Re: CDC and resident capacity building program

[Ann Goode <anngoode@nemw.org>]

I am taking the liberty of giving a bit more detail on one of Marty
Johnson's programs, though many on the listserv may already be up to speed
on this one.  ISLES, the CDC in Trenton, NJ, has developed a tremendous
training program called Leadership Environmental Training Series (LETS).
It was put together in 1996 in response to community requests for
assistance with participating in the acronym-laden regulatory system that
surrounds cleanup programs.  It has gone a long way to helping affected
parties understand and therefore participate in the cleanup AND development
aspects of a brownfield project.  The response in Trenton was quite
positive, and residents living near some seriously contaminated sites (e.g.
Magic Marker, an old battery factory 25' from lots of homes and across the
street from and elementary school) were clearly motivated and capable of
comprehending the process.  To my knowledge, LETS' goal is not to turn out
a bunch of developers but to build the capacity of the community to
participate in the cleanup and redevelopment process.

ISLES, Inc.
10 Wood Street
Trenton, NJ  08618
609/393-5656

Thanks,  Annie Goode





At 10:17 AM 7/30/99 -0700, you wrote:
>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
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
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