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Social and Economic Impact Report
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Social and Economic Impact ReportCalendar Year 2008
The Village at Market Creek
Advance Copy
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The Village at Market CreekToward the Resident Ownership
of Neighborhood Change
1
Hard-Hitting Winds
Despite these previous challenges, the economic storm of 2008 hit with unprecedented impact and uncertainty. No one could predict the future based on the past. No blueprint existed. No assumptions provided guideposts. By mid-year, we knew we were facing unique challenges in achieving the vision of The Village at Market Creek as a vibrant live-work-play cultural destination.
After seven years in the making, Market Creek’s largest social enterprise — Market Creek Events & Venues, a hospitality, banquet services, and culinary training academy on the first floor of the Joe & Vi Jacobs Center — debuted just as travel and meeting budgets across the country were cut.
San Diego’s restaurant business was hit hard. At Market Creek Plaza, the locally-owned small businesses were impacted by the severe economic downturn and further challenged by eruptions of gang violence in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Shrinking business activity slowed the development timeline for a nearby office and industrial project.
The economic storm of 2008 hit with unprecedented impact and uncertainty.
A Year of Extraordinary Challenge
As a foundation partnering in community change, we have faced challenges before.
In 1997, we teamed with a small group of community residents to create a new vision for the Market–Euclid intersection in San Diego’s southeastern Diamond Neighborhoods. We were confronted with long-term disinvestment, dark streets, widespread blight, limited activities for young people, and lack of commercial services.
Over the next four years, a committed group of residents and funders worked to acquire and develop an abandoned industrial site. We hit every possible obstacle. Yet, in 2001, we opened the first major grocery store to serve these neighborhoods in over 30 years.
Even in the face of the economic downturn that followed 9/11, the old factory site was transformed into a vibrant commercial and cultural center. The initial six working teams became over 30 Village teams. Land-use planning and land acquisition expanded. Residents and funders were working more comprehensively, and teams began discussing a broader sense of purpose in creating a strong, safe, vibrant, and caring community.
With this larger scope, new challenges emerged. We struggled to understand scale at a neighborhood level. We grappled with how to expand the resource network, then had to figure out how to coordinate wide-ranging actions with a growing number of partners. We were challenged by residents to create pioneering tools for collective investment and had to grow to develop the next phase — the Joe & Vi Jacobs Center — as a central resource in The Village.
A Letter to Investors
Jennifer S. Vanica, President and CEOJacobs Family Foundation Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation
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After two years of planning for the first
homeownership project in The Village, high foreclosure
rates quickly shifted the housing demand from ownership to rental.
In project finance, losses in the financial markets made tax credits questionable. Without completion of a pending mixed-use Community Plan Amendment, status as a smart-growth “shovel-ready” project could not happen fast enough for limited public sector funding.
With our assets and those of our foundation partners also impacted, we had to rethink how to gain greater leverage, partner more effectively, and reduce the need for loan guarantees, which strapped our resources.
The Creativity of Teams
If the greatest opportunities for innovation come in the most challenging times, then 2008 was prime time for The Village at Market Creek.
Faced with severe economic circumstances, people became creative. They looked for the synergy, unearthed the opportunity of the moment, and tried to ferret out any potential percolating under the surface of the new reality.
One Market Creek Plaza restaurant launched an entertainment series. Another created new product lines and added a buffet to attract evening business.
The businesses focused on customer service and launched a concerted effort to help residents make their dollars bounce in their neighborhoods and save jobs at home. Loans were modified, cash-flow forecasting intensified, relationship marketing increased, and meetings with potential customers and community investors focused on “we-care-and-want-your-business.”
Market Creek Events & Venues hosted a series of business mixers. Because of its unique multicultural setting and social enterprise mission, it brought wide regional and community interest.
Project Safe Way, staffed by residents at key intersections in The Village neighborhoods, initiated a safe-passage-to-school pilot program and partnered with schools and city police to resolve issues at strategic corners.
Facing financial challenges, the eight surrounding schools pulled together to share resources. They collaboratively designed a program to serve the most challenged students, strengthen systems that support families, and bolster the learning environment in the broader Village.
Young people began stepping into the lead. Writerz Blok, an urban art program, contracted with the San Diego Unified School District to create mural art with youth teams, becoming a juvenile-diversion program. At the same time, an emerging “I Am the Movement” youth campaign rallied students from seven campuses to help their peers stay in school.
The Impact of Innovation
In one of the worst years of business losses in history, Market Creek Plaza logged an unprecedented $42 million in economic activity. Gross sales were up 5 percent over the year before. Job counts were stable.
In one of the worst years of business losses in history, Market Creek Plaza logged an unprecedented $42 million in economic activity.
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Market Creek Partners, LLC was profitable and paid its 10-percent preferred return to Diamond Community Investors and the Neighborhood Unity Foundation.
In the broader Village, an additional $10 million in capital investment created more than 140 new jobs in the area surrounding the Market-Euclid hub.
As a year of great challenge, 2008 stands as a testament to the community’s literal and figurative ownership of change and to the ability of residents to innovate in the face of hard times.
A Platform for Learning
For all of us who have played a role in Market Creek, it has been a journey into uncharted territory that involves taking risks and breaking new ground together.
From this journey, we have learned that independent action around isolated issues can’t get at the underlying conditions that require change. We must work comprehensively at the intersection of social, economic, physical, and civic strategies.
We have learned that this work requires long-term alliances among players who traditionally have not worked together — developers and residents, residents and foundations, securities lawyers and community builders, grantmakers and tax-credit investors, museums and graffiti artists, former gang members and police.
We have learned that in a resident-guided process, blight is an opportunity for people to develop individual and community assets while rebuilding their own neighborhoods.
We have learned that the most creative breakthroughs happen when residents are the primary leaders in changing their own neighborhoods. Differences, disagreements, and barriers — these are the ingredients for innovation. This kind of ownership brings people to a new vision, instills hope, builds skills, and creates economic value that benefits them.
A Report Card on Impact
This is the third annual Social and Economic Impact Report on the achievements, challenges, and learnings of the coordinated effort to raise The Village at Market Creek. As a focal point for joint action, The Village is a strategic effort to connect residents, markets, resources, and communities.
While the success of The Village at Market Creek is often measured by square feet of new construction, number of jobs, and value of contracts, Market Creek is mostly about people learning how to work together. In teams, people develop strong and dynamic networks, create bridges to the larger region, and cultivate higher expectations for change. This creates cross-cultural understanding, ownership, and new platforms for problem-solving to improve the health, education, and safety of the community.
We must work comprehensively at the intersection of social, economic, physical, and civic strategies.
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Because The Village at Market Creek has grown, this report is organized into five areas. The various teams, partners, and investors who have made this work possible are also organized by these categories:
1. Community Vision and Voice: This section reports on civic engagement and community service. It covers the impact of efforts to mobilize large-scale, cross-cultural resident participation in the planning, decision-making, implementation, and ownership of change.
2. San Diego’s Smart-Growth Pilot Village: This section documents the development of the physical assets of The Village, an effort to reclaim 45 contiguous acres of blight and turn them into a vibrant mixed-use, transit-oriented cultural village that fosters environmental sustainability, social equity, and the resident ownership of assets. It describes the effort to rebuild in a way that maximizes and returns the benefits of development to the immediate community.
3. Community Enterprise and Ownership: This section reports on the work to build economic opportunity. It recounts efforts to develop community-owned enterprises that bring essential services, create jobs, expand contracting opportunities, and build community wealth. Market Creek’s strategies focus on simplifying and adapting the tools of the marketplace — such as a Community Development IPO — so that residents have a financial stake in their community and businesses benefit from social responsibility.
4. Family and Community Networks: This section documents the work of residents in building the social infrastructure of their neighborhoods. It describes the bridges that connect residents, community organizations, and funders to energize learning, support the potential of children, and encourage healthy lifestyles.
