PRESENTATION BY MARK VANDER SCHAAF & ALLISON BRUMMELTO THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL

September 14, 2011

Agenda1. How did the Council get involved in

Corridors of Opportunity?2. What is Corridors of Opportunity?3. What are the responsibilities of the

Council in Corridors of Opportunity?

How did the Council get involved in Corridors of Opportunity?

2010: New federal “Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program” announced

This program supports: Creation of a regional plan (Category 1), or Detailed implementation strategies plus

updating the existing regional plan (Category 2) Our region successfully competed for a three-

year $5 million Category 2 grant Our implementation strategies focus on

transitway corridors

How did the Council get involved in Corridors of Opportunity?

HUD required that the applicant for its grant be a consortium; Met Council agreed to be the lead applicant for our consortium

Implications for Met Council responsibilities The Chair of the Council is the co-chair of

the consortium “Corridors of Opportunity” Policy Board, which guides the detailed implementation strategies

The Council is responsible for the regional plan (Sustainable Development Plan)

Two national funding sources combined forces on one local initiative

HUD Sustainable Communities Regional Planning

Grant

Living

Cities

Integration

Initiative

Corridors of

Opportunity

What is “Living Cities”?

A collaborative of 22 of the world’s largest foundations and financial institutions

Out of 21 invited applications for the Living Cities Integration Initiative, 5 were awarded funding

Our region received ~$16 million in grants and loans

Saint Paul Foundation is the lead organization

Partners from all sectors seek to develop a new way of doing business

Corridors of

Opportunity

State, Regional and Local Governme

nt

Business Groups Non-Profits

Foundations

What is Corridors of Opportunity?

A partnership that seeks to make our current and future transitways better places to live, work and play for all.

“Transitway corridors will guide our region’s growth, vitality and competitiveness. Development along transitways will create distinctive places and strengthen local assets while increasing ridership and expanding access to jobs, affordable housing, and essential services for residents of all incomes and backgrounds.”

The Policy Board adopted this vision in early 2011

The initiative focuses on seven corridors during the 3-year grant period

CoO seeks to better align multiple planning processes

Environmental

permitting

Economic

development

Affordable housing

Community engagement Accessibility planning

Transit engineering

Accessibility planning

Environmental permitting

Economic development

Affordable housing

Community engagement

Transit engineering

CoO aims to create greater alignment of planning across geographic levels

CoO encourages greater participation of community members in planning, particularly including historically underrepresented groups

People with a low income

People of color

People with disabilities

Recent immigrants

CoO seeks to promote a shared commitment to the vision among all levels of staff within the partners organizations

State GovernmentMN Housing Finance Agency

Regional GovernmentMetropolitan Council CTIB

FoundationsMcKnight Foundation Saint Paul FoundationCentral Corridor Funders Collaborative

Local GovernmentHennepin County City of MinneapolisCity of Saint Paul Ramsey CountyRegional Council of Mayors

Non-ProfitsNeighborhood Development Center LISCFamily Housing FundUrban Land Institute

BusinessThe Itasca Project

Partners include:

CoO includes many activities by many partners advance one vision

Over $20,000,000 of grants & loans HUD: $5M planning grant Living Cities: $2.7M grant; $10M

commercial loans; $3M PRI 2 dozen discrete

“projects” Planning, research, real

estate development & small business expansion

CoO is creating strategies for TOD on five corridors

• Conduct market analysis of suburban stations• Create implementation strategiesNorthstar• Conduct market analysis to guide investment strategies• Engage developers and lenders• Create a development typology for BRT

Cedar Avenue BRT

• Develop transitional station area plans• Create market strategy• Conduct community engagementSouthwest LRT• Analyze existing conditions• Review and update existing plans• Identify proposed station typologiesBottineau• Identify and engage communities of likely transit users• Engage business owners Gateway

The “Program of Projects” studies the potential acceleration of transitway build-out

Phase I will examine feasibility of building multiple corridors simultaneously

If feasible, Phase II will develop a process for implementation (starting in January 2012)

Several projects study and test fair and affordable housing strategies

Affirmatively further fair housing

Marketing energy efficiency programs to multi-family housing owners

Enhance HousingLink

A Community Engagement Team (CET) advises the Policy Board on policies, strategies and tools

Purpose: Influence decision making structures through new approaches to engagement to underrepresented communities on publicly funded infrastructure and development projects

The CET also leads the process to distribute $750,000 in engagement grants Competitive grants to

community organizations to engage underrepresented groups along the transitways

1st round underway; 2nd round in Spring 2012

CET and Met Council staff will connect grantees with public officials and staff

Living Cities is funding affordable housing/TOD development

$14.3M loan pool Single & Multi-family housing preservation & new TOD along Central, Hiawatha & Southwest Create and/or preserve 400-600 units while also revitalizing transit-accessible housing in corridor neighborhoods 25% contract hours to minorities; local and Sec. 3 hiring encouraged

Living Cities funds will also strengthen small businesses on Central Corridor

$450K grants; $700K loans Façade improvements, business planning & marketing assistance, & loans for business expansion and building ownership Ensure that University Avenue retains cultural diversity & is a thriving place for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

What are the responsibilities of the Metropolitan Council in Corridors of Opportunity?

1. Co-chair the Policy Board2. Administer the HUD grant3. Prepare a Sustainable Development Plan

(SDP)4. Lead the Fair Housing and Equity

Assessment (FHEA)

The FHEA includes the identification and assessment of 5 components

Segregated Areas and Areas of Increasing

Diversity and/or Racial/Ethnic Integration

Racially/Ethnically

Concentrated Areas of Poverty

Access to Existing Areas of High Opportunity

Major Public Investments

Fair Housing Issues, Services,

and Activities

By 2014 we will have a model of transitway planning and development that contributes to our region’s growth, vitality and competitiveness.

Transitway Planning and Development

Model

What’s next?

Thank You!

www.metrocouncil.org/planning/COO/index.htm