Collaboration and Communication - Wikispacesbelt+study.pdf · Collaboration and Communication: ......

UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO

Collaboration and

Communication:

The Fruit Belt’s Quest for Rejuvenation

PD 508

Race, Class & Gender

Dr. Henry Louis Taylor

Spring 2009

PD 508 Spring 2009 2

Research Team

This document was prepared by the following students in Dr. Taylor’s Race, Class and Gender class. Gabrielle Boatswain Molly Hogle Brian Kurtz Rachel Maloney Billy Miller Derek Nichols Danielle Rovillo


Table of Contents

Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 5

Chapter 1: Introduction – Problem Statement ............................................................................................. 6

Chapter 2: Background ................................................................................................................................. 8

Chapter 3: Current Conditions .................................................................................................................... 17

3.1 ‐ Demographics ................................................................................................................................. 17

3.2 ‐ Income and Poverty ........................................................................................................................ 18

3.3 ‐ Education and Employment ........................................................................................................... 19

3.4 ‐ Housing ........................................................................................................................................... 19

Chapter 4: Existing Plans & Potential Impacts ............................................................................................ 21

4.1 ‐ BNMC Master Plan ......................................................................................................................... 21

4.2 ‐ UB 2020 Plan .................................................................................................................................. 21

4.3 ‐ City of Buffalo Comprehensive Plan ............................................................................................... 21

Chapter 5 – The Importance of Community Outreach ............................................................................... 23

Chapter 6: Recommendations .................................................................................................................... 26

6.1 ‐ Intro to recommendations ............................................................................................................. 26

6.2 ‐ Place‐Based Policies ....................................................................................................................... 26

6.3 ‐ Community outreach ...................................................................................................................... 27

6.4 ‐ Community Reinvestment .............................................................................................................. 28

6.5 ‐ Schools as a Center of the Community .......................................................................................... 31

6.6 ‐ The Network of Existing NPOs ........................................................................................................ 33

6.7 ‐ Network of Existing Programs ........................................................................................................ 34

6.8 ‐ The Role of the Faith‐Based Organizations .................................................................................... 35

6.9 ‐ Community Benefit Agreement ...................................................................................................... 35


6.10 ‐ Recommended Programs – CBA Components ............................................................................. 46

Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 61

Work Plan .................................................................................................................................................... 63

Sources ........................................................................................................................................................ 66


Executive Summary

The Fruit Belt neighborhood, located on the east side of the City of Buffalo (the City), is rich in history and culture.

Presently, the area has fallen into disrepair and is largely comprised of low‐income minorities, disadvantaged by a

high rate of crime and a vacancy epidemic. The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) in conjunction with the

University at Buffalo (UB or the University) has plans to expand development, displacing residents and changing

the overall character of the community. Community engagement in the Fruit Belt revealed that the residents of

this community have not given up on the unique character and lifestyle they are accustomed to in their historic

community. Moreover, these residents have identified the need for revitalization and a yearning for activism and

change. Ultimately, the residents are hopeful that the institutional expansion eminent in their community will lead

to revitalization of the surrounding communities. However, the very same residents express concern for the

contextual threats to their community posed by medical campus expansion and hopeful that these plans are really

an opportunity to revitalize their community and foster rejuvenation.

A Community Benefit Agreement (CBA) is recommended as the vehicle to ensure that surrounding institutions,

BNMC and UB as well as the residents of the adjacent Fruit Belt neighborhood mutually benefit in the

redevelopment of this community. This document will illustrate that in order to secure a beneficial partnership

between the BNMC and the Fruit Belt, a legally binding CBA should be constructed and implemented. Community

Benefit Agreements have worked well in similar case examples across the country exemplifying successful

partnerships between public and private entities with residents. These agreements bind institutions into giving

back to the neighborhoods in which they are located creating an inclusive community.

This document describes recommendations that have been developed out of community engagement observance

and case study research. The programs and policies described in this report are meant to act as a template for the

Fruit Belt's CBA. It is expected that residents would amend and alter these recommendations for their own usage.

