Ford Foundation update

2012 - 2013

Public Design, Policy & Development

Ford Foundation Interim Progress Report

Feburary 14, 2013

Community Development Corporation of Brownsville CDCB’s mission is to assist low income families in attaining home ownership.

Through below market financing, quality construction, the use of efficient home designs, and targeted outreach. bcWORKSHOP The buildingcommunityWORKSHOP is a Dallas based nonprofit community design center seeking to improve the livability and viability of communities through the practice of thoughtful design and making. We enrich the lives of citizens by bringing design thinking to areas of our city where resources are most scarce. To do so, the bcWORKSHOP recognizes that it must first understand the social, economic, and environmental issues facing a community before beginning work.

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Colonia Planning & Implementation, Design, Advisory Service, and Regional Planning Cameron and Hidalgo Counties sustainABLEhouse RGV Cameron County

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La Hacienda Casitas UTB Design & Development Plan and RFP

Colonia Planning & Implementation

Cameron and Hidalgo Counties, TX

Partners Equal Voice Network, TxLIHIS, Community Development Corporation of Brownsville, bcWORKSHOP, START, LUPE, ARISE, TOP, Communities: Country View Subdivision, Curry Estates, El Charro #2, Green Valley Farms, Hidalgo Park II, La Paloma, Lucero del Norte, Rancho Sanchez, and community leaders from other active neighborhoods.

Description Colonia Planning and Implementation Strategies continue as part of the larger effort to establish a community-based planning presence in the larger context of the Rio Grande Valley. After creating a model for participatory planning within colonias, including highly localized planning goals and implementation strategies for each focus community, work is now focused on tangible change and applicability to regional-scale solutions.

The Colonia Plans completed in 2012 are being used as a basis for work at two levels. The first is the scale of the Colonia, by serving as a checklist of goals set by the community, directing and tracking progress toward desired changes, building local capacity through continued education and trainings, helping visualize solutions as a group, and improving communication as community members connect with municipalities and local authorities. The second is the Regional and State scale, as a means of communication between policymakers, funders, non-profits, and regional authorities.

By working as a resource for information and providing technical guidance, bcWORKSHOP has contributed to a coalition-wide effort to amplify voices that have otherwise gone unheard, and to play a participatory role in colonia development and policymaking decisions. This initiative was recognized by the SEED Network with an Honorable Mention for their 2013 Awards.

Status On-going. See following pages for further report.

Challenges and Key Items Moving Forward Sustained community participation.

Ongoing understanding of individual community dynamics.

Ongoing understanding of community relationship to organizing groups and municipalities.

Tension between localized constraints and regional interest in single solution strategies.

Colonia Design Rancho Sanchez, TX Description Two focus communities, Curry Estates and Rancho Sanchez, have mobilized and are actively working with bcWORKSHOP and local municipalities to achieve prioritized goals. Both communities are in focus areas for forthcoming resource allocation as well as in places where local authorities have expressed willingness to work with the Equal Voice Network.

The community of Rancho Sanchez has begun meeting regularly with City of Hidalgo staff, including the mayor, chief of police, and a contracted engineer.

The City has begun the process of community analysis to understand the engineering needs to effectively improve known flooding issues in the area as well as safety issues around lighting, garbage, and properly identified addresses. They have agreed to sit down with bcWORKSHOP and ARISE to answer remaining questions as well as share drainage strategies that have been developed over the last year. Curry Estates is working toward meeting with the County Commissioner regarding drainage within the community and in the larger area of San Carlos. For municipal projects currently underway or in planning stages that may affect this neighborhood, local authorities have agreed to listen to the ideas of neighborhood stakeholders.

Status Initial planning and site analysis has been conducted in Rancho Sanchez, with a focus on design and site constraints. Community participation has increased as City officials demonstrate their commitment. Planning for drainage infrastructure progresses concurrently with plans to provide the neighborhood with mail delivery. ARISE is taking the lead in outreach and data collection. Communication and education with community residents continues as their needs are refined based on the likelihood of communitywide infrastructure improvements. A comparison of Colonia, City, and County stormwater management plans is nearing completion and pending answers from City officials about the status of implementation.