5. Shared Learning: This section reports on Market Creek as a shared learning environment for people across the country. Focused on new approaches to community building, social enterprise,
and community ownership, partners are investing in learning, which attracts new ideas to
The Village and stimulates ongoing innovation in the field.
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Thank You to Our PartnersThis report reflects the combined work of many residents, community organizations, institutions, foundations, public sector partners, and other concerned citizens who care about changing the dynamic of disinvestment and are coming together for greater impact. It traces our collective journey over the past year, highlights where we were challenged, what changed, and what we have learned.
We are grateful for the steadfast commitment of the San Diego Neighborhood Funders, our PRI partners, and our community investors. Local friends from San Diego like The Legler Benbough Foundation anchored us in the storm. National partners like The Annie E. Casey Foundation inspired us to keep sailing. Community partners like the Diamond Community Investors turned out to help us adjust the sails. Without planning support and strategic investments for implementation, the achievements of 2008 would not have been possible. We will continue to rely on our public and private partners to bring the vision of The Village at Market Creek to fruition.
Leaning into the WindThis year, we were reminded of what we learned from Joe Jacobs years ago — when things look like they are not going to work, don’t falter. Lean into the wind. Innovation will emerge when times are hard, resources are limited, and human potential is challenged.
We also embraced, like never before, the truth of the African proverb: “To go fast, go alone. To go far, go together.”
Don’t just build buildings. Find the connecting points. Start and stay together. Build a commitment to and understanding of our common destiny. Do together what we cannot do alone...
Become a community.
Innovation will emerge when times are hard, resources are limited, and human potential is challenged.
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The work at Market Creek is
based on the assumption that
all people can and must lead.
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civic engagementCommunity Vision and VoiceThe Village at Market Creek is about neighbors taking charge of change.
Market Creek’s working teams unite residents across neighborhoods, cultures, and generations
to strengthen joint action and increase the ability of people to break down barriers, engage
in the creative exchange of ideas, and get things done.
From the earliest planning, arts and culture have been galvanizing forces in bringing residents
from the diverse neighborhoods together to envision and plan, foster a sense of belonging,
and celebrate their strength as a community. Participating in building a secure and vibrant
place to live, people have brought the best of themselves and their cultures together to
promote understanding, encourage creativity and problem-solving, and find their voice.
The work at Market Creek is based on the assumption that all people can and must lead —
including our youth. Young people are asked to bring their great gifts to the table and
take on important roles. This builds skills, relationships, and leadership.
It brings new voices to the table.
Diverse stakeholders, working across unlikely relationships,
are the foundation for the long-term sustainability
of community change.
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GoalLarge-scale, cross-cultural
resident participation in the planning, decision-making,
implementation, and ownership
of change.
Innovation “Working Teams” as the platform for residents to become primary leaders of change in their community.
Challenge Creating an infrastructure to support large-scale, cross-cultural organizing.
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The Work Community Vision and Voice Community OrganizingFor The Village Working Teams and the cultural networks, 2008 was a year of re-assessing the pulse of the neighborhoods and organizing around people’s critical issues. Residents — hit hard by job loss, foreclosures, immigration issues, gang violence, and lack of affordable housing — continued working to create a strong and healthy village. Teams began creating networks to help bridge the community to resources in the broader region. An organizing effort called Project VOCAL (Voices of Community at All Levels) was launched to help people build broader coalitions and address conditions that challenge families.
2008 also gave rise to a Village Teams Council as a way of coordinating the work and keeping the teams’ work connected to the larger Village. The Council, made up of representatives of the various
working teams, became a forum for communicating, decision-making, and planning together.
The International Outreach Team, made possible through funding by six local foundations, includes 17 community members that represent three generations and the seven major cultures of The Village. In 2008, the team provided a platform for deeper organizing efforts within and across cultures. As these efforts bridged the various cultural groups, the diversity of the working teams expanded and the number of cultural events at Market Creek grew.
Arts and CultureDiscussions and joint activities with the San Diego Museum of Art and other San Diego arts organizations led to an emerging relationship between the residents of The Village and Balboa Park. Out of this grew the concept
Community Vision and VoiceWorking TeamsAmphitheater TeamArtists-in-Residence Black Womanhood Exhibit TeamCommunity Listening Survey TeamFriends of the Teen CenterInternational Outreach TeamNUF “Power in Caring” Niche TeamVillage Teams CouncilWriterz Blok Graphic Design TeamWriterz Blok Mural TeamYouth Advisory BoardYouth Movement Working Team
Planning and Community PartnersAjA ProjectBalboa Park Cultural PartnershipThe Legler Benbough FoundationCity of San Diego Commission for Arts and CultureCity of San Diego Fourth District Council OfficeCoalition of Neighborhood Councils Common Ground TheatreElementary Institute of ScienceFourth District Youth Action BoardInner City YouthJackie Robinson Family YMCA Lao Community Cultural CenterM.A.N.D.A.T.E. RecordsMingei International MuseumMorse High SchoolMuseum of Photographic ArtsNeighborhood Unity FoundationThe New Children’s MuseumThe Old Globe Nu-Way Operation BHILDOutdoor OutreachPazzaz, Inc.Project New VillageSan Diego Historical SocietySan Diego Museum of ArtSan Diego Museum of ManSan Diego Unified School DistrictSan Diego Unified School District Police DepartmentSan Diego Urban Economic Development CorporationSANA Art FoundationSomali Youth UnitedSoutheastern Teen CenterSoutheastern Economic Development Corporation United African American Ministerial Action Council Urban WarriorsWriterz Blok
Strategic Investment PartnersThe Thomas C. Ackerman FoundationBank of AmericaThe Legler Benbough FoundationThe California EndowmentThe Annie E. Casey FoundationCity of San Diego Commission for Arts and CultureCity of San Diego Fourth District Council OfficeCoca-Cola Bottling Company of San DiegoCox CommunicationsJacobs Family FoundationKaiser PermanenteEdmond KassoufMetropolitan Transit SystemNeighborhood Unity Foundation The Parker FoundationThe Pratt Memorial Fund
at the Union Bank of CaliforniaSan Diego National BankSan Diego Neighborhood FundersSempra EnergyWells Fargo
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MILESTONES• TheVillageTeamsCouncil was formed to
bring together representatives of diverse stakeholders as a platform for large-scale joint action and decision-making.
• 350residents attended “Building Our Community Together,” the first community meeting hosted by the Coalition of Neighborhood Councils (CNC), Southeastern Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), City of San Diego Fourth District Council Office, and Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation (JCNI).
• Over1,500residents participated in focus groups, surveys, and community forums to provide important input into the planning of The Village.
• Partnershipdiscussions were initiated with regional arts organizations including San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego Museum of Man, The Old Globe, SANA Art Foundation, the Mingei International Museum, Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego Historical Society, The New Children’s Museum, and the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership.
• AnArtists-in-Residence program was piloted with four visual artists working with residents to bring their cultural and artistic traditions to The Village.
• TheOldGlobe opened its technical center for building sets and storing scenery and costumes, launched its Southeastern San Diego Residency Project, and partnered with Lincoln High School and Writerz Blok on Kingdom, a play about gang violence.
• TheArts&CultureFestattracted over 5,000 people as a result of collaboration efforts with local and regional arts and culture organizations and resident teams.
• TheYouthMovement Working Team, involving 50 youth from seven high schools and representatives from the Teen Center, Writerz Blok, and the International Outreach Team, began organizing the next generation of leadership in The Village.
• Attendance at Village activities and events increased 34 percent to nearly 42,000.
The Work Community Vision and Voice
of “The Benbough Center for Community Arts” as a centerpiece for creative expression and a focal point for Market Creek as a cultural village. This center will become a platform for discussions that cross age, gender, generation, race, and income to address social issues of concern in an atmosphere of creativity and human connection.
As part of an effort to build cultural understanding, teams implemented 18 community art projects and hosted 42 amphitheater events. Over 8,000 people participated in arts activities and 11 cultural events attracted 19,000 people.