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus Master plan, the UB2020 Plan and the City of Buffalo Comprehensive Plan all

have a stake in the future of this community. Community participation and engagement is pivotal for a successful

relationship between Fruit Belt residents and outlying institutions. No one actor or stakeholder, either from inside

or outside the neighborhood should drive the community’s reinvestment. This document stresses that the Fruit

Belt needs to make sure its vision for their neighborhood is developed in a fair manner and met through a

collaborative effort.


Chapter 1: Introduction – Problem Statement

German philosopher Jürgen Habermas’ theory of communicative actions states that all actors in a

society seek to reach common understanding and coordinate actions by reasoned agreement,

consensus, and cooperation rather than strategic action, which focuses on individual gain. If in fact this

were the case, then there would be no need to do continue with this study. However, we find that the

Fruit Belt neighborhood of Buffalo New York is lacking all the elements Habermas points out in his

theory of communicative action.

The Urban Renewal Program of the 1940’s destroyed communities within the central core, promoting

and protecting business interest over that of the city’s permanents residents. As this program began to

grow in power, its dominance in American society quieted the rationale thought of planners that sought

to protect residents from unwanted shifts of development or lack thereof in their neighborhoods and

communities. Its dominance caused protests across the continental United States, forcing the federal

government in 1949 to mandate citizen participation in planning legislation.

Opportunities for growth were limited in communities where residents were primarily racial minorities.

As debates grew across party lines over the extent to which the urban crisis existed, the problem within

cities had been identified with issues of racial conflict. As a massive wave of homeownership took over

way of life in the United States, neighborhoods and communities were no longer being separated by

class, but were now separated by race. As the suburbs were becoming more sought‐after living spaces,

neighborhoods became defended territory. Blacks and other “undesirables” were prohibited from living

in newer communities. In this context, space had been racialized to protect land and housing values.

This phenomenon then led to what is known as the racialization of space. For the first time in history,

race and the condition of neighborhoods were being connected. This thought being embedded in the

minds of new homeowners, business owners, and in the banking system led to the disinvestment in

racial minority neighborhoods.

As disinvestment in minority neighborhoods was part of a trend throughout the United States, the Fruit

Belt was no exception. As the once German population left the City of Buffalo into the first ring suburbs,

blacks and other racial minorities were only able to procure housing in the older neighborhoods and

homes once occupied by European immigrants. The Fruit Belt saw a demographic shift from


predominantly white to predominantly black. Prior to the racial shift of the neighborhood, the greatest

asset found in the neighborhood was the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, seeking to find innovative ways

to treat and suppress the spread of cancer, and the Buffalo‐Niagara Medical Campus. Located directly

north of Buffalo’s less than thriving Downtown, BNMC, the University at Buffalo, Roswell Park Cancer

Institute, Olmsted Center for the Visually Impaired, Kaleida Health, Hauptman‐Woodward Medical

Research Institute, Buffalo Medical Group Foundation and Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center are seeking

to create further connections and collaborations through a Master Plan that would allow these entities

to stretch further downtown, by expanding the campus in its Campus Master Plan and the UB2020 plan.

As highlighted in its plans, the Fruit Belt neighborhood will be torn apart in the most detrimental ways

Buffalo has seen since the development of Kensington Expressway Route 33. However, in it efforts to be

a catalyst for growth within the City of Buffalo, the University and the Medical Campus did not keep

residents of the Fruit Belt informed of their plans, causing conflict between stakeholders and residents.

The problem in its expansion is that their plan to extend into the Fruit Belt neighborhood has no visible

short or long‐term effects for the community. A network of residents exist in the neighborhood that

would like to see growth and change within their community, but are not enough of a combating body

with a plethora of funding sources to take on the University and the Medical Campus.

Within the planning process, there is always a case of a stakeholder that prefers to follow priorities of its

own agency rather than the external collaboration. How does the Fruit Belt regenerate in the shadows

of the Buffalo‐ Niagara Medical Campus? How will the neighborhood benefit from the expansion of the

campus? In this paper we claim that through shared vision, interactive planning processes, broad

stakeholder involvement, political and financial support, and skilled leadership, there will be positive

effects on the relationship between the Buffalo‐ Niagara Medical Campus, the University at Buffalo, and

residents of the Fruit Belt. We have approached the problem by first returning to the Fruit Belt’s history

and defining a moment where the problem seems to have grown. Following this we have researched

methods that have been used to promote neighborhood growth that can be used towards problem

resolution. Finally, we conclude our report with recommendations made with respect to residents of the

Fruit Belt, the University at Buffalo, and the Buffalo‐Niagara Medical Campus.


Chapter 2: Background

The Fruit Belt community has experienced tumultuous times, from vitality to economic downturn. The

community’s residential fabric has shifted from a densely populated urban residential community, to a

community characterized by “missing teeth” caused by disrepair and disinvestment. Figure 2.1

illustrates a brief analysis of the shift in land use in the Fruit Belt from 1940 to the present. The first

map portrays the Fruit belt and its surroundings while the subsequent maps illustrate changes in the

physical makeup to the present day and through projected changes presupposed by the University’s

Master Plan and BNMC expansion plans. The following passages explain trends in the community’s

physical and social makeup.

When the Fruit Belt neighborhood was laid out, North Street and Jefferson Avenue were the northern

and eastern borders of the village of Buffalo. The neighborhood’s houses were built very close together,

mostly 1 ½ story homes or 2 story flats with upper and lower porches. Many homes had additional

rooms built onto the back of the house. Commercial and mixed use establishments lined Michigan and

Jefferson Avenues servicing the community with grocers, drug stores, a 5 & 10 shop, service shops, shoe

repairs, beauty parlors, barbershops, a movie theatre, a large public school, numerous churches, a

legion post, restaurants, taverns, and gas stations. Every accommodation was within walking distance,

making the area rather vibrant and leaving little reason for the residents to leave the neighborhood. The

first street paving was cobblestone, which replaced elevated boardwalks. Rent from an extra cottage or

flat was a regular source of income for most residents, leading to the persistence of family

homeownership and preventing the neighborhood from changing hands. Many residents built a “lean‐

to” on the back lot of their property; they then saved up enough money to build a bigger home on the

front part of the parcel to raise their family. After the children grew up, the newlyweds of the family

would usually rent out the lean‐to and continue the cycle. Most lots stretched back 70‐120 feet and 35‐

70 feet wide. By 1925 5,000 household were squeezed into ½ square mile.

Figure 2.1 Land Use Analysis

Figure 2.2 Composition of the Neighborhood Before Urban Renewal

PD 508 Spring 2009 11

The “Fruit Belt” moniker was given in the 1930’s referring to the names of the longitudinal streets

Cherry, Grape, Orange, Lemon, Mulberry, and Peach originally named after the fruit tree orchards

located in the area. During this the 30s, the Fruit Belt was considered the heart of Buffalo’s German

population, which had been a dominant ethnic group since the 1870’s. After World War I, most Germans

from the “Great German East Side” moved to the suburbs and the Fruit Belt was the only neighborhood

that remained over 65% German. The neighborhood became isolated as buildings went up on Main

Street to the west, Genesee to the south, and Jefferson to the east. German shops and bars lined the

neighborhood’s bordering streets of Michigan and Cherry. The Fruit Belt’s location was ideal for its

resident’s tradesman to carry their tools with easy access to downtown as well as other areas of the city.

Living was easy most of the time in the Fruit Belt; the small homes were cheap to heat in the winter and

had porches for the summer. However, the rather tight living spaces led to tense family life, and families

would spend most nights drinking beer in neighborhood bars and the backyards of neighbor’s homes.

Figure 2.2 illustrates the relationship between surrounding residential communities and the vibrant

commercial corridors in the 1940s. Multi‐unit homes changed owners frequently along bordering streets

North, Jefferson, and Cherry, whereas single family homes within the district were more stable and had

little contact with residents along the aforementioned streets. The three major churches were St.

Boniface to the north, Trinity Lutheran to the southwest, and St. Peter’s German Evangelical to the

south. The steeples and bell towers gave the orchards found throughout the Fruit Belt an ecclesiastical

landscape that the newer, sprawling neighborhoods lacked. Old Germans became the guardians of the

neighborhood assailing the tide of progress, especially the car, which they thought was decentralizing

their neighborhood. Subsequently, ten years after WWI, many orchard‐tending residents replaced their

gardens with garages for their cars.

In the early 1950’s, the self‐sustainability of the Fruit Belt began to decline with first the failure of

businesses along Cherry Street, population pressure along its borders, and the common knowledge that

the Kensington Expressway would be eventually built along Cherry Street as part of Urban Renewal.

The filtering of substandard housing in the industrial areas south of the Fruit Belt was the driving force in

the migration of the African American population into the surrounding neighborhoods. Movement

northward in the city stopped at Genesee Street, the southern border of the Fruit Belt. The movement

then jumped to the neighborhoods north of the Masten Street School and the armory on North Street,

PD 508 Spring 2009 12

and then gradually closed the gap between Genesee and North along Michigan to the west and along

Jefferson to the east, completely surrounding the Fruit Belt but not fully penetrating it. By 1960, nearly

all of the German population had left the neighborhood for the suburbs, leaving the Fruit Belt

predominantly African American. At that time the City of Buffalo had a 86.5 segregation index, indicating

that within non‐white neighborhoods, the presence of white people was minimal, exemplifying the

spatialization of race. (Bower 1957)

The completion of the Kensington Expressway in 1964 restricted the size of the neighborhood and

formed a concrete physical barrier between the Fruit Belt and the rest of the City along the east.

Following the development of the expressway, another trend in building construction took place, wiping

away entire residential areas from the city’s map, west to the Fruit Belt community. Urban renewal

effectively destroyed the neighborhood fabric, forever changing the social makeup of area. Meanwhile,

the other side of Michigan Street shifted towards designated institutional development. Figure 2.3

portrays the concrete barriers dominated by architectural presence of institutional buildings.

This area, (Best St (N), Michigan St (E), Goddell St (S) and Main St (W), once developed, acted as a

physical barrier, dividing the city and completely cutting off the predominately black neighborhoods on

the East side from the rest of downtown Buffalo. The Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), a

comprehensive research and treatment center for patients with cancer sat adjacent to the Fruit Belt

Community and was a large component of the institutional barriers on the community’s edge. Originally

founded in 1901, Roswell was then known as the Gratwick

Figure 2.3 The Juxtaposition of Promise and Blight

PD 508 Spring 2009 14

Research Laboratory of the University of Buffalo, located on High and Elm Streets. In its expansion over

the years, movement occurred eastward and ended at Michigan Street. The campus, as completed in

1998, now spans 27 acres and shares the Michigan Street boundary with the residents of the Fruit Belt.

In 2005, RPCI was ranked 13th in the nation for funding by the National Institutes of Health. An

extraordinary amount of money has been invested in the functioning and maintenance of Roswell Park.

In addition to Roswell’s’ gradual expansion in the area, other institutions entered the vicinity creating a

medical research cluster. Buffalo Hearing and Speech Center, Buffalo Medical Group, PC, the Center for

Hospice & Palliative Care, Hauptman‐Woodward Medical Research Institute, Kaleida Health, Olmstead

Center for the Visually Impaired and Upstate New York Transplant Services, all utilize space within the

medical campus. The campus is expected to expand even further to the year 2020 where the University

at Buffalo will spend millions of dollars on the construction of new facilities and infrastructure for

research facilities and classrooms. Ironically the Fruit Belt neighborhood adjacent to this lucrative

campus is separated only by a single street and is comprised by very low income levels and high levels of

impoverished conditions. As the campus increases in size and scope, development, and investment, the

maintenance and beautification of the surrounding neighborhood’s homes and infrastructure is

perceived as nonexistent. Sewer drains are blocked with debris, gaping potholes in the streets are left

unfilled, electrical wires are intertwined with street trees and fallen branches and abandoned homes are

left to decay. Over the past forty years of isolation, failed urban policies and economic decline, the Fruit

Belt neighborhood has bore the brunt of the city’s hardships. Moreover, the continuance of spatial

segregation intensifies the social and economic strain on the African American population within the

Fruit Belt Community. Jobs within the greater metropolitan area have become either nonexistent or

inaccessible since the heyday of the Fruit Belt and its residents have become further entwined in a cycle

of crime, poverty, and distress.

Figures 2.4 and 2.5 illustrate the conceptual signs of promise and opportunity as well as the physical

signs of distress and blight found while visiting the Fruit Belt community today.

Figure 2.4 Images of the Fruit Belt Neighborhood Conditions Today

Figure 2.5 Images of the Fruit Belt Neighborhood Conditions Today

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Chapter 3: Current Conditions

3.1 Demographics

Population

In order to obtain a general sense of the current demographic state of the Fruit Belt, the 2000 US Census

was used. Because the Fruit Belt does not lie perfectly along Block Groups, the seven Block Groups that

lie within the Fruit Belt were chosen to represent the Fruit Belt. The following Block Groups were

chosen:

• Census Tract 25 Block Group 1







According to the 2000 US Census, 2,454 persons of the City’s 292,648 total population resided in the

Fruit Belt. This means, that in 1999, about .85% of the City’s population lived in the Fruit Belt.

Households

Fruit Belt households contain a much smaller proportion of married‐couple families, 6.93% of the total

household types compared to the City of Buffalo as a whole (27.6%). (See Table 3.1‐1) Additionally,

14.29% of Fruit Belt households are female householder families, indicating a significant number of

single mothers residing in the community as well as citywide (22.3%).

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Table 3.1-1 Household Types within the Fruit Belt and the City of Buffalo

City of Buffalo Fruit Belt

Total households 122,720 100% 1155 100.0%

Family households (families) 67,053 54.60% 555 47.62%

Married‐couple families 33,888 27.60% 80 6.93%

Other family

Female householder, no husband present 27,387 22.30% 165 14.29%

Non‐family households 55,667 45.40% 605 52.38

Source: 2000 US Decennial Census Data, accessed from American Factfinder, SF3 datasets

Race

The Fruit Belt is predominately more black (92.87%) than the remainder of the City (26.7%) whereas the

City of Buffalo minus the Fruit Belt is predominately more white (52.4%) than the Fruit Belt (4.20%). Put

another way, nearly 3% (2279) of the City’s black or African American population (78,180) lives within

the Fruit Belt. Nearly 2% of the Fruit Belt’s population is considered “Other” (this includes all races other

than white or African American).

Age

The population of dependent people is significant. Those aged under 18, and over 65 in the Fruit Belt

represent 45.64%, whereas the City’s dependent population represents 39.74% of the total population.

Children make up 26% of the Fruit Belt’s dependent population.

3.2 Income and Poverty

Household income reveals significant income disparities. There is an alarming percentage of households

that earned less than $25,000 annually in the Fruit Belt as well as the City. In 2000, 68.06% of the 1155

households the Fruit Belt reported incomes of under $25,000, compared to 50.7% of the 122,672

households within City of Buffalo. Whereas only 2.9% of the households in the Fruit Belt earned more

than $100,000 and 4.13% of the households within the City earned more than $100,000.

PD 508 Spring 2009 19

Fruit Belt households receiving assistant income including Social Security, Supplemental Security

Income, or public assistance is 760 (63.54%), whereas households in the City receiving aid is 57,963

(47.03%). High percentages of both low income and assistance receiving households, suggest that the

population in the Fruit Belt is low income. This is significant to providing services to the community.

3.3Education and Employment

Although the percent of those with at a high school diploma is higher in the Fruit Belt 34.53% compared

to the 29.10% of high school graduates in the City, both numbers are significantly low. In the Fruit Belt,

those who have completed higher education, in this case at least an Associate’s Degree, is 12.87%. This

number is half of the percent of the population in the City (26%) with at least an associate’s degree.

