Steubenville Council hears about planning grant issues
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STEUBENVILLE -- City Council spent the better part of an hour Tuesday being schooled by Pittsburgh leaders who have twice convinced the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to give them a pair of $50 million Choice Neighborhoods Implementation grants.
The Pittsburgh delegation told council the $500,000 planning grants they received were just the beginning of a very long and involved process that brought together all facets of their community to figure out what was needed to spark transformational change, then convince HUD to help fund it.
The Pittsburgh Housing Authority previously secured planning and implementation grants for the Larimer neighborhood in East Liberty. In August, they followed that up with a second implementation grant, this one for Bedford Dwellings in the Hill District.
"It's not for the faint of heart," PHA's Michelle Sandidge said. "It's a seven-year process: Planning takes a couple of years and then implementation is after that. But you have to have everybody as a part of choice -- it's called 'choice housing' not because it's public housing but because it's the whole neighborhood in general -- city, all your politicians public entities, schools, businesses: It's everybody working as one, and hopefully you get other peoples' money and leverage it, so at the end of the day you get much more than $50 million."
Steubenville's $500,000 planning grant, awarded in late December, targets an area stretching from University Boulevard to Washington Street, and from state Route 7 to Highland Avenue. Since then, a community task force has been gathering information and ideas, and prior to meeting with council, the visiting delegation met with North End residents at JFK Aparmtents.
Alexis Narotsky, senior development manager at the housing authority, told council there's "always going to be conflict because different people have different needs, but don't do it in front of HUD because they're company." She advised those involved in the discussions are going to have to be flexible because, "you're never going to get all you want but if you get most of it, it will be great."
"It's highly competitive," another member of the delegation pointed out. "You've got to find a way to stand out in your application. Find out what the assets are in your neighborhood and build off whatever is successful already ... make sure you know what's already working and build off it."
"Look for a 'wow' factor," Narotsky said. "Also, understand that whatever you do is really for the next generation, it's not for us. At the end of the day you're leaving a legacy ... it's the next generation you're affecting."
But Narotsky also pointed out an implementation grant isn't a cure-all.
"It's not like it's a silver bullet," she said. "There are some problems that exist but I would say it's trending in the right direction ... Seven years is actually pretty short to change a community
Sandidge said it only works if there's a community buy-in.
"It's for the next generation," she reminded. "Keep thinking about that, it's not about you it's about somebody else who's coming."
Later, Third Ward Councilwoman Heather Hoover called the discussion "positive and inspirational."
"We have the ability to bring that to the city of Steubenville," she said. "We just need to be able to come together and begin the work."
Second Ward Councilman Tracy McManamon said as they move forward with the planning, "I think it's absolutely critical that we come together by not only words but also by actions."
"We can never lose sight of the fact that over 30-plus communities from around the country had applied for this money and only 13 were rewarded," he said. "Steubenville must show gratitude."
McManamon said the focus is truly on the future.
"It was made clear that if we truly are successful in receiving these monies from HUD that this isn't about us, it's about the next generation and the generation after that," he said. "It's about our children and our children's children. This is truly a legacy project that we can all roll up our sleeves, get our hands dirty and look back at years from now and say 'we did it for the future and for our children and grandchildren.'"
"We have a lot of work to do to take full advantage of the grant," Sixth Ward Councilman Mike Hernon added. "And it really requires a substantial investment from private and public partners: Massive collaboration and a strong vision is essential."
Council also heard from COLLABO's Adam Rosa, planning coordinator for Steubenville's Choice Neighborhoods application, who said they'd had an 81 percent response rate on the needs assessment they'd sent out. He also told council studies they've done show "there's a significant market for new rental housing and also potential for single family homes" in the project area. With the market study done, he said they can "start to develop strategies and plans for the neighborhood as a whole."
Rosa said he has to submit the framework for Steubenville's proposal to HUD in about three months, "(then) as strategies start to emerge later this year, that can start to be plugged in to that document."
"The question is what can we do to make ourselves competitive for the implementation grant one-and-a-half years from now," he added. "We're not quite there yet."
He also said it's important to "capture" what's currently going on in the North End, like Steubenville City Schools and its new STEM building, and said the task force is moving forward with development of an outdoor learning center. They'll pay for it with $100,000 in Early Action funds drawn from the planning grant.
"This is something we actually want to build next year," he said. "It's going to help build momentum because it will be a physical change that people can actually see."
Rosa said the high school and STEM center "are critical" to the North End neighborhood's revitalization. Walking and bike trails under consideration would also be pluses.
"I'm really optimistic about what's happening at Urban Mission, what's happening that side of the neighborhood," he added. "I see a lot of synergy with that."
Councilwoman at large Kimberly Hahn said the PHA delegation "inspired council tonight."
"We look forward to seeing what they have done in person," she said. "They shared keys -- looking broadly at what can be done, engaging community partners and residents, and working together with respect."
Hahn pointed out the public can keep track of what's happening with the city's Choice Neighborhoods planning online at steubenvillechoice.com.
Fifth Ward Councilman Willie Paul said weekly budget hearings will start Tuesday, Oct. 10. The committee meetings will run from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Paul also introduced emergency legislation to renew the city's contract with the Jefferson County Board of Health, along with resolutions proclaiming Oct. 8-14 as fire prevent week, October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Oct. 23 as mammography day.
City Manager Jim Mavromatis said McKinley and Co. notified him the plans for renovations to the old city building are done. The designs will be forwarded to the inspections department for review.
He said he met with Ohio environmental officials to discuss the city's costly water and wastewater needs.