re: [Mpls] re CCHT

[Fredric Markus]

I am very glad that CCHT, with the approbation of the Elliot Park
neighborhood and substantial participation by a number of funding
sources, has undertaken to convert the five-story St. Barnabas hospital
for use as a safe and secure residence for homeless youth. St. Barnabas
is in the shadow of the Metrodome and what used to be Metropolitan
Medical Center (MMC - a large private hospital incorporated into HCMC
some years back). 

St. Barnabas was a classic white elephant - obsolete for its original
use and standing vacant year after year. CCHT, to its credit, undertook
to address the chronic shortage of suitable facilities for homeless
youth by undertaking to rehab this structure with provision for
affordable private living quarters for 50 youth and also provision for
supportive services. 

The intended beneficiaries are young people who are old enough to be
capable of independent living but in considerable distress for lack of
stable housing, counseling, and a way back into the world of schooling
and employment and trustworthy social relationships. There are hundreds
of these kids in Minneapolis and only a handful of places for them to
live. 

CCHT is not new to this effort. They have an established facility
elsewhere in town and in general a solid track record with supervising
agencies, funding sources, and neighborhood entities. Alan Arthur may be
a bit forceful at times, but he is very good at what he and his
associates do. 

As a former board chair at the now defunct Lambda Sobriety Center for
recovering GLBT folks, I am very aware of the ameliorative effect of
CCHT's initiative. Instead of a dead building in a development
cul-de-sac, I see hope and a secure sense of belonging being offered to
at least some of our very young "walking wounded". As a student of our
urban scene, I'm glad to see a big old building put to a good use. Good
for Elliot Park and good for CCHT!

Fred Markus, Horn Terrace, Ward Ten, in the Lyndale Neighborhood
 

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RE: [Mpls] re CCHT

[Tom Welling]

 I am unimpressed with CCHT's work; in my opinion, they use way too much public funding to "create" precious few units of housing.  I use the word create in parenthesis because they destroy a lot of housing too, and I would call their projects poorly managed.  CCHT has wreaked havoc in Elliot Park and Phillips when I lived in that area.   Tom WellingUptown--- On Thu 03/20, Alan Arthur < [EMAIL PROTECTED] > wrote:From: Alan Arthur [mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED]To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2003 11:01:35 -0600Subject: [Mpls] re CCHTIn response to Jason Sittko's posted question, at mnforum.org, as to whether anyone has experience with the Central Community Housing Trust (CCHT)
 :Yes. I have 14 ½ years of experience with the Central Community Housing Trust. In every single project done by CCHT in the past 17 years, no project has been developed without numerous planning and brainstorming discussions with, and building relationships with, people who live and work in the neighborhoods. As a matter of absolute fact, CCHT has developed almost 1,200 units of housing and has never developed a project without the approval of the neighborhood citizen participation organization. The proposed Ripley development in the Harrison Neighborhood is a case in point. Central Community Housing Trust staff people have worked with the Harrison Neighborhood Association intensively for over a year on different ideas and scenarios for the site. As with all sites, there are practical, political, and financial realities, both market and our own. If we are "bullies" to point those realities out, then so be it. We are certainly persistent, because that is how a
 ll development projects of any kind get done. But we have fully engaged with every committee and every process required by the Harrison Neighborhood. I doubt if any other developer, for-profit or nonprofit, would spend as much time working with a neighborhood, on as challenging a site, as we have in Harrison.There are always different opinions and concerns in communities about all development projects. Some concerns are based in fact and some based on fears and perceptions. Everyone always has a different perspective or idea about what would be "perfect". One of our roles is to synthesize collective and multiple desires with reality and produce something great. CCHT is certainly as interested as the neighborhood and neighbors in helping re-capitalize this important site as a place that works for the people who will live there, for neighbors, and for the entire community. The current proposal incorporates many, many ideas that came from Harrison residents and 
 neighbors, regarding both unit types and design. I recommend talking to the leaders and neighbors in the Elliot Park neighborhood, where we have helped bring over $70 million dollars of public and private re-investment over the past 17 years, including building the first "market" housing there in over 70 years. Ask them if the Central Community Housing Trust has made a positive or negative difference in their neighborhood.We always welcome rational discussion of concerns and perspective. Please always call us if you have any questions. AlanAlan Arthur, President, Central Community Housing Trust1625 Park Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55404-1634612-341-3148 ext. 201 Fax: 612-341-4208 [EMAIL PROTECTED]--- Learn how Central Community Housing Trust is responding to the affordable housing shortage in the Twin
  Cities. Please join us for a 1-hour Building Dreams presentation: May 5, 2003 at 4:30pm:We are also happy to present Building Dreams at your organization, church, or business. Space is limited, please register online at www.ccht.org or call Philip Schaffner at 612-341-3148 x237 ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) TEMPORARY REMINDER:1. Send all posts in plain-text format.2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible.Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-DemocracyPost messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mplsJoin Excite! - http://www.excite.comThe most personalized portal on the Web!