Travel time to work for those in the Fruit Belt like the City varies. Percent of those driving less than 10

minutes to work in the Fruit Belt is 8.97%, whereas it is 13.29% in the City. Percent of workers driving

more than 30 minutes to work in the Fruit Belt is 33.89% or one third of the workers; in the City, 22.89%

workers drive more than 30 minutes. This is significant due to the location of the BNMC adjacent to the

Fruit Belt, suggesting that few if any of the workers in the Fruit Belt work on the BNMC.

For males in the Fruit Belt, the most likely employment sector is manufacturing, whereas for women it is

arts, entertainment, and recreation. According to the US Census, these were the most common

employment sectors in 1999.

3.4 Housing

The US Census reports that there are 1483 total housing units in the Fruit Belt. Vacant units comprises

328 units (22.11%); owner occupied units is 467 (31.49%); and renter occupied units is 688 (46.39%).

Conversely, the 2000 US Census reports 145,574 total housing units in the City of Buffalo, 22,854 units

or 15.7% of which were vacant. The percentage of vacant units in the Fruit Belt is higher than the rest of

the City. Also significant, data indicates that nearly half of occupied housing units are renter occupied,

46.39% in the Fruit Belt and 56.5% in the City.

PD 508 Spring 2009 20

The City of Buffalo is generally comprised of a population that, according to 2000 US Census data,

exhibits characteristics of an economically distressed city. The Fruit Belt echoes this notion, and in many

cases can be considered even more distressed than the City as a whole. In particular, the statistics show

a Fruit Belt population with considerably low income levels, which result in a diminished ability to own

and/or maintain households. There are also low levels of higher educational attainment and longer

commutes to work. This suggests that fewer job opportunities are available to the workers in the Fruit

Belt and that they have to go further to obtain them. This is problematic for the community, especially

when the BNMC, a potential and growing employment center is adjacent to the community.

PD 508 Spring 2009 21

Chapter 4: Existing Plans & Potential Impacts

4.1 BNMC Master Plan

The BNMC Master Plan was completed in 2003 and is currently being updated. The master plan provides

guiding principles, including: establishing a common campus address; improving physical integration

between the campus and the surrounding neighborhoods; fostering community and economic

development opportunities; and enhancement of the open space network.

According to the plan, the Fruit Belt is considered one of the BNMC community partners, along with the

Allentown neighborhood. The guiding principle that has the most potential impact on the Fruit Belt is

the goal to improve physical integration between the campus and the surrounding neighborhoods. The

plan also lists the Fruit Belt as a community partner to include in their Healthy Community Initiative. This

will support pedestrian and bike friendly streetscapes that will encourage healthy living in the

communities of the BNMC, the Fruit Belt, and Allentown. However, much of what has been

implemented does not yet extend to the Fruit Belt.

4.2 UB 2020 Plan

As part of the UB2020 plan, the University at Buffalo has proposed the expansion of its three campuses

by the year 2020. As expansion efforts on the University’s North and South Campuses have been

enacted, problems have risen out of the proposed extension of the Buffalo‐ Niagara Medical Campus

located north of Downtown Buffalo. The proposed growth of the campus was to spark the creation of

new jobs, greater tax revenue, economic development, and improve quality of life of residents in the

surrounding community. The growth of the campus, if implemented, will result in the unfortunate

movement of residents of the Fruit Belt neighborhood in order to physically expand the campus.

4.3 City of Buffalo Comprehensive Plan

The City of Buffalo’s Comprehensive Plan was adopted by the Common Council in 2004. The plan was

created to guide Buffalo “to achieve a shared community vision” of the future. The plan identifies key

principles: Buffalo’s future development should be sustainable, integrating economic, environmental

PD 508 Spring 2009 22

and social concerns, preserving opportunities for future generations. Physical development should

follow smart growth principles that conserve resources. The plan aims to “fix the basics” and “build on

great assets”.

This plan has many implications on the Fruit Belt community. As an area of the city targeted for

redevelopment, the Fruit Belt is challenged by declining population and physical deterioration at a

greater proportion to the rest of the city. Neglect and dismay plague this residential community, and no

real strategy has emerged to revitalize this extremely dire community.

