NRP Success Stories - Ward 9 - Some of the Success Stories from Ward 9

• Midtown YWCA – Residents in five Minneapolis neighborhoods invested more than $1 million of NRP funds in the new $21 million Midtown YWCA Community and Urban Sports Center that provides youth, childcare and fitness programs to thousands of residents. The Midtown YWCA opened on August 1, 2000 and has helped fuel development of a previously neglected stretch of Lake Street.

• Corcoran Roof Replacement Education Program – The Corcoran Neighborhood Organization conducted a major public education and outreach campaign to inform residents in the neighborhood that their roofs may have been damaged in a May 15, 1998 hailstorm. Because the entire area was declared a Catastrophic Area by the insurance industry,70 percent of the roofs – including all owner-occupied, rental properties and churches – have been replaced. In addition, many homeowners also received new siding, painting and windows. 

• Midtown YWCA – Residents in five Minneapolis neighborhoods invested more than $1 million of NRP funds in the construction of a new $21 million Midtown YWCA Community and Urban Sports Center that provides youth, childcare and fitness programs to thousands of residents. Construction of the Midtown YWCA helped fuel development on a previously neglected stretch of Lake Street.  

• Midtown Greenway Bicycle and Pedestrian Path – Residents in six Minneapolis neighborhoods invested nearly $90,000 in NRP funds to convert an unused sunken rail corridor into the 2.8-mile Midtown Greenway Bicycle and Pedestrian Path. When complete, the Midtown Greenway will extend all the way from Minneapolis’ western border to the Mississippi River along 29th Street.  

• Brackett Park Recreation Center and Park Renovations – Longfellow residents invested $677,000 of NRP funds to help bring a new $1.2 million recreation center to Brackett Park. The 5,300 square-foot recreation center replaced a 70-year old park structure that was in need of major renovation.  In addition, the neighborhood used NRP funds to create and support community programs for children, families, and seniors at Brackett Park.

•  Mississippi River Gorge Stewardship Initiative – Using the River Gorge Master Plan as its guide, the Longfellow Community Council (LCC) created the Mississippi River Gorge Stewardship Initiative. The initiative consists of projects that have made and will continue to make aesthetic, accessibility, and environmental improvements to the Mississippi River Gorge area. The improvements include bluff stabilization and erosion prevention, blight and debris removal, trail restoration and access, savannah and prairie restoration, bridge repair, and river access. The 35th Street Overlook (a beautiful new overlook with benches) and the 27th Street Stairway (a stairway that gives residents access to a mid bluff area above the river) are two visible results of the initiative.

 

 We have filled 28 vacant lots with family affordable housing, built 28 new town homes and one 34 unit apartment building, rehabbed about fifty homes with deferred loans, are about to build some live/work units and another set of town homes and a community center, leveraging millions of dollars and all with no staff. What a bargain! Thank you NRP for the wear-with-all to do this. We were falling off a cliff and now we are beginning to stand up!" EPIC Chair

 

• Franklin Avenue Streetscape - Residents in the Phillips neighborhood invested $300,000 in NRP funds in a $3.8 million Franklin Avenue Streetscape renewal project for the blocks from Chicago to 16th Avenues. The project includes new pedestrian lighting, 80 new trees, benches, perennial flowerbeds, bike racks and widened sidewalks inlaid with colorful graphic designs depicting the many cultures represented in the Phillips neighborhood. The streetscape improvements have already spurred additional development in the area.

• Green Institute – Residents in the Phillips neighborhood were able to turn a proposed site for a garbage transfer station into a center for environmental and community renewal. The Green Institute and its programs are now turning waste into useful products, creating jobs, and producing a cleaner environment.

• Ancient Traders Market – NRP funds were used to help acquire and renovate a building at 1113 E. Franklin Avenue. The building, now known as Ancient Trader’s Market, serves as a retail mall/small business incubator housing American Indian and other multi-cultural businesses.

• Stewart Park Renovation – Because of the NRP, the neighborhood was able to address parking problems at the adjoining Anderson School, put speed bumps on 12th Avenue to slow traffic, add trees to the park, install higher quality playing fields, and increase lighting in the area.  As a result, safety was improved and the park is now a source of neighborhood pride. The NRP process ensured that project design and implementation reflected the needs and wants of neighborhood residents.

• Midtown Greenway Bicycle and Pedestrian Path – Residents in six Minneapolis neighborhoods invested nearly $90,000 in NRP funds to convert an unused sunken rail corridor into the 2.8-mile Midtown Greenway Bicycle and Pedestrian Path. When complete, the Midtown Greenway will extend all the way from Minneapolis’ western border to the Mississippi River along 29th Street.

• Artists on Chicago – Residents living in the Powderhorn Park and Central neighborhoods invested $450,000 of their NRP funds in this 10-unit scattered site home-ownership housing project designed for artists. All of the studio spaces, which are on the street side of the complexes, have patio doors that open to the street, thus creating a storefront appearance. By design, artists living and working in the units help promote community safety by acting as extra eyes on the street. Three of the housing units were sold to homeowners at or below 50 percent of the area's median income, three units to buyers below 60 percent of median income and two units to buyers below 80 percent of median income. The last two adjoining units are a rental/owner-occupied duplex.

• Midtown YWCA – Residents in five Minneapolis neighborhoods invested more than $1 million of NRP funds in the new $21 million Midtown YWCA Community and Urban Sports Center that provides youth, childcare and fitness programs to thousands of residents. The Midtown YWCA opened on August 1, 2000 and has helped fuel development of a previously neglected stretch of Lake Street.

• HOMS Initiative – The HOMS Initiative is a collaboration of neighborhood groups, foundations and non-profit developers that created affordable home ownership opportunities in South Minneapolis. The project leveraged over $2.6 million and produced 150 affordable housing units.

• Mercado Central –The Powderhorn Park and Phillips neighborhoods invested $327,000 of their NRP funds in Mercado Central -- a cooperative marketplace owned and operated by 47 Latino merchants. One of the best ways to stimulate economic development in a neighborhood or city is to create places where businesses can survive and grow. The Mercado, with its wide variety of Latin American foods and wares, is designed to simulate the outdoor markets found in many Latin American cities. By grouping many businesses together under one roof, the Mercado creates an exciting marketplace atmosphere and attract larger crowds than any single business could on its own. Vendors make a small payment each month for use of a 10-foot by 12-foot shop. Mercado merchants also have access to a number of in-house business and technical support services that help reduce the risk of failing. Vendors must complete small business training classes, submit business plans, and buy $1,000 of stock in the Mercado before they can join the cooperative. Hosmer Library – Residents living in five Minneapolis neighborhoods (Bryant, Central, Kingfield, Lyndale, and Powderhorn Park) invested $440,000 of their NRP funds in the renovation and restoration of the Hosmer library. The major facility improvements at the rejuvenated 90-year old library included a computer lab and tech center, and community meeting room. Library patronage at Hosmer increased 100 percent over each of the first four years after the renovation was completed in 1997.