Challenges and Key Items Moving Forward Success will depend on the level of commitment that residents are able to garner from within the neighborhood, which leaders understand and are actively working to address. Active engagement and coordination around future funding resources and authorization for community infrastructure improvements continues with local cities, counties, and other regional authorities.

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Regional Policy Cameron and Hidalgo Counties, TX Description The RGV Policy Catalogue will serve as a regional resource providing LRGV agencies and the public a single library of all existing plans that affect quality of life issues. The library will host policy implementation documents addressing the critical issue of housing, and recommendations for interagency collaboration on the provision of affordable housing. Finally, it will address an argument for providing counties with land use authority and zoning regulations to prevent the recurrence of quality of life issues in future county growth. The resulting evaluation and recommendations are being analyzed based on the following criteria: [1] Do the recommendations contradict or support other existing plans?

[2] What are the established benchmarks for success in existing plans? Do planning goals and measures of success align between multiple agencies?

[3] Is the issue being addressed one that would have been rectified if zoning limited or regulated development in isolated regions of the county?

Status The project is currently in the research and collection phase. Regional policy and planning documents have been collected, reviewed, and are in the process of being catalogued for sharing.

Challenges and Key Items Moving Forward Developing a user friendly framework outside of the technical document to provide information quickly and efficiently. Promoting collaboration to address identified issues by the dozen or more contributing agencies and organizations.

Advisory Service Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy Counties, TX Description All work in the RGV is dedicated to building relationships with both municipalities and communities. Work completed by bcWORKSHOP has been with partners as small as individual families and as large as multi-county agencies; all of it is done with the goal of providing technical assistance and experiential knowledge. Working in an advisory capacity to organizations and agencies, bcWORKSHOP has produced a series of trainings to increase capacity for residents and community organizers to speak knowledgeably about technical issues and for local authorities to have a more broadly informed position on specific issues.

Issues addressed include model subdivision regulations and land use authority, stormwater management, and affordable housing. All topics relate directly to initial planning activities with the communities. The timing for these activities attempts to be relevant to and in coordination with policy and investment efforts by local municipalities.

Status Trainings and advice are ongoing. Efforts center around capacity building for organizers and community members to frame questions and discover ways to advance the Colonia Plans for community infrastructure improvements.

Challenges and Key Items Moving Forward Staffing capacity to respond quickly and building local capacity through mentorship.

Documentation of lessons learned to guide efforts moving forward.

sustainABLEhouse RGV Cameron County, TX Partners Community Development Corporation of Brownsville, Local Builders, & bcWORKSHOP Description The sustainABLEhouse initiative was begun by bcWORKSHOP in Dallas, Texas to design and build socially sustainable, affordable, and environmentallyfriendly housing with the participation of local clients, communities, and organizations involved in housing development and construction. At CDCB’s request, we have shared this approach and integrated the design portion as part of CDCB’s Colonia Redevelopment Program. Families participating in this program now have the choice to select from a new home design catalogue, developed by bcWORKSHOP through client interaction, or collaborate on an individual, site-specific design meeting their needs. All design work is facilitated and documented by bcWORKSHOP in collaboration with the entire CDCB team to ensure consistent compatibility and delivery.

An investigation of design, construction, and costs to deliver existing models in the region is being used to inform the development of home designs.

The home design catalogue will be reviewed and updated as development continues, increasing the choices for sustainable and affordable housing typologies available in the area. The goal is to improve available housing options for more than forty homes during 2013.

Status Begun in August 2012, the program has twelve families participating to date.

One home is currently under construction, five homes are slated to begin construction within the next month, and all twelve home designs have been approved by participating families.

Challenges and Key Items Moving Forward Creating space at CDCB by April to serve as a resource library and design consultation area.

Ongoing development and updates to the home design catalogue, improving available choices.

Synchronizing design and construction efforts to minimize time for home delivery.

Securing timely and consistent engineering performance.

Improving housing quality with no impact to housing cost.

Park Meadows Harlingen, TX Partners Affordable Homes of South Texas, Community Development Corporation of Brownsville, Harlingen CDC, Texas Housing Corporation, START Center, & bcWORKSHOP Description Park Meadows is an existing single-family subdivision that includes a street with 38 undeveloped lots. Team responsibilities for home development on this street are ASHTI as builder, CDCB as financing organization, Harlingen CDC as marketing lead, START Center as organizer, and bcWORKSHOP as community designer. This build-out will provide thoughtful design addressing established local community needs. A series of four contextually appropriate home models will contribute to the catalogue of sustainable and affordable housing models for the RGV area, in tandem with other efforts by bcWORKSHOP and its partner organizations. In addition to home design, the development will address both existing and new infrastructure such as street design and stormwater management.

Status Schematic design for street improvements - including traffic calming, stormwater management, and public open space - have been completed. The first model home design is complete and is expected begin construction on March 11, 2013, with subsequent community engagement and design focus groups to influence future home designs.

Challenges and Key Items Moving Forward Development timeframe required by funding.

Community engagement and future home design development.

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La Hacienda Casitas Harlingen, TX Partners Community Development Corporation of Brownsville, Harlingen Housing Authority, City of Harlingen, Capital One, Hudson Capital, & bcWORKSHOP Description La Hacienda Casitas is a tax credit-funded, six-acre new development working to create a model for socially, economically, and ecologically sustainable homes for the residents of Harlingen, Texas. The 56 (one-, two-, and threebedroom) rental units are placed deliberately to encourage a sense of community through shared open space, amenity buildings, and home design. The Casitas are a multi-family housing product designed as singlefamily residences. The density of 9.5 units per acre is significantly higher than the suburban style of 2.5 units per acre common in Harlingen. This density is achieved with a common green invested with community amenities, including a meeting hall, pavillion, laundry facility, and playground.

Stormwater is addressed using low-impact design strategies across the site, including bio-swales and bio-retention ponds with native landscaping. Soft and hard paths link residences to one another and public spaces, ranging from the large common to more intimate spaces, are dispersed throughout the site.

Status The entire project is under construction, with 38 of the 56 units either occupied or in process. Leasing activity is strong, with the five completed units already occupied while construction continues. The project’s expected completion is August 2013.

Challenges and Key Items Moving Forward Timeline for completion.

Resident orientation and establishment of community.

Post-occupancy evaluation.

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Belden Trail Brownsville, TX Partners Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation, City of Brownsville, Community Development Corporation of Brownsville, West Brownsville Neighborhoods, & bcWORKSHOP Description The City of Brownsville is dedicated to the development of a safe and comprehensive pedestrian and bike infrastructure grid. While the City begins a larger Bike Master Plan, bcWORKSHOP was enlisted to develop a comprehensive, community-engaged design process for the first segment, the Belden Trail. When construction begins, a multi-block planning effort will strengthen existing neighborhood ownership of the linear park/trail, including safety and health events hosted in partnership with the multiple schools and places of worship within the greater Trail area. To further neighborhood goals, bcWORKSHOP is dedicated to continued work with clients and partnering groups as the trail becomes integrated into the larger safe routes network.

Status Initial community engagement for the design and construction is complete, including extensive community involvement from four partners across four neighborhoods. More than 10 workshops for direct interest groups (concerned residents, business owners, and school administrators) have been facilitated to date.

Construction drawings are near completion, and the design continues to navigate client-driven changes and budget adjustments. Construction is scheduled to begin on March 18, 2013. Community engagement to build capacity in adjoining neighborhoods, activate the trail, and advocate for bikes is ongoing.

Challenges and Key Items Moving Forward Continued changes to funding (particularly increases with limited expenditure time).

Delivery schedule for expenditure of committed project funds.

Dynamic public/private partnership.

