobs, small business assistance, and financial literacy training—to help people build assets and create neighborhood and family stability. Kids who have to move frequently because of housing or economic problems have a much tougher time making progress in school. Strong neighborhoods and stable families can encourage healthy child development and better educational achievement, and that's going to lead to a whole new generation of prepared, productive citizens.”

Andy Bessette, chief administrative officer
The Travelers Companies

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