The Fruit Belt community is adjacent to one of the five areas that the City’s Comprehensive Plan denotes

as a “strategic area of investment”. This proximity puts the Fruit Belt in a good position to benefit from

the BNMC’s expansion plans, however, strides must be made to assure cooperation and collaboration

between these very different communities.

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Chapter 5 – The Importance of Community Outreach

In a meeting held on February 21, 2009 Members of the University at Buffalo, the Center for Urban

Studies, elected officials, stakeholders, and residents of the Fruit Belt gathered in a community center to

participate in a discussion about the expansion of the University at Buffalo in the Buffalo Niagara

Medical Campus. During this meeting, individuals were able to express concerns about the proposed

expansion and the lack of communication on the part of UB regarding how existing residents would be

affected. Of great concern was the displacement of residents of St. John’s Baptist Church McCarley

Gardens. Acting as moderators with the help of neighborhood residents, staff members of the Center

for Urban Studies broke residents into smaller focus groups to gather information on the concerns of

residents and how they think the community should benefit from UB’s expansion. Some of the main

concerns addressed were:

Housing

Existing residents exhibited discomfort over the eminent displacement residents would have to

experience in order for the BNMC to grow. Ideas discussed were to create a fund that could be used to

rehabilitate existing homes and defray the costs of neighborhood maintenance. Residents expressed

that new development should match the existing architecture and complement the neighborhood fabric

reminiscent of Fruit Belt buildings from its heyday. Measures should be taken to avoid flipping homes,

land speculation and gentrification of the community.

Employment

The community will look to UB and the medical campus to provide permanent living‐wage jobs for

residents of the Fruit Belt, but they would also like to see assistance for job training, internships, mentor

programs, and other programs that will promote education and schooling to elementary and high school

students within the immediate neighborhood.

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New Neighborhood Business

Residents expressed the desire for a sustainable neighborhood that would service their daily needs.

Ideas for services expansion include stores such as delis, bakeries, neighborhood grocers, and home

repair stores. Conversely, residents expressed concern over the types of new businesses that would

locate in the vicinity, identifying that they do not want stores stigmatizing with poverty such as check

cashing stores, dollar stores, and liquor stores.

Healthcare

The community expressed a desire to access the medical campus for clinical services, preventative

medical care and health educational programs. Residents can gain a great deal from the close proximity

to the medical services; teaching hospitals and medical schools can rely on community members on the

residents for work by the students. Instead of creating separate facilities for the medical campus and the

community, both would gain from the integration of a single Wellness Center that would host

employees at the medical center as well as community residents. While not necessarily healthcare, they

would also like to see programs to help being incarcerated people back into the community and to help

keep community members out of jail.

Recreational Opportunities

Similar to an integrated wellness center, the residents would like to see recreational facilities that serve

both residents and BNMC users. The residents believe that common recreational centers will foster

neighborhood growth, inclusion and create a close‐knit group of people that will promote a livable

community. Other facilities desired by the community included bowling lanes, tennis courts, baseball

diamonds and basketball courts, and a community pool. They would also like increased access to the

John Wiley Recreational Facility, namely opening the facility regularly to residents and local schools.

Moreover, residents identified that clustered vacant lots can be used a green space for safe play and

recreation.

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Infrastructure

The residents feel that by improving basic infrastructure such as streets and sidewalks, the investment

will go a long way in improving the look and morale of the area. While not looking to the medical

campus to fund streetscape improvements, help could be sought from the city and state to assist in

these improvements. Residents explained the need for better public transportation in and out of the

interior streets of the Fruit Belt. Other ideas included the construction of a recycling center and parking

restrictions to keep campus visitors from parking on the neighborhood streets. Residents also expressed

the need to establish a housing association that would regulate the upkeep of homes and property and

dictate future developmental design standards within the neighborhood.

In summary

Community input was emphasized by the idea that the University and the BNMC must interact with the

area residents in order to create an inclusive community rather than a segregated relationship between

the community and institutions. Residents want to have a renewed sense of pride in their community

that should ultimately build on based opportunities that will evolve from the expansion and

development of the BNMC. While it may seem that some residents have high expectations from the

University and the BNMC, this assumption indicates the dire need for a healthy working relationship

between the community and the existing and expanding institutions that stresses accountability and

responsible action.