UTB Design & Development Plan Brownsville, TX

Partners City of Brownsville, UTB, Community Development Corporation of Brownsville, Public Architecture, Cannon Design, U3 Ventures Description Responding to the prospect of the University of Texas at Brownsville leaving greater Downtown Brownsville, a community design and development team was assembled to prepare and host a design charrette to develop a new model for the UTB campus. bcWORKSHOP, working directly with City of Brownsville staff, created an inventory and context document reviewing the existing comprehensive plan for its continuity to the project, highlighting strengths and weaknesses within the capacity of existing infrastructure, and addressing future needs of the Downtown core. The charrette was held on July 26 and 27, 2012 and provided a forum to engage the public, policymakers, field experts, and the University in the discovery of a new direction for UTB in the greater Downtown area. Attendance included representation from local neighborhoods, business, schools, and municipal government. The outcome produced a solid proposal that was presented to the UT Chancellor on August 22, 2012 informing the University of Texas Board of Regents to a choice that would both advance the System and City of Brownsville’s interests.

Status Completed. The charrette resulted in the development of a plan for an urban UTB campus that was shared with the University of Texas Board of Regents in August 2012. The product was influential in altering the UT System’s decision timeline, including the release of a competitive Request For Proposal for the campus site selection and a second Request For Qualifications for a Design and Planning organization that was subsequently awarded to Cannon Design.

Challenges and Key Items Moving Forward Project finished and was followed by the University of Texas RFP Response project.

UTB RFP Brownsville, TX Partners City of Brownsville, Public Utility Board, Brownsville Community Investment Corporation & bcWORKSHOP Description bcWORKSHOP worked with the City of Brownsville to develop a competitive response to the Request For Proposals issued by the University of Texas Board of Trustees for a new UTB campus model. The approach centered on an urban campus in greater Downtown Brownsville, developed based on ideas from the UTB charrette, that addresses both short- and long-term needs of the University. The proposal suggested deploying a highly collaborative approach to housing, land use, environmental planning, public transportation, and community infrastructure. The proposed campus would serve as a primary anchor in the City, spurring revitalization and economic development, particularly for low-income communities.

Status The City of Brownsville’s response to the RFP was submitted in October 2012 and is pending decision by the University of Texas Board of Regents. Since the RFP was submitted, Brownsville’s City Commission passed two resolutions: the first affirmed their intent to support UTB in securing 300 acres of land Downtown, and the second affirmed the City’s donation of 75 acres of land to the UT System, contingent upon acceptance of Brownsville’s RFP. Challenges and Key Items Moving Forward University of Texas System Board of Regents closed briefing February 14th for future site decision.

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INTERIm CAmpUS SITE

This proposal provides the University with 302,368 square feet of improved real property for interim campus facilities while the campus is planned and built. Total square footage is comprised of the following lease agreements:

Rfp City of Brownsville property: 181,830 square feet to be leased to the UT System at RESpONSE [1]2.2.0 market value*

INTERIM [2] Privately owned property: 120,538 square feet to be leased to the UT System at

CAMPUS SITEPERMANENT market value**/*** PROPOSALS FOR THE SITE

4.32 acres 302,368*Note: sqft The City of Brownsville will negotiate necessary improvements to City owned properties to meet

International Code, accessibility, and energy with the Board Regents of the Unive The enumerated items belowBuilding contain information that is standards fully responsive toofthe permanent of Texas System, pending UT’s acceptance of this proposal. Negotiations may include but are not lim proposal requirements as dictated in Section 2.2 ofincluding RFP No.facade REO improvements, 09-04-2012 BOR. to exterior and interior improvements interior remodeling, and sp reconfiguration.

**Note: Private property owners Nurith & Tally Galonsky (Property 7) and Holzman Group Limited (Prop 8) have expressed an interest in leasing Downtown properties to the UT System, pending UT’s acceptan DESCRIPTION OF THE SITE, INCLUDING STREET ADDRESS, TOTAL ACREAGE, AND this proposal.

311.7 acres PERMANENT CAMPUS SITE

A DETAILED 561,911CITY sqft SITE’S PHYSICAL LOCATION, AND A STATEMENT WHETHER THE SITE IS IN THE LIMITS OF ***Note:IFMartinez Hotel Inc. interested in sale orWITHIN lease of Hotel Jardin (Property 9).

CITY OF BROWNSVILLE. THE SITE IS isNOT WHOLLY THE CITY OF BROWNSVILLE, PROPOSAL MUST CONTAIN AN ANALYSIS OF THE FEASIBILITY AND TIMING OF ANNEXING9THE S Proposed UTB Campus M AD

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All land included in this6 proposal for a permanent campus site is located approximately 1.5 m 5 southeast of Brownsville’s Downtown Core, 1.0 miles east of the current UTB/TSC 3 Fort Brown Cam T miles north of the US/Mexico Border at Veterans International Bridge. Proposed tract and just 0.5 E RE ST adjacent H to existing assets of the Board of Regents of the University of Texas System, including 1 T 10 acres land (currently used for athletic fields) to the north and 56 7 ST of UTB owned “Los Tomates” EA square feet of UTB owned and 2occupied buildings including Biomedical Research, Education 8 Business Complex,1Life and Health Sciences, Science and Technology, and the Casa Bella resid TRANSIT 4 hall to the west. All tracts are located within Brownsville’s city limits HUB and are zoned 5th comme “J” (Tracts A - F) and dwelling “G” (Tracts G + H). Specific tract information is keyed to the map bel 9 ON

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Naranjal Harlingen, TX Partners Community Development Corporation of Brownsville, Local Builders, & bcWORKSHOP Description Naranjal is an existing single-family subdivision in Brownsville, Texas. bcWORKSHOP and CDCB are partnering to design 21 single-family infill homes for construction over the next 12 months. Six home designs are being developed to contribute to the catalogue of designs that affordable home developers are currently producing.

Status Four home designs have been completed, with local builder input received for cost and constructability. Decisions about whether to engage funding will be finalized soon, determining the build schedule.

Challenges and Key Items Moving Forward Public engagement with focus groups, including local and potential residents, to inform home designs.

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Supporting & Potential Projects 1 County Land Use Policy Development

The State of Texas has historically afforded counties little authority to determine the development of growth within their borders. In the last century, as Texas becomes increasingly urban and suburban, there is a strong need for counties to play a larger role in guiding growth. bcWORKSHOP has the opportunity to work with regional organizations and state representatives to develop the tools for guiding future growth in the state.

2 City of Harlingen Comprehensive Planning

Led by Asakura Robinson Company and in partnership with Ambiotec, TXP, and SSP Design, bcWORKSHOP responded to and has been short listed for selection to develop a Comprehensive Plan for the City of Harlingen, Texas. The submission proposed a planning process that incorporates engagement with public stakeholders to develop recommendations as well as build community capacity for the plan’s implementation.

3 POP RGV / BROWNSVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD MAP

As POP [People Organizing Place] Dallas gains momentum in building capacity on the neighborhood scale across the City of Dallas, bcWORKSHOP is extending its efforts in neighborhood empowerment to Brownsville and the RGV area. This effort will begin with neighborhood identification and mapping and in future phases will include neighborhood stories and the deployment of the POP Toolkit.

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YOUTHBUILD

YOUTHBUILD, a CDCB-sponsored education and training program with local youth, actively participates in the construction of CDCB projects. bcWORKSHOP has been invited to participate in the existing greenbuild curriculum that students follow to include design elements and education into the projects that Youthbuild will be helping to construct.

5 Better Block + Cyclobia:

The City of Brownsville is running a series of campaigns aimed at demonstrating how existing places can be better utilized by and for the public. bcWORKSHOP has been providing, and will continue to provide, support in terms of expert advice and volunteer manpower as well as work with the City to develop policies to permanently enact desired improvements.

6 Rapido:

CDCB, bcWORKSHOP, Camargo Copeland Architects, and Contects Architects engaged in an effort to discover new temporary-to-permanent housing solutions following a natural disaster. Rapido rethinks the current disaster housing models to improve the sustainability, affordability, desirability, and quality of housing rebuilt in the wake of natural disasters in the RGV. The project is currently on its second prototype mode awaiting release of state appropriated funds for piloting.

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buildingcommunityWORKSHOP Icons on Front Cover: Monika Ciapala and Anna Weiss, from The NOUN PROJECT