Outstanding challenges include: v Development and revitalization processes are long and slow. It is challenging for both the government and for civic organizations to sustain both funding and community participation. v Throughout Long Island – and common to many renewal projects around the world – builders, nonprofits, and community stakeholders often complain about the time and costs of bringing a construction project from conception to the start of construction. v Awarding multiple projects to a single real estate developer in a revitalization project of this size increases the level of risk, especially in economic downturns. v There are genuine conflicts in the New Cassel community. Political power counts and is uneven in the community. Change always generates opposition, and the struggle to confront and address conflict can be viewed as an important part of the development process. v Jobs, job training, and union involvement in construction projects are big, complex, and systemic issues. v The term affordable housing has many different meanings. Local government officials and residents are aware that federal definitions do not address the needs of all New Cassel residents. A review of other revitalization initiatives indicates that efforts in New Cassel face obstacles that are not just local in nature: longstanding patterns of privilege and discrimination; onerous government bureaucratic processes; and lack of sufficient
funding for affordable housing, public transportation, education, and other elements of suburban revitalization. It is important that local measures are complemented with efforts at the national and global levels.
Phase 2 Research: Hope and Anger In the two years since the monograph describing the Phase 1 research was published, progress has continued: the promised streetscaping is in progress, a request for proposals has been issued for the community center, and there are residential and retail occupants in two of the new buildings. Apex II, developed by the Anna and Philip Kimmel Foundation, provides creative senior citizen housing. Partnering with Habitat for Humanity and United Way of Long Island, UNCCRC, New Cassel’s community revitalization organization, has purchased five individual houses for rehabilitation. The community group has also diversified its board of directors.
In addition, the streetscaping construction on Prospect Avenue is annoying, as such construction always is, even if the results will be wonderful. Some new members of the community who did not participate in the visioning that took place eight years ago question the original plan to give up two traffic lanes in order to add broad sidewalks with outdoor seating and community art and to promote traffic calming, thereby making the community safer for pedestrians. It is worth repeating here that staying power and political will are key to medium- and long-term revitalization success. Town of North Hempstead
On the other hand, progress has been slowed by economic recession, additional revelations of government corruption, and changes in elected officials. When interviews began again in summer 2010, New Cassel community members reported a mixture of hope and anger. The new headlines (July 22, 2010) describing the arrest of additional government officials directly involved in the New Cassel revitalization project dismayed and angered residents. Boarded-up and empty retail and residential sites are a daily reminder of what many see as yet another in a long line of betrayals.
Empty retail and residential sites on Prospect Avenue, September 2010. Source: Catherine Stutts.
fall 2010
HOFSTRA horizons
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