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Chapter 6: Recommendations

6.1 Intro to recommendations

This document provides many goals, objectives and recommendations all predicated on neighborhood

master planning and leading up to a community benefit agreement. Meant to serve as a starting point,

the following recommendations describe some of the crucial elements necessary to effectively address

needs identified by the community and deemed important by our research team.

In research conducted by Partridge and Rickman, low‐income workers in central cities are inhibited from

moving to better opportunities due to spatial mismatch, neighborhood effects and labor and housing

discrimination. (Rickman) Simply stated, the availability of local jobs does no match skills of the local

workforce and the community exhibits an overall lack of confidence in leadership. Moreover, the

community has identified several other obstacles to the measure of quality of life in their community. To

overcome these crucial obstacles, the following recommendations aim to engage and organize the

community and empower residents to work to solve the issues they have identified in their community.

Recommendations for the Fruit Belt focus on programs and policy enacted by local, state, and federal

government in response to issues of community disinvestment. In particular, these recommendations

focus a great deal on the importance of place‐based revitalization, overall engagement and community

participation and identifying related the steps residents and stakeholders of the Fruit Belt neighborhood

can take to revitalize their community.

6.2 PlaceBased Policies

It is clear that the situation in the Fruit Belt is a wicked problem. There is no one clear solution that will

satisfy all parties involved. If planners and policy makers listened to residents and mapped their

interactions in places it would make for effective policy‐making. A growing body of urban and

community research reveals that “place matters” (Bradford). Wicked problems express the limitations in

government, so instead of “seeing like a state” they should able to “see like the community”. Being able

to see like the community helps to bridge the gap between experts, citizens, and community based

organizations. Interaction with residents of the Fruit Belt, will force BNMC to understand the

PD 508 Spring 2009 27

community. The BNMC will gain knowledge for helping the community, which will articulate links

between reform strategies and outcomes that will benefit both the medical campus and the Fruit Belt.

Knowing now that place matters, the Buffalo Niagara Medical campus should work with their

neighboring residents to strive for social inclusion, citizen rights, and create a sense of belonging not

only for those utilizing the medical campus, but also for those residing in the Fruit Belt.

6.3 Community outreach

Community Participation

Historically, planners rarely involved those living in communities in the planning process. Stemming from

the Civil Rights movement is the recognition that community participation is vastly important. This new

phenomenon would allow residents to be part of the planning process of neighborhoods and for the

growth of Community Based Housing Organizations (CBHO’s). However, the role of the citizen has been

restricted in CBHO decision‐ making due to limited resources and lack of government incentives in

community participation. Expanding citizen participation will produce local policies that are more

responsive to residents. Citizen participation is then argued as being important in efforts to promote

urban development patterns that are stable and equitable (Silverman).

The scope of citizen participation has been extremely limited in Buffalo’s community‐based housing

organizations (CBHOs). Citizen participation has been hammered by broadly defined service boundaries

of CBHOs, which diluted the visibility of the city’s most distressed neighborhoods in discussions of

affordable housing, the lack of grassroots organizations within the City of Buffalo, the narrow range of

techniques used to bring people into the process of administering housing programs, the narrow scope

of historic citizen participation requirements, and the lack of funding, which makes attention to

programs more urgent than community organizing. The lack of citizen participation forced local

administrators to mandate residential participation on CBHO governing boards, but there is a lack of

enforcement. As stressed by residents in the Fruit Belt, they feel there needs to be more open

communication with the University. However, there is a lack of residential leadership to spearhead a

campaign to promote he growth of the Fruit Belt through their initiatives. Since community participation

has been lacking throughout Buffalo, community decision‐ making has become highly professionalized.

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In order to promote a sustainable community in which the Fruit Belt residents will not be displaced, a

neighborhood governance structure should be adopted. Neighborhood governance strategies will

promote the development of grassroots agenda setting, creating new public‐ private partnership

organizations (Silverman).

6.4 Community Reinvestment

The Community Reinvestment Act

Established by Congress in 1977, after