Youth Voice2008 spurred the vision of a more cohesive youth voice in The Village, giving rise to The Youth Movement as a platform for youth leadership and peer organizing.
The Youth Movement Working Team — a planning group of 50 young people from seven high schools and representatives from the Teen Center, Writerz Blok, and the International Outreach Team — began by launching “Our Voice in Education,” a campaign to reduce student drop-out rates. Their first outreach event, the Diamond Classic, brought together 900 youth.
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Laura BenavidezInternational Outreach Team Member Neighborhood Unity Foundation Board Member Diamond Community Investor Spirit of the Diamond Grants Committee Community Listening Survey Team
“I want to rebuild that feeling of community
that had disappeared. I see a glimmer. There is
a feeling that everybody knows everybody by
name. Change is happening.”
At 15, Laura Benavidez was one of 24 students
involved in The Community Faces Project. In the
process of producing videos to honor community
leaders, she realized that youth were under-
represented in The Village work. So she joined
the Youth Working Team.
“There is a lot of talk about what adults and little
kids want and need, but teens often don’t get a
say. They have a reputation for causing trouble.
I want to turn that stereotype around and build
a new view of youth. We should all be heard.”
Now 23, she is an adult member of the
International Outreach Team, representing
the Latino community. Along the way, she also
participated on the Market Creek Plaza
Art & Design Team, the Euclid-Market Action
Team, and the Amphitheater Team.
“A lot of people mentored me. I am now confident
that my opinion does matter. I have a voice
and I use it.”
The Impact Community Vision and Voice
Resident Voice 2008 2007
Residents Participating in Community Listening (Surveys and Focus Groups)
1,574 1,582
Number of Village Working Teams 33 32
Residents Involved in Working Teams Design and Planning Implementation
118451
115402
Participation in Village Center Meetings and Forums 750 550
Youth Development 2008 2007
Youth Leadership Team 6 6
Youth Interns 30 12
Youth Movement Working Teams 50 N/A
Youth Community Service Volunteers 57 32
Youth Science Commissioners 15 37
Youth Classes, Activities, and Event Attendance 3,848 4,200
Village Activities and Events 2008 2007
Participation in Village Events 41,978 31,300
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Community Art Projects & Events 2008 2007
Public Art Projects 18 13
Amphitheater Events 42 27
Cultural Events 11 10
Involvement in Public Art Projects 2008 2007
Community Artists 133 26
Adult Participants 196 11
Youth Participants 336 383
Arts & Culture Community Participation 2008 2007
Arts Activities & Workshops 8,070 2,968
Cultural Celebrations 19,125 9,375
Arts & Culture Venues Capacity
Market Creek Plaza Amphitheater and Stage 600
Market Creek Central Plaza 175
World Court 400
Festival Park 2,000
Joe & Vi Jacobs Center — Celebration Hall 1,700
Joe & Vi Jacobs Center — Outdoor Stage and Event Area 1,000
Joe & Vi Jacobs Center — Rooftop Garden 125
Capacity for all Market Creek Plazas and Venues 6,000
Permanent Art Installations
African Batik Tile Tapestry
Sempra Energy Children’s Wall Tile Project
Community Faces Mural Project
“Firefly Dreams” Bronze Sculpture
Joe & Vi Jacobs Center Cultural Banners
“Jalisco Scenes” Ceiling Dome
Lao Tile Tapestry
he Village Teams Council was
formed as a way of coordinating
work across teams.
Made up of representatives
of the various working teams,
the Council became a platform
for communicating,
decision-making, and initiating
new teams. They began
creating networks to help
bridge the community
to resources in the broader region.
T
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The Village at Market Creek is about smart growth —
restoring vitality to older urban neighborhoods
with an eye toward transit-centered compact design,
mixed land use, environmental sustainability,
and community benefits.
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Innovation Resident-guided development that maximizes and returns the benefits of rebuilding to the immediate community.
Challenge Lining up the market, capital, entitlements, land, and expertise on such a major undertaking in a difficult economic climate. Achieving scale for long-term sustainability.
physical developmentSan Diego’s Smart-Growth
Pilot VillageThe Village at Market Creek is about changing the landscape of a community.
Market Creek’s working teams set a goal of reclaiming 45 contiguous acres of blighted land,
developing them into vibrant physical environments, and delivering maximum benefits
into the neighborhood.
A San Diego “City of Villages” pilot project, The Village at Market Creek is about smart
growth — restoring vitality to older urban neighborhoods with an eye toward transit-centered
compact design, mixed land uses, environmental sustainability, and community benefits.
The Village will put 45 acres back into productive use, replace substandard housing with
800 quality, affordable homes, and restore nearly 3,000 linear feet of wetlands. Over 1.9 million
square feet of new construction will bring more than $300 million in contracts
to our community, over 60 new businesses, and 800 jobs.
Market Creek is challenging community teams to think long term
about every aspect of sustainability. Community discussions
about green buildings, solar energy generation,
and water usage — San Diego’s most critical issue
— led to a goal of becoming a LEED (Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold-
Certified Neighborhood. Financial and ownership
structures are also being designed to create
financial sustainability for an integrated set
of services, parks, cultural venues, and
educational programs.
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Goal A 45-acre mixed-use,
transit-oriented cultural village that fosters
environmental sustainability, social equity, and the
resident ownership of assets.
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The Work Smart-Growth Pilot Village
Community FacilitiesHeading into 2008, Market Creek Plaza was complete and the Joe & Vi Jacobs Center, a project equal to the scope and scale of the Plaza, was under construction. It opened on a temporary permit in April and received its final permit in August. Nearly 75 percent of construction contracts were awarded to minority- and women-owned businesses.
Housing the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation on the third floor, the Joe & Vi Jacobs Center is also home to the newest Village social enterprise, Market Creek Events & Venues. The second floor is earmarked for community partners and organizations.
Commercial DevelopmentAlong Market Street, a new 60,000-square-foot office complex and a 20,000-square-foot industrial building were planned, teams selected an architect to begin design, and leasing strategies were ready to implement. At Market and 47th streets — the gateway to The Village — teams worked to recruit a drug store, the final business targeted
in the original “Top 10 Most Wanted” list of businesses.
Heading into the second half of 2008, however, market conditions brought sharp changes in The Village development priorities and timelines.
Knowing that the next few years would be extremely challenging for commercial development, the team shifted strategies away from Market and 47th streets, seeing it as too risky for commercial tenants without the simultaneous development of the northeast and southeast corners. They began working on a site that seemed more feasible — the northwest corner of Market & Euclid.
Residential DevelopmentThe overall decline in business activity also shifted the focus away from office and industrial space to housing. High foreclosure rates shifted the housing demand from ownership to rental. The Housing Team, which had just completed two years of planning for the first Village housing community, had to set aside plans for ownership. They moved quickly into planning development of the first rental housing components of The Village.
Smart-Growth Pilot VillageWorking TeamsBusiness and Leasing TeamConstruction Working TeamHousing TeamJoe & Vi Jacobs Center Design TeamJoe & Vi Jacobs Center Exterior Landscape TeamOffice and Industrial Project Planning TeamVillage Teams Council
Planning and Community PartnersCity of San Diego Fourth District Council OfficeCity of San Diego Planning DepartmentCoalition of Neighborhood CouncilsDiamond Community InvestorsDiamond Management, Inc.Encanto Planning GroupMcCormack Baron SalazarNeighborhood Unity FoundationThe Office of Mayor Jerry SandersSan Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG)Southeastern Economic Development CorporationUrban Land Institute
Strategic Investment PartnersEquity Investors Diamond Community Investors Diamond Management, Inc. Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation Neighborhood Unity FoundationProgram-Related Investments The Legler Benbough Foundation The Annie E. Casey Foundation The F.B. Heron Foundation Jacobs Family Foundation The Rockefeller FoundationNewMarketsTaxCreditsPartners&Lenders Chase Clearinghouse Community
Development Financial Institution Pacific Western Bank U.S. Bank Wells Fargo and CompanyTax Increment Financing Southeastern Economic
Development CorporationGrants California State Water Resources Control Board Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. FundSmall Business Development Loans California Southern Small Business
Development Corporation
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MILESTONES
• The75,000-square-footJoe & Vi Jacobs Center was completed, drawing 3,400 guests to its grand opening, cultural celebrations, and blessing ceremonies in May.
• TheChollasCreek Enhancement Project, a $2.5-million endeavor, restored a portion of the Encanto Tributary. This project, along with the previous Chollas Creek restoration, placed The Village at the forefront of urban stream recovery work. This work was recognized as “project of the year” by the American Public Works Association and received an Orchid award for sustainable design by the San Diego Architectural Foundation.
• ConstructionoftheJoe&ViJacobsCenterand restoration of the Encanto Tributary brought over $15 million in contracts, with 74 percent going to minority- and women-owned businesses.
• TheHousingTeamproduced plans for the first two affordable multi-family housing developments and began the process of assembling financial resources for implementation.
• RenovationoftheBRYCO Business Park, an old industrial property transformed into a light industrial business park, was completed and the facility was fully leased.
• Fouradditionalproperties were purchased or placed in escrow, with the assistance of a $1.5-million “linked deposit” from The Annie E. Casey Foundation, which helps reduce holding costs on the land until it goes into development.
• TheUrbanLandInstitute,SanDiego/Tijuana recognized Market Creek Plaza with its smart-growth award for social equity.
• WorkonaCommunityPlan Amendment advanced, paving the way for a new mixed-use zone in The Village.
To be competitive for public resources like the Affordable Housing Tax Credit and Transit-Oriented Development Funds, the Housing Team expanded its strategy from Trolley Residential, a small 52-unit pilot project that could be developed locally, to a large-scale housing project of over 200 units. Because this required a national partner, the team selected McCormack Baron
Salazar (MBS), an industry leader in urban development known for creating long-term public-private partnerships.
By year-end, an $80-million project, encompassing the first two Village rental housing communities, was on the drawing board to help address the rising demand for rental housing, childcare, and jobs.
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JosephMooreHousing Team Member Diamond Community Investor Community Investment Fund Investor
“We have to stick up for ourselves. Nobody’s
going to do it for us. We need to become more
knowledgeable, more active, and more involved.
Since getting involved with this work, I’ve lived
another life.”
Joseph has been a strong voice in shaping plans
for The Village. Active on various teams and
committees, as well as in the community,
he became passionate working with the original
Housing Team and has never stopped. He was one
of many who spoke to the City Council on behalf
of the district’s need for mixed-use zoning.
The Housing Team developed a plan for quality,
affordable housing to make ownership possible
for more community residents. Before it could be
implemented, the downturn in the economy and
subprime crisis shifted the immediate need for
housing from ownership opportunities to rentals.
After the shift from housing ownership to rentals,
Joseph stayed the course. Along with the rest of the
team, he remains focused on the goal of bringing
quality housing to The Village.
“You can’t reach for something if you can’t see it.
I’ve opened my eyes and become a community
innovator.”
The Impact Smart-Growth Pilot Village
Pilot Village - Scale 2008 2007 1997
Total Acres 44.3 44 20
Acres Developed 21.8 10 0
Acres in Development Planning 6.3 11.8 10
Jobs and Homes 2008 2007 1997
Jobs in The Village 559 415 7
New Homes in Development 205 52 0
Construction Contracts 2008 2007 1997
Total Construction Contracts $38.4 m $36.2 m 0
HUBE* Contracts
* Historically Underutilized Business Enterprises
$28.5 m $27.0 m 0
Percentage of HUBE Contractors 74% 76% 10
Capital Investment 2008 2007 1997
Total Investment $95 m $85 m 0
Transit Ridership 2008
Annual Increase 4%
Increase since 1997 71%
Market Creek Plaza Amphitheater 12,440 square feet
Festival Park &WorldCourt 37,000 square feet
Market Creek Plaza 102,000 square feet
Before
After
After
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nowing that the next
few years will be
extremely challenging
for commercial development,
the team shifted its focus from
home ownership to rental housing.
To be more competitive for
public resources, we partnered
with an industry leader
in urban development
known for creating
long-term public-private
partnerships.
Joe&ViJacobsCenter 75,000 square feet
Celebration Hall (inside)12,000 square feet
Elementary Institute of Science 15,000 square feet
Before
After
Before
Wetland Recovery: Chollas Creek Restoration 1,200 linear feet
Chollas Creek Encanto Tributary Restoration 900 linear feet Before
After
After
K
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Market & 47th Southeast CornerConstruction: 2011 - 2012
Gateway PropertiesConstruction: 2014 - 2015
Southwest VillageConstruction: 2017 - 2018
Market & 47th Northeast CornerConstruction: 2013
Youth WorldConstruction: 2015 - 2016
The Village at Market Creek Development Overview
West VillageConstruction: 2017 - 2018
Trolley ResidentialConstruction: 2010 - 2011
Northwest Village Rental HousingConstruction: 2011 - 2012
Retail Light Industrial
Housing Marketplace
Community Resource Park/Open Space
Complete
Joe & Vi Jacobs Center
Chollas Creek Enhancement Project
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Northwest Village — CommercialConstruction: 2010 - 2012
Office and Light Industrial ProjectConstruction: 2011 - 2012
Northwest Village Creek Enhancement ProjectConstruction: 2010 - 2011
Naranja CommercialConstruction: 2012 - 2013
Guymon ApartmentsConstruction: 2012 - 2013
Malcolm X Library
BRYCO Business Park
Market Creek Plaza
The Old GlobeTechnical Center
Elementary Institute of Science
Tubman-Chavez Multicultural Center
Transit Station
Chollas Creek Encanto Tributary Enhancement Project
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In the worst year for business since the
Great Depression, Market Creek Partners, LLC
paid its 10-percent preferred return
to community investors.
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The Village at Market Creek is about residents putting their talents to work.
As an anchor project for reinvigorating an urban marketplace, Market Creek is designed to
give residents a financial stake in their community, build individual and community assets
while rebuilding neighborhoods, and keep social responsibility at the forefront of business.
Resident teams work to harness local retail dollars, build an emerging market, and develop
a network of community-owned enterprises. Collectively called Market Creek Community
Ventures, the goal of these double-bottom-line businesses is to unite diverse communities
and recapture the value of economic expansion through individual and community ownership.
Market Creek Partners, LLC owns two properties: Market Creek Plaza, anchored by a Food 4 Less
supermarket and home to 11 other business suites, and an additional parcel
planned to accommodate a major drug store.
Jacobs Facilities, LLC owns the Joe & Vi Jacobs Center,
a 75,000-square-foot community and conference
center with a 5,000-square-foot commercial kitchen.
Small businesses add to the social enterprise
network, including Writerz Blok, a graffiti
art and graphic design business, and
Where the World Meets, a retail outlet
for micro-entrepreneurs.
Innovation Harnessing the markets for social change and making the tools of ownership and investment accessible to residents.
Challenge Stimulating a culture of risk-taking, encouraging an allegiance to local entrepreneurs, and overcoming negative perceptions of the area.
economic opportunityCommunity Enterprise and
Ownership
GoalCommunity-owned
enterprises that bring essential services, create jobs, expand
contracting opportunities, and build community
wealth.
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Ownership&InvestmentIn the worst year overall for business since the Great Depression, Market Creek Partners, LLC paid its 10-percent preferred return to community investors.
The Neighborhood Unity Foundation (NUF), also a community owner of Market Creek Partners, put its profits back into the neighborhood. With a combination of dividends and support from the San Diego Neighborhood Funders, NUF made 39 grants for a total of $97,162 to a wide variety of projects that help people help each other.
The 415 Diamond Community Investors (DCI), secured through the Community Development IPO, focused on financial education and took a leadership role in the creation of the next platform for collective investment — the Community Investment Fund.
Under the leadership of Reverend Ikenna Kokayi, chairman of the DCI Advisory Council, 60 investors participated in the planning. A Guide Team was then formed to facilitate investment decisions and guidelines for participation.
By the end of the year, 158 investors chose to participate in the new investment fund, pooling $39,411 to save for future ownership opportunities.
Business&EmploymentThe broader economic forces made 2008 a tenuous year. With people losing their homes and unemployment growing, Market Creek’s small businesses struggled to weather the storm. Entrepreneurs hungry to be successful searched for innovation.
Work began on two fronts:
• Addressingthevariablesthatcould be controlled by individual businesses, such as customer service or the creation of new product lines
• Launchingaconcertedeffortto encourage residents to make their dollars bounce in their neighborhood to save jobs
At Magnolias, interior renovations warmed and opened up the restaurant. Bessie’s Holiday Pies and the “March to Mardi Gras” food and entertainment series helped pull crowds.
At El Pollo Grill, a first-of-its-kind Mexican buffet turned evening business around, and new product lines, including hot carrots and frozen burritos, took El Pollo Grill into its first four Unified Grocery stores.
While the owner of Curves closed its doors in November, overall business at Market Creek Plaza was a testament to the community’s literal and figurative ownership.
CommunityEnterprise&OwnershipWorking TeamsBusiness and Leasing TeamCultural Kitchen TeamDCI Business Promotion TeamDCI Community Investment Fund Guide TeamDCI Financial Education TeamDCI Governance TeamHomeowner Readiness TeamInternational Outreach TeamVillage Teams CouncilWhere the World Meets Vendors
Planning and Community PartnersACCION San DiegoCalifornia Southern Small Business Development CorporationCoalition of Neighborhood CouncilsCRASH, Inc. (Community Resources and Self Help)Joe Davis & AssociatesDiamond Community InvestorsEl Pollo GrillHawkins RealtyHome StartHouse of MetamorphosisDanielle Jackson, Attorney at LawJulia’s STARSJunior AchievementLincoln High SchoolLuce Forward Hamilton & Scripps MAAC ProjectMagnolias Authentic Southern DiningManpower Mind TreasuresMoney Management, Inc. Morse High School Neighborhood House AssociationNeighborhood Unity FoundationThe Old GlobePazzaz, Inc.San Diego National BankSpringboardUnion Bank of CaliforniaUnited African American Ministerial Action CouncilWells FargoWriterz Blok
Strategic Investment PartnersThe Legler Benbough FoundationThe Annie E. Casey FoundationDiamond Community InvestorsEvelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. FundThe James Irvine FoundationJacobs Family FoundationEvelyn LutfyMasserini/French Trust at Wells FargoNeighborhood Unity FoundationThe Rockefeller FoundationSan Diego National BankWells Fargo
The Work Community Enterprise and Ownership
23
By the end of 2008, Market Creek Plaza captured $42 million in economic activity, up 5 percent, on a site where no economic activity existed just 10 years earlier. In a year when maintaining jobs was the priority, final job counts were up 6.7 percent.
Social EnterpriseFollowing the grand opening of the Joe & Vi Jacobs Center in May, teams launched Market Creek’s largest social enterprise — Market Creek Events & Venues (MCEV) — to operate the first-floor meeting and conference destination, along with the Market Creek Plaza Amphitheater, World Court, and Festival Park.
The new business was formed to help recapture an estimated $1.5 million in economic leakage associated with meetings, conferences, catering, banquet services, and other hospitality-related industries in San Diego.
As a training business, Market Creek Events & Venues planned for a slow ramp-up with a few strategic “test” events. Ten days following the May
MILESTONES
• MarketCreekPlaza’s overall economic activity totaled $42 million — a 5 percent increase from the year before.
• Salespersquarefoot at the Plaza totaled $430, outperforming its benchmark for comparable shopping centers by 18 percent.
• MarketCreek’sanchortenant, Food 4 Less, logged an increase in sales of 8 percent.
• WellsFargo’s branch at Market Creek Plaza reported that deposits and bank transactions held steady despite the economic downturn.
• BusinessMatters reported a 16 percent increase in sales, and its manager began readiness planning for the store’s transition to ownership.
• MarketCreek’s newest social enterprise —Market Creek Events & Venues (MCEV) — opened for business in June. From July through December, MCEV hosted over 9,000 people at 46 events, booking nearly $300,000 in revenues.
• MarketCreekEvents&Venues trained 31 people as on-call event staff, 94 percent of them from the community.
• Thenumberofjobs in The Village increased from 415 to 559 — an increase of 35 percent. The employment totals include a 6.7 percent increase at Market Creek Plaza, from 193 to 206.
• ThePropertyManagementteam assumed operations of the newly constructed Joe & Vi Jacobs Center, including building and public safety, maintenance, landscaping, and janitorial services.
• WriterzBlok’s business operations expanded, generating 31 contracts valued at over $22,000 in gross sales.
• DiamondCommunityInvestors created a new collective savings account called the Community Investment Fund, in which 158 people invested $39,411 in its pilot year.
opening of the business, the startup team was working around the clock to manage a high volume of calls, schedule events, cover workloads, run double shifts, and adapt to last-minute menu changes. Rethinking the business plan became a top priority.
Without time to hire and train, contract costs escalated. Room discounts that were set to accommodate the local market turned out to be too deep to break even. Capital was needed to buy equipment and initiate marketing, yet it was difficult to raise.
At the same time, the economic downturn reduced conference budgets and activity across the nation.
Despite the overwhelming challenge of 2008, MCEV earned a foothold in the regional market. As local companies downsized, many moved their events to closer venues, providing an increase in event activity in the 200- to 300-person range. By December, MCEV had hosted over 9,000 people at 46 events, booking nearly $300,000 in revenues.
The Work Community Enterprise and Ownership
24
Marquis SnowdenDiamond Community Investor Community Investment Fund Investor Mind Treasures Participant
“Investing in Market Creek Plaza and learning
about money management was a great new
experience. I learned a lot, like how to keep
track of my money. That is really cool.”
As one of the youngest of 415 DCI investors,
11-year-old Marquis Snowden is also a
participant in the Community Investment Fund
and a graduate of Mind Treasures, a money-
management program for kids. He is also
a budding social entrepreneur.
He and five fourth-grade friends helped their
school raise funds to purchase a climbing wall
for the playground. They set up a lemonade stand
at school, charged 50 cents a cup, and donated
all proceeds to the climbing wall.
The principal didn’t agree with the idea at first,
but the kids were persistent, had a plan in place,
and did it all on their own. He saw it as a great
example of school spirit and follow-through that
gave the students a real sense of ownership.
In the final few weeks of school, the group raised
$150, which was added to other raised funds.
The wall was installed the day before Marquis
and his friends returned to start fifth grade.
“It was neat having kids come up and thank
us for what we did.”
The Impact Community Enterprise and Ownership
Civic Participation 2008
Market Creek Partners Community Investors Diamond Community Investors Total Investment
415$ 500,000
Community Investment Fund Investors Total Investment
158$ 39,411
Attendance in Financial Education 581
Ownership of Market Creek Partners, LLC
Ownership Share
Values of Shares
Return on Investment
(FY 2008)
Diamond Community Investors 20% $ 500,000 10%
Neighborhood Unity Foundation 20% $ 500,000 10%
Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation 56% $ 1,400,000 3%
Diamond Management, Inc. 4% $ 100,000 3%
Market Creek Partners, LLC FY 2008 FY 2007
Total Revenues $ 1,703,821 $ 1,733,913
Operating Expenses & Loan Interest $ (959,675) $ (988,985)
Income after Operating Expenses & Loan Interest $ 744,146 $ 744,928
Depreciation & Lease Amortization $ (633,910) $ (633,692)
Net Income $ 110,236 $ 111,236
Market Creek Plaza 2008 2007 Original Projections
Annual Economic Activity $ 42 m $ 40.2 m $ 31 m
Number of Employers 12* 12 12
Number of Jobs 206 193 166
Employed from Neighborhood 69% 72% 65%
Minority Employees 86% 88% 65%
Construction to Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses
* Curves, which closed in November, is counted in this annual total.
79% 79% 65%
25
n the worst year for
business since the Great Depression,
Market Creek Partners, LLC
paid a 10-percent preferred return
to its 415 community investors.
In addition, 158 investors
chose to develop a new fund,
jointly investing their returns
for future ownership opportunities.
The Impact Community Enterprise and Ownership
Joe & Vi Jacobs Center 2008 2007
Annual Economic Activity $ 12.3 m N/A
Number of Employers 3 N/A
Number of Jobs 124 N/A
Employed from Neighborhood 50% N/A
Minority Employees 81% N/A
Construction to Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses 71% 74%
BRYCO Business Park 2008 2007
Annual Economic Activity $ 860,000 N/A
Number of Employers 12 9
Number of Jobs 121 71
Employed from Neighborhood 32% N/A
Minority Employees 83% N/A
Construction to Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses 68% 68%
Other Social Enterprises 2008 2007
Market Creek Events & Venues Number of Guests Events Hosted Revenues
9,30046
$298,000
N/AN/AN/A
Where the World Meets Store Vendors International Marketplace Vendors Total Vendor Sales
5046
$ 98,813
24N/A
$ 61,015
Writerz Blok Entrepreneurs/Participants Number of Contracts Total Value of Contracts
1831
$ 22,085
1855
$ 15,000
I
26
Networks formed to initiate hands-on activities
that encourage healthy living at home,
promote physical activities, and unite families
to address youth violence.
27
social infrastructureFamily and Community
NetworksThe Village at Market Creek is about connecting and coordinating action.
Connecting residents of the community to each other, to businesses and resources, and to the
vision of The Village is central to the resident ownership of neighborhood change. Identifying
and connecting existing organizations, opening access to systems and services, and listening
to find out what is needed create the foundation for sustainable interconnected networks
that serve community residents and strengthen the fabric of The Village.
Beginning in 1998, these efforts took the form of “Learning Partnerships” that brought
diverse non-profits and programs together to share learning and resources, and find
ways to work together. Partnerships on employment, youth, and health resulted in
more effective coordination of services among participating agencies.
These partnerships evolved into collaborations focused on
long-term strategies to improve the quality of life for
children and families.
As these collaborations formed and identified
their work, they expanded members from inside
and outside the community into networks
with the range of expertise and resources
required to address the complex issues
of poor school performance, health
disparities, and youth and gang violence.
over
view
Innovation Collaborative teams of diverse
partners — private citizens,
non-profits, program participants, funders,
governmental agencies, and institutions —
that strengthen problem solving and promote
shared resources.
Challenge Developing and sustaining networks built upon
mutual trust and the vision and patience to work
toward long-term goals while balancing collective
and individual interests, addressing immediate needs,
and taking actions that achieve short-term results.
Goal
Strong networks that promote learning, support children in achieving their full potential,
and encourage healthy and safe lifestyles.
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In 2008, Village Teams began forming networks to connect residents and local organizations to regional resources.
Education& Family SupportThe Village Schools Collaborative, including principals and counselors from eight Village schools and university educators, initiated a three-part strategy:
• Commissioningabriefingpaperon the state of education in the Diamond to identify barriers to quality education with recommendations
• ConveningSanDiegouniversitiesto plan for strengthening teacher preparation
• Designing“OpeningDoors”— a joint effort to encourage a culture of learning and directly support the most disengaged students, their teachers, and families
The Childcare Enhancement Center, formed eight years ago by resident family childcare providers to ensure high quality, affordable childcare, expanded its focus and became the Family Enhancement Center.
This network of parents, foster parents, childcare providers, and kinship groups linked with family service organizations to serve over 2,000 children and families. Planning was initiated with the Union of Pan Asian Communities (UPAC), San Diego Youth Services (SDYS), SAY San Diego, and Home Start to develop a joint strategy for providing needed family resources in the community.
Health&SafetyIn Village planning, health and safety were identified as critical issues. Networks formed to initiate hands- on activities that encourage healthy living at home, promote physical activities that help people get or stay in shape, and unite families to address youth violence.
Throughout 2008, the Family Enhancement Center organized workshops to address family health and safety concerns in the community. The International Outreach Team linked with The California Endowment on a “Healthy Connections” strategy to increase residents’ access to health services. Diamond Management, Inc., the
The Work Family and Community Networks Family&CommunityNetworksWorking TeamsChildcare Providers Support GroupCNC Walk to the Moon TeamComing Home to Stay Planning TeamCommunity Listening TeamDMI Safety AmbassadorsFamily Enhancement TeamInternational Outreach TeamNUF Grants TeamNUF Power in Caring TeamParents Support GroupProject Safe Way TeamVillage Schools CollaborativeVillage Teams CouncilPlanning&CommunityPartnersAlternative Healing NetworkAquatic AdventuresChildren Having ChildrenCity of San Diego Fourth District Council OfficeCoalition of Neighborhood CouncilsDiamond Management, Inc.Elementary Institute of ScienceFamily Health Centers of San Diego Groundwork San Diego - Chollas CreekHome StartInner City YouthJackie Robinson Family YMCAOutdoor OutreachOvercoming GangsPazzaz, Inc.San Diego Commission on Gang Prevention
and InterventionSan Diego Grantmakers Prisoner Reentry Funders
Working Group San Diego Police DepartmentSan Diego Unified School District San Diego Unified School District Police DepartmentSan Diego Youth ServicesSAY San DiegoUCSD CREATEUnion of Pan Asian CommunitiesUnited African American Ministerial Action Council The Village Schools (see box)Strategic Investment PartnersAlliance Healthcare FoundationThe Legler Benbough FoundationThe California EndowmentCalifornia Southern Small Business Development CorporationThe Annie E. Casey FoundationCox CommunicationsAlice T. and Doug B. DiamondGirard FoundationNorm and Valerie Hapke Jacobs Family FoundationMeg JacobsVi Jacobs Kaiser PermanenteEdmond KassoufNeighborhood Unity FoundationThe Parker FoundationPrice CharitiesSan Diego County Bar AssociationSan Diego District Attorney OfficeSan Diego Foundation for ChangeSan Diego National BankThe Patricia and Christopher Weil Family FoundationWells Fargo
Chollas-Mead Elementary
Gompers Charter Middle School
Horton Elementary
Johnson Elementary
Keiller Leadership Academy
Lincoln High School Ninth Grade Academy
Porter Elementary
Valencia Park Elementary
The Village Schools Collaborative
29
developer of The Village, linked with the California Resources Water Board to expand the restoration of toxic creek environments. The Coalition of Neighborhood Councils organized “Walk to the Moon,” a campaign to encourage residents to walk 240,000 miles — the distance to the moon.
To address public safety, Project Safe Way was formed. The safe neighborhoods and street-outreach strategy linked resident team leaders and volunteers with representatives from the San Diego Police Department, the San Diego Gang Commission, the City of San Diego Fourth District Council Office, four youth service programs, and staff from 11 area schools. The network launched a 10-week “Safe
Passage to School” pilot program that expanded to the full school year. Team leaders and volunteers were stationed at key corners and corridors before and after school. Businesses placed Project Safe Way Partner signs in their windows and reported any unsafe activities or issues to team members.
A Youth Leadership Team from Lincoln High School attended a national Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) conference in Raleigh, North Carolina, to develop plans for SAVE Clubs on local school campuses. In planning for the next phase of the project, neighborhoods were divided into six areas with project coordinators trained in community organizing.
MILESTONES• TheFamilyEnhancementCenter piloted
four programs that address family and health needs of the community.
• Over400residents and their children participated in monthly workshops on child and family development, health, and safety.
• TheVillageSchoolsCollaborative designed “Opening Doors,” a comprehensive program to reach disengaged students and participated in a pilot training series on creating a positive behavior culture on their campuses.
• TheNeighborhoodUnity Foundation partnered with the JCNI Artists-in-Residence to launch the second phase of its Power in Caring Campaign. About 100 children, youth, and adults were involved in creating artwork that recognizes resident efforts to help each other and nurture community pride.
• ProjectSafeWayteam members conducted 32 interventions to deter serious gang fights or student violence, 55 public safety issues were corrected, and 12 illegal activities were reported to the police and resolved.
• WriterzBlok partnered with San Diego City Schools Police to pilot a mural art program at Morse High School, becoming a successful juvenile-diversion strategy.
• TheUnitedAfrican American Ministerial Action Council (UAAMAC) conducted a gun buy-back program in partnership with the San Diego Police Department that recovered 240 handguns and assault weapons.
• SanDiegoGrantmakers’Prisoner Re-entry Funders Working Group brought together residents, community-based organizations, former gang members, and law enforcement to design strategies for assisting people who were formerly incarcerated in transitioning back to their neighborhoods.
• With Small Grants from the resident-led Neighborhood Unity Foundation, 39 projects were funded to support “people helping people.”
30
Tasha WilliamsonProject Safe Way Coordinator Project Compassion
“I feel like I’m a success story. I never thought
in a million years I would accomplish what
I have. I used to be a person who took from the
community. Now I’m an advocate for treating
everyone with compassion and fairness.”
Just over a year ago, Tasha took her first watch
as a Project Safe Way team member stationed
on the corner of 47th Street and Imperial
Avenue to help kids get safely to and from
school. Because many had to cross gang lines
to go to school, they needed help negotiating
the journey.
Project Safe Way has since grown into a
network of people with a heart for families.
After the tragic deaths of two youth from the
community — one of them close to Tasha’s
family — she helped form two volunteer-run
support groups for families who have
lost children.
Tasha is now at the center of this network of
care. She and her team help meet the needs of
families they encounter, from providing a pair
of shoes to referring them to family counseling.
The Impact Family and Community Networks
Civic Participation 2008 2007
Family Enhancement Center Parents Children Childcare Providers
5271,736
196
120N/A296
Coalition of Neighborhood Councils’ Walk to the Moon 800 N/A
Project Safe Way Safety Patrols 16 N/A
Project Safe Way
Gang Fights or Student Violence Deterred 32 interventions
Public Safety Issues Corrected 55 corrected safety issues
Police Reports of Illegal Activity 12 incidents reported and resolved
Walk to the Moon
Lead Organization Coalition of Neighborhood Councils
Funding Partners Kaiser Permanente, The California Endowment
Goal Encourage residents to walk 240,000 miles (the distance to the moon)
Achieved for 2008 155,000 miles (65% of the goal)
Number of People Participating 800
31
n 2008, Village Teams
began forming networks
to connect residents
and local organizations
to regional resources on a variety
of fronts, including school
collaborations, family support groups,
health initiatives, environmental
programs, safety and security
networks, and youth
leadership projects.
The Impact Family and Community Networks
I
32
shared learning
Working across disciplines is difficult.
It requires platforms for learning,
mechanisms for building understanding,
and translation.
33
The Village at Market Creek is about finding new approaches to old obstacles.
Market Creek is built on the belief that for change to be sustainable, people need to own
their own change. Everyone has to “own” what they know and don’t know and be willing
to learn their way. In the process, differences matter. Staying open matters. Learning matters.
Partners matter. Success depends on it.
Each year, hundreds of people visit Market Creek to learn from its strategies, structures,
principles, and practices. It is becoming a gathering place for those who want to undertake
large-scale cross-cultural organizing, gain site control of enough land to make a difference,
and design creative financing partnerships. It is becoming a research and development partner
for community development practitioners, foundations, and researchers trying to understand
the dynamics of supporting, implementing, and sustaining community
revitalization efforts. For those interested in public policy, it is
becoming a place to examine the tools, rules, and regulations
that either facilitate or stand in the way of change.
Platforms for learning across disciplines and across
the country are critical. Structured learning
agendas, reflective practice, and ongoing learning
exchanges help those working at the grassroots
to see the forest, provide a forum for residents
to share their experience with others, and
let residents know they are not alone.
over
view
Innovation Hands-on applied learning
that is comprehensive, resident-
driven, and cuts across the civic, social,
economic, and physical development
of a community.
Challenge Translating the work across fields, managing
a complex set of expectations, and simplifying
its practices and principles so comprehensive
work isn’t overwhelming and the learnings
can be applied.
shared learningInvestment In Innovation
Goal A network of partners committed to advancing new approaches to
community building, equitable development, social enterprise, and
community ownership through shared learning and investment
that feeds innovation locally and informs the
broader field.
34
Investment in InnovationSan Diego Neighborhood FundersAlliance Healthcare FoundationBank of AmericaThe Legler Benbough FoundationThe California EndowmentCalifornia Southern Small Business Development CorporationCox CommunicationsAlice T. and Douglas B. DiamondGirard FoundationJacobs Center for Neighborhood InnovationJacobs Family FoundationKaiser PermanenteNeighborhood Unity FoundationThe Parker FoundationSan Diego Foundation for ChangeSan Diego GrantmakersSan Diego National BankThe Patricia and Christopher Weil Family FoundationWells Fargo
Market Creek Investment Advisory BoardThe Legler Benbough Foundation California Southern Small Business
Development CorporationCalifornia State Water Resources Control BoardThe Annie E. Casey Foundation ChaseClearinghouse Community Development
Financial InstitutionDiamond Community InvestorsDiamond Management, Inc.Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. FundThe F.B. Heron FoundationJacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation Jacobs Family Foundation Neighborhood Unity FoundationPacific Western BankThe Rockefeller FoundationSoutheastern Economic Development CorporationU.S. BankWells Fargo and Company
Learning ExchangesACCION New MexicoAspen Institute Roundtable on Community ChangeThe California EndowmentThe Annie E. Casey FoundationCommunity Development Financial Institution Fund, United States TreasuryEmbedded Funders GroupForum on Race & DemocracyGrassroots GrantmakersJunior League of San DiegoLeadership CaliforniaPRO NeighborhoodsRasmuson FoundationThe Russell Family FoundationThe Skillman FoundationThe Unity Council
What is unconventional about the story of Market Creek is its set of unlikely partners working at the intersection of education, public safety, public policy, health, the built environment, law, organizing, real estate, and the economics of race and place. Working across disciplines is difficult. It requires platforms for learning, mechanisms for building understanding, and translation.
Documentation &Evaluation
Creative breakthrough is not an accident. It needs structures that encourage and stimulate it.
These structures include ongoing feedback through community listening and evaluation design teams of residents that define the outcomes they are seeking. It must incorporate external evaluators on specific areas of the work, such as the Market Creek Partners IPO evaluation. In addition, it must have a team that monitors the social and economic impact reporting process, ensures consistent and centralized documentation of the work, and conducts ongoing team meetings to synthesize learnings.
In 2008, teams supported by the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation continued the formal evaluation of the IPO with investor interviews and focus groups, conducted the second six-year Quality of Life Survey, and participated in case studies. Teams also involved over 1,500 people in community listening surveys and continued the ongoing documentation of the work through photography, videography, and 90-day written reports.
Learning Networks
The work at Market Creek is grounded in the need for and commitment to strengthening platforms for learning and sharing as fundamental to community change.
Despite the challenges of 2008, teams working on The Village were able to engage other communities and foundations working in neighborhood revitalization. Visits with foundations, community development practitioners, investors, and government agencies brought over 2,000 people from 20 states and three countries to The Village.
The Work Investment in Innovation
35
As part of these learning exchanges, about 190 people from The Village Working Teams participated as trainers, presenters, and discussion group leaders — expanding skills and self-confidence, attracting new ideas, encouraging further risk taking, and advancing the ongoing ownership of change. This work points clearly to the need to formalize, crystallize, and simplify the principles and practices used to implement resident-owned change so they can be shared and used broadly.
Investing in Innovation
It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes many partners to raise a village. It takes partners committed to testing new ideas and investors willing to take risks working side-by-side with residents taking charge of change.
In 2008, partners seeking models of responsible, resident-guided urban regeneration and innovative solutions to entrenched social
issues invested in The Village to jointly explore how best to change the conditions of long-term disinvestment by engaging more stakeholders and leveraging different types of capital. The cooperative structure of investment in innovation and learning facilitated investors in targeting large-scale change without the risk that can come with independent action.
San Diego Neighborhood Funders, a network of 18 foundations, banks, and individuals, provided $850,000 in grants. The Village Investors, a group of banks and foundation PRI investors, provided project capital, adding over $10 million in capital investment. The Neighborhood Unity Foundation, a resident-led community foundation, doubled its grantmaking capacity and assisted other funders in establishing relationships and exploring how resources can best be invested in solutions that residents consider workable.
MILESTONES• Villageteamshosted 78 site visits,
learning exchanges, and conferences with foundations, community development practitioners, investors, and government agencies, involving 2,000 visitors from 20 states and three countries.
• Approximately190people from The Village Working Teams participated in learning exchanges as trainers, presenters, and discussion group leaders.
• TheMarketCreekPartnersIPO Evaluation, an investor baseline report, and a pathway analysis report were completed.
• TheInstituteforPublicHealth at San Diego State University assisted the Quality of Life Survey team in analyzing data. The final report will be completed in 2009.
• MarketCreekPlaza and the Community Development Initial Public Offering continued to influence the field through stories in philanthropic newsletters, social enterprise publications, and an upcoming book project.
• Eighteenfundersjoined San Diego Neighborhood Funders (SDNF) around a common learning agenda. Members invested $850,000 in collaborative support for projects that advance Village pilot projects.
• MarketCreekserved as a learning site for Leadership California, The Russell Foundation’s Jane Fellows Program, the Aspen Institute, Embedded Funders, The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Atlanta Civic Site, and the Junior League of San Diego.
• Writtenandmedia documentation of team strategies, practices and principles, and key learnings continued.
36
The Impact Investment in Innovation
Shared Learning 2008 2007
Site Visits and Learning Exchanges 78 53
Working Team Participants 188 160
Visitors to The Village for Learning Exchanges 2,088 495
States and Districts Visiting (Annual) 20 8
Countries and Territories Visiting (Annual) 3 9
Geographic Representation 2008 2007
States and Districts Visiting (Cumulative)
Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Georgia Illinois Kentucky Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota
25 18
Countries and Territories Visiting (Cumulative)
Angola Australia England France Gaza Ireland Italy
14 11
MissouriNew MexicoNew YorkOhioOklahomaPennsylvaniaSouth CarolinaTexasVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington, DC
Kazakhstan Namibia New Zealand OmanTurkeyUnited States Venezuela
Lefaua LeiluaNeighborhood Unity Foundation President International Outreach Team Member
“I have changed in so many ways. I used to have
low expectations about what I could accomplish.
Now I feel empowered. I take pride in connecting
funders and residents to work together in
the community.”
As president of the Neighborhood Unity
Foundation and a board member of the
International Outreach Team, Lefaua brings
a unique focus to the table. Her shift in roles
from resident to grantee to funder took time
and patience. She says she never thought
she would fit in. Now she is on a first-name
basis with people she considers mentors.
She has grown in her leadership skills, working
to connect cultures and people, needs and
resources. She has traveled all over the country
to attend conferences and engage in learning
exchanges. When she shares the story of the
Neighborhood Unity Foundation, others are
inspired by residents designing, managing,
and governing their community foundation
in a network of multicultural neighborhoods.
“Some people are in awe of how we’re doing
this work as a collaboration of residents.
They take what I say very seriously.”
37
latforms for learning
across disciplines and across
the country are critical.
Structured learning agendas,
reflective practices, and ongoing
learning exchanges
help those working at the
grassroots to see the forest,
provide a platform for residents
to share their experiences
with others, and let residents
know they are not alone.
P
38
Today, The Village at Market Creek is
a place where the world meets. Residents
from the Diamond are connecting with
communities from across the country.
39
Looking Forward
While the economic storm of 2008 posed tough challenges, they have not dimmed our optimism for change nor weakened our belief in people.
We know hard times drive innovation and create opportunity. We know teamwork unleashes creativity and that residents will find ways to do what needs to be done. We know when people come together, communities are better places to live.
This Social and Economic Impact Report documents what occurred in 2008 — what we learned by doing and what changed by learning.
Now, what about the future?
On the economic side, Market Creek Plaza has a solid lease with the largest grocery chain in the country. It has experienced an increase in gross sales every year since 2001. Market Creek Partners, LLC has steady income and projects an increase in revenue over the next three years with a combination of rent increases and development of a second property. The issues that have made people fearful in the market, like over-inflated lease rates and high competition, don’t exist here, resulting in a strong list of prospective tenants.
For community ownership, the Diamond Community Investors are looking beyond the IPO. After the “Own a Piece of the Block” campaign, residents took the initiative to create a new tool — the Community Investment Fund — and began reinvesting their dividends to prepare for future ownership opportunities.
For physical development, a new Community Plan Amendment clears the path for a dynamic smart-growth agenda in The Village. This plan will facilitate the development of mixed-use, transit-oriented family housing and a vibrant Market-Euclid corridor. In addition, the City of San Diego Fourth District Council Office, the Coalition
of Neighborhood Councils, the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, and the Southeastern Economic Development Corporation have jointly initiated broad-based community forums to coordinate planning.
In strengthening civic engagement and the social infrastructure of the community, the indicators also look strong. The concept of the working team is now used beyond Village planning. Teams are being organized broadly as a mechanism for addressing key issues around health, education, and public safety. The “Youth Movement” is beginning to gain momentum with the support of a network of groups working together. Using arts and culture as galvanizing forces, working teams are forming collaborations with local and regional arts and cultural organizations. These teams are attracting thousands of people to cultural celebrations and festivals in The Village.
Today, The Village at Market Creek is where the world meets. Residents from The Village are connecting with communities from across the country and others to learn from each other, be inspired by change, and celebrate the rich traditions of the world.
To Go Far, Go Together
40
A Community of Leaders
The Village at Market Creek continues to grow into a community of leaders. As leaders do, residents here are stepping up to the challenges and facing issues head-on. They understand the teamwork it takes to create vision, build consensus, and facilitate action. Plans may change, but there are many routes to success. By focusing on what they have — rather than what they don’t — they are finding new and better ways to reach their goals.
Working comprehensively at the intersection of social, economic, physical, and civic strategies also requires a national community of leaders, working side-by-side with residents. As partners in community change, it requires us to stay open to new voices, be willing to try new solutions, and be prepared to assume new roles.
The key lesson of 2008 was about learning to partner like never before. To reinvigorate disinvested neighborhoods, we must create new platforms for investment and work across the public and private sectors. Success depends on our ability to bring to the table diverse types of capital at the right time to best support community teams. Now, as we launch the next phase, we are inviting many other partners to join us.
It is hard to do what we have never done before. But we know that innovation will come in these moments when things get hard. It will come when we look differently at the barrier that is in front of us. It will come when we listen to the elders standing before us and to the next generation coming up from behind.
Sustainability of change is in the hands of ordinary people who are creating an extraordinary vision of their future. People are stepping into community service and bringing their unique gifts and talents to the table.
We are clearly called to stay the course. To be vigilant and lean into the wind.
2008 was just a moment in time.
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“To go fast, go alone... to go far,
go together.”— African Proverb
Social and Economic Impact ReportCalendar Year 2008
The Village at Market Creek
Social and Economic Impact ReportCalendar Year 2008
The Village at Market Creek
Social and Economic Impact ReportCalendar Year 2008
The Village at Market Creek
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