CDC Panel Post Gazette Article

Penn Hills asking: Can a CDC address needs for community?
Panel considers a range of options
Thursday, November 19, 2009
By Deborah M. Todd, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

As lowering property values, rising crime rates and stagnant development become increasing problems in some suburban communities, Penn Hills residents are considering options that city neighborhoods have utilized for decades.

More than 50 residents packed the municipal building last Thursday to discuss the idea of creating a Community Development Corporation to address Penn Hills' most pressing needs.

CDCs have been used for years in urban areas to attract development, form community watch programs and raise overall awareness for issues facing specific communities. CDCs also are eligible for some grants and government funding that communities cannot apply for.

The panel discussion, hosted by the planning department, featured representatives from five local organizations who discussed the process of creating a CDC and how a CDC's presence can impact a community.

"[CDCs] range in variety from unincorporated neighborhood associations, block watches, block clubs ... really informal to very formal, legally incorporated, nonprofit groups with sophisticated professional staff that have multimillion-dollar, bricks-and-mortar development entities," explained Bethany Davidson, deputy director of the Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group.

Matthew Ciccone, co-founder of GTECH Strategies, a nonprofit organization geared toward reclaiming vacant properties, said: "When we want to come into some place to do a project, we find CDCs typically know the most about what's happening and can speak about what people in those communities would like to see happen."

Alexandra K. Murphy, a Princeton University doctoral candidate and planning department intern, is studying Penn Hills for a dissertation on poverty in the suburbs. She said the main purpose of the discussion was for citizens to offer suggestions about what a CDC should address.

While some residents mentioned code enforcement and commercial development as issues they hoped a CDC would tackle, many were more concerned about the kind of CDC the community would adopt.

"I think it's important to address the various issues in Penn Hills, because some neighborhoods have different issues than others," said resident Jim Getsy, president of the Crescent Hills Civic Association. He suggested the formation of a large CDC to serve as an umbrella organization for smaller neighborhood groups.

Churchill Valley resident James Beck questioned whether a CDC geared toward commercial development would be as effective in Penn Hills as it has been in some city neighborhoods. He encouraged the audience to consider a wide range of options before deciding what the CDC should be.

"What do you see as having the best chance for success? Unlike in city neighborhoods, there's not a vital business district or the remnants of a vital business district to be built upon. I don't see that in Penn Hills," he said.

In the end, panelists said the meeting put Penn Hills residents in the right direction toward establishing a CDC, but emphasized that continued discussion and a dedicated group of residents will ultimately determine the plan's success.

"CDCs aren't sexy," said panelist Scott Leff, associate director of the Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management at Robert Morris University.

"Not that you shouldn't be here talking about this ... but be realistic about it because starting up any nonprofit is very challenging."

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09323/1014547-56.stm#ixzz0XK5xiQME