Great Rivers Greenway Equitable Economic Development Work

Brickline Equitable Outcomes for a Stronger St. Louis greenway

MORE THAN A GREENWAY

EQUITy from the start

Mission driven and intentional

MISSION The Greenway will transform St. Louis by connecting people and our City’s most treasured places, creating inspiring experiences and equitable opportunities for growth.

KEY PRINCIPLES ENGAGEMENT Value the participation of team, advisory, and many constituencies in collaborative decision-making.

EQUITY Include diversity, equity and inclusion impacts and opportunity.

COLLABORATION Stakeholders are committed to the mission and working together to achieve the intended outcomes.

OPPORTUNITY Seek and promote equitable, value-added opportunities.

SUSTAINABILITY Ensure long-term success through policy, partnership, funding, governance, operations and maintenance.

INTENDED OUTCOMES

Inclusive planning Collaborative Decision-making 2018 – 2019 Framework Planning Process

Equity Working Group

Economic Development Working Group

Key Objectives:

Key Objectives:

• Determine how the greenway can be inclusive and just • Identify equitable outcomes for greenway planning and design

• Study the economic impact of greenway development • Determine the return on investment for the community, the city and the region

EQUITY

2018 – 2019 Framework Planning Process Creating an environment for equal opportunity that produces just and positive economic, social, environmental and physical development results for all people.

EQUITable practice strategies 2018 – 2019 Framework Planning Process

Four Equitable Practice areas and 26 specific strategies

EQUITable practice ORGANIZATION 2018 – 2019 Framework Planning Process

More than 200 local organizations participating in equitable practices

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 2018 – 2019 Framework Planning Process

Creating economic value and a range of social and environmental benefits by transforming open urban spaces.

Objectives •

•

Improving connectivity among neighborhoods, educational resources, employment centers, cultural districts and public spaces.

Creating welcoming and distinctive places with the effect of reducing vacancy, leveraging redevelopment potential, increasing public and private investment and enhancing and uniting communities.

Equitable Growth Metrics PEOPLE

SPACES

BUSINESS

• Financial empowerment • Crime Reduction • Increased non-white ownership in neighborhoods with rising land value • Decreased unbanked households • Decreased racial income disparity • Positive change to the racial and/or economic segregation index • Population stabilization and eventual growth • Increased student retention (including trade schools) • Increased educational attainment • Positive impact on various quality of life indicators • Skilled labor retention

• Real estate development • Improved beautification and property upkeep • Maintained and improved housing affordability • Growth in property values in historically redlined neighborhoods • Decreased leakage of disposable income from historically disadvantaged neighborhoods from the City • Increased capital flowing into undervalued areas in improvement areas with gap appraisals • Greater diversity of residential price points in neighborhoods

• M/WBE participation and monitoring • Workforce development and participation • Business retention and attraction • Business incubation • Business support and mentoring • Business financing and incentives • Continued and growing strength in startups and entrepreneurship, especially minority- and women-owned.

• Job growth in national job growth segments • Recognition of innovation districts and innovation economy • Maintained corporate and institutional strength • Equitable grant-making

EQUITY IN DESIGN 2020 – 2021 Design Phase

•Process for leadership, participation, interaction and decision-making for neighborhood improvements shift from external to internal.

•Community members experience an improved quality of life and relationship to their physical and social place.

PEOPLE

POWER

SYSTEMS

PLACE

Equity + Economic Development Working Group Framework for evaluating investment strategies

•The improvement advances regional behaviors, understanding, practices and policies in community and economic development.

•The physical space and the economic market it comprises is improved, to the benefit and desire of existing community members, including householdlevel wealth creation.

EQUITY + ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORKING GROUP Metric Setting Framework & Prioritized Metrics

respectful, celebrating current culture and utilizing a community driven design process to enhance what is Design, Place Keeping and Place Making:Being currently present.

People • Sense of ownership • Sense of belonging • Convenience • Sense of safety for all on and off the Brickline Greenway

Power

Place

• Overall increased level of neighborhood or civic participation • Residents exploring and expanding their perceived boundaries of their place • Personal property improvements

• Instances of community-generated design being realized • Reduce vacancy and provide support system to keep residents in place and have them grow their investment in the neighborhood • Neighborhood-level commerce • Pre-Brickline ownership programs to help locals participate in the value increases

a set of strategies, policies and tools that will allow current residents (renters/homeowners) to not Stay in Place (Anti-Gentrification Tactics): Developing only remain, but to thrive and benefit from the new investment.

People • Intergenerational Living Opportunities: Aging in place to allow residents to continue to live in the neighborhood • Community Resources: Resources for owners and renters alike, available information about home repair programs to existing homeowners • Art and Welcoming Environments: Seeing people from different cultures, vendors from different ethnic groups, public art that reflects different cultures

Place

Power • Neighbor first decision-making: Neighbors feel empowered to decide and then to communicate to the powers that be.

• Development of Neighborhood Plans, neighborhood development review committees • Increase in neighborhood residents participating in all decision making around development and programming

• Business incubators: Micro lending programs targeted at local start ups • Businesses opening that are targeting local residents for employment and training opportunities • Fair market value housing, affordable housing and development of new micro-focus projects around education. Development of space that allows residents to attend education facilities that are located within alternative transportation distance from their homes.

• Plenty of opportunities for local residents to create/work/live among a diverse neighborhood • Family is returning to the area. Kids coming back brothers and sisters coming back. Mom and dad are staying

Business Ownership & Capitalization: bureaucratic barriers to access to capital and talent. Reviewing/evaluating existing business creation/retention/expansion

Developing tools and strategies that will encourage new business creation and business expansion, while removing systematic and programs in an effort to streamline/right-size them.

People • Neighborhood Perception & Crime/Safety • Community Gathering-connection to one another (Block Party) • Business-Access to Services, Capital and Resources

Power • Neighborhood and Business Associations-Zoning Overlays • Community Improvement District/Community Benefit Agreement • Non-Predatory Financial Access • Decrease Community Leakage

Place • Decrease vacancy, sidewalk and other infrastructure needs-(Add Trees) • Intergenerational Community • Generates increased tax revenue due to businesses, jobs and housing and other development

EQUITY + ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Working group Recommendations

Design, Place Keeping and Place Making GOAL

Being respectful, celebrating current culture and utilizing a community driven design process to enhance what is currently present.

SUCCESS People • Sense of ownership • Sense of belonging • Convenience • Sense of safety for all on and off the Brickline Greenway

Power

Place

• Overall increased level of neighborhood or civic participation • Residents exploring and expanding their perceived boundaries of their place • Personal property improvements

• Instances of community-generated design being realized • Reduce vacancy and provide support system to keep residents in place and have them grow their investment in the neighborhood • Neighborhood-level commerce • Pre-Brickline ownership programs to help locals participate in the value increases

MODELS

PARTNERS FOR LOCAL IMPLEMENTATION

BlackSpace’s Black Heritage Conservation Playbook Shares inspirations, experiences and (un)learnings of creating neighborhood heritage happenings as part of physical design and development efforts.

• Neighborhood associations, block units, resident collectives • Griot Museum, George B. Vashon Museum • Creative Reaction Lab, Story Stitchers (working with design lead)

EQUITY + ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Working group Recommendations

Stay in Place (Anti-Gentrification Tactics) GOAL

Developing a set of strategies, policies and tools that will allow current residents (renters/homeowners) to not only remain, but to thrive and benefit from the new investment.

SUCCESS People • Intergenerational Living Opportunities: Aging in place to allow residents to continue to live in the neighborhood • Community Resources: Resources for owners and renters alike, available information about home repair programs to existing homeowners • Art and Welcoming Environments: Seeing people from different cultures, vendors from different ethnic groups, public art that reflects different cultures

Power

Place

• Neighbor first decision-making: Neighbors feel empowered to decide and then to communicate to the powers that be.

• Development of Neighborhood Plans, neighborhood development review committees • Increase in neighborhood residents participating in all decision making around development and programming

MODELS Detroit’s Stay Midtown Housing assistance program to support Midtown residents facing housing cost burdens due to market revitalization to remain in the neighborhood Avondale Development Corp + PowerNet Collaboration between neighborhood CDC and broadband provided to create community-wide, community-owned access to wi-fi for existing stakeholders need and access to opportunities

• Business incubators: Micro lending programs targeted at local start ups • Businesses opening that are targeting local residents for employment and training opportunities • Fair market value housing, affordable housing and development of new microfocus projects around education. Development of space that allows residents to attend education facilities that are located within alternative transportation distance from their homes.

• Plenty of opportunities for local residents to create/work/live among a diverse neighborhood • Family is returning to the area. Kids coming back brothers and sisters coming back. Mom and dad are staying

PARTNERS FOR LOCAL IMPLEMENTATION • Neighborhood-based CDCs • City Planning, BPS, Streets, SLDC, CDA, Affordable Housing Commission • Supportive Services Providers

EQUITY + ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Working group Recommendations

Business Ownership & Capitalization GOAL

Developing tools and strategies that will encourage new business creation and business expansion, while removing systematic and bureaucratic barriers to access to capital and talent. Reviewing/evaluating existing business creation/retention/expansion programs in an effort to streamline/right-size them.

SUCCESS People Increased access to non-predatory capital and supports for neighborhood entrepreneurs Increased individual and neighborhood prosperity Increased community connection and cohesion Wealth building and financial literacy opportunities

Power

Place

• Neighborhood and Business Associations-Zoning Overlays • Clear mechanism for generating and directing investment for neighborhood’s benefit (e.g., Community Improvement District, Community Benefit Agreements, etc.)

• Decreased Community Spending Leakage • Create opportunities for neighborhood residents to incubate new businesses and benefit from new development

• Improved physical infrastructure • Decreased corridor vacancy and explore land trust opportunities • The main commercial area and the greater community becomes a magnet for positive investment • Generates increased tax revenue due to businesses, jobs and housing and other development

MODELS

PARTNERS FOR LOCAL IMPLEMENTATION

City of Chicago’s Neighborhood Opportunity Fund

• CDC, s, Business Chambers/BIDs/CIDs • SLDC, CDA • Greater STL Inc. • STL Main Street • St. Louis Economic Development Partnership • Invest STL • St. Louis CDFI Coalition • Entrepreneurship Support Organizations (ESOs)

Funding model that leverages development in “hot” markets to support development and capacity building for existing and new stakeholders in low development commercial corridors TechTown Detroit

Integrated business support services and startup capital for entrepreneurs to accelerate inclusive economic development across the city

EQUITY + ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Working group Recommendations

EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT VISIONING + IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT GOAL

Provide daily backbone support for the Brickline to spur development and investments to the benefit of existing neighborhood stakeholders MODELS Atlanta Beltline, Inc.

Professionally staffed team tasked with implementation of the greenway with a specific focus on equitable development outcomes. Sample Job Examples: http://beltlineorg-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wpcontent/uploads/2017/11/Vice-President-of-Housing-PolicyDevelopment-Nov-2017.pdf http://beltlineorg-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wpcontent/uploads/2017/08/Economic-Development-Project-Manager.pdf

THOUGHT PARTNERS FOR LOCAL IMPLEMENTATION • City Planning, SLDC • Greater STL, Inc • Invest STL

FIRST STEPS 1. Connect with BeltLine, Inc., to learn about their staffing, funding and collaboration model with the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership (Foundation).

2. In the interim to developing a similar structure, hire (as an employee/contractor/consultant) an experienced economic and community developer to identify partnerships, aggregate funding, further identity and prioritize policies and practices that advance the EED recommendations and begin early implementation ahead of Brickline development.

3. Begin scoping partnerships and charters to develop an implementerfunder structure for the first 10 years of the Brickline’s (pre)development.

4. Fundraise simultaneously for greenway development and community supports outlined by EED working group.

PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER

CURRENT EQUITY +ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES RELATIONSHIP TO FRAMEWORK PLAN ASPIRATIONS

Design, Placekeeping + Placemaking

GOAL: Being respectful, celebrating current culture and utilizing a community driven process to enhance what is currently present

• Quality of Life and Neighborhoods (Off-Greenway): • Community Planning (CP): Design and implementation of the greenway should be done in the context of a participatory neighborhood planning framework.

• Community Development (CD, CB): Opportunities to provide support to organizations in underinvested communities so they can more fully participate in neighborhood revitalization activities.

• Identity and Culture (On- and Off-Greenway): • Cultural Representation, Design & Placemaking (DP): Opportunities to reference cultural narratives (ecological, populations) and universal ability considerations in design, and including community members in the creation of designing spaces.

• Cultural Preservation, Storytelling & Interpretation (SI): Opportunities to include different narratives (ecological, populations) and languages into communications, signage, wayfinding and events.

• Cultural Representation, Program & Events (PE): Opportunities for local organizations to create programs and events related to specific cultural narratives about St. Louis.

• Art Installations & Programs (AIP): Opportunities to engage artists of color, women and foreign-born populations in the production of art throughout the greenway and programs that engage local residents in art-making.

PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER

CURRENT EQUITY +ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES RELATIONSHIP TO FRAMEWORK PLAN ASPIRATIONS

Stay In Place

GOAL: Supporting current residents (renters and homeowners) to not only (Anti- gentrification Tactics) remain, but to thrive and benefit from the new investment • Quality of Life and Neighborhoods (Off-Greenway) • Anti-displacement (AD): Practices that help to maintain neighborhood affordability and ownership of local housing and commercial property by existing residents and businesses.

PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER

CURRENT EQUITY +ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES RELATIONSHIP TO FRAMEWORK PLAN ASPIRATIONS

GOAL: Encouraging new business creating and business expansion that leverage the new investment, while removing systemic and bureaucratic barriers to access to capital and talent.

• Quality of Life and Neighborhoods (Off-Greenway): • Business Retention & Attraction (BRA): Activities that promote the attraction and retention of businesses, including M/WBE, start-ups and entrepreneurs, that offer a range of high and low skilled jobs at living wage and above.

Business Ownership & Capitalization

Planning ahead

NEXT STEPS BASED ON WHAT WE HEARD, WHAT WE LEARNED, AND WHAT HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED

To Be Determined…Stay Tuned!

A vision this bold… takes all of us.

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