Re: CDC and resident capacity building program

[Emery Graham <"egraham"@ci.wilmington.de.us>]

Marty,
It's tough enough to get good developers from our graduate and undergraduate
schools. What is it that makes you think that "community" people can be taught
to do land development? Do you perceive land development as a traditional
"volunteer" activity? I'm confused. It has been one of the glaring
downfalls of
U.S. domestic development policy to expect that a large number of poor,
uneducated, undisciplined community folk to do land development in the
economically least desireable places for businesses to invest? This is the
very
same irony in that accompanies the poor's involvement in brownfields. Do they
have the money, the mind, the motivation to be effectively involved in the
process? I don't think so.

Emery

Marty Johnson wrote:

> Allison,
> I am the President of a CDC in Trenton, NJ that also does environmental
> work, including urban agriculture, environmental ed brownfield redevelopment
> and environmental health.  The reasons CDCs have stayed away from brownfield
> work also relates to the complexity, risk and time requirements to be good
> at it.
> Development training can be found at the Development Training Institute in
> Baltimore, Pratt Insttitute in Brooklyn and U of New Hampshire CED Masters
> Program.
> Martin Johnson
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Allison J. Tom <atom@scf-fs.usc.edu>
> To: cpeo-brownfields@igc.org <cpeo-brownfields@igc.org>
> Date: Wednesday, July 21, 1999 2:13 PM
> Subject: CDC and resident capacity building program
>
> >
> >I was wondering if folks could help direct me in identifying existing
> >training programs or curriculum on real estate development of brownfields
> >for CDCs and residents of urban areas.
> >
> >In my work as a lender for job creation and economic development and work
> >with CDCs, it appears that the capacity of CDCs and residents to fully and
> >effectively participate in the remediation and redevelopment of
> >brownfields is limited by their lack of understanding of real estate
> >development and economic feasibility analysis.
> >
> >When I was working on my master's at USC, it appeared to me that CDCs and
> >their work w/residents were invaluable to the revitalization of low-income
> >blighted areas. Of course they have tended to be more eeffective in the
> >affordable housing arena and less so in commercial/industrial development
> >area.  Howver, it seemed to me that there wasn't a formal training or
> >program that taught community groups how to do commercial/industrial
> >development very well, and in particular real estate development.
> >
> >I would appreciate anyone forwarding me contacts to follow up w/anyone
> >implementing some sort of training, capacity building or
> >community-readiness regarding real estate development.
> >
> >^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> ^
> >^^^
> >Allison J. Tom                                         atom@scf.usc.edu
> >
> >Doctoral Program in Planning and Development Studies   (213)362-9115wk
> >School of Policy, Planning, and Development            (213)362-9119fx
> >University of Southern California (USC)                (310)664-0325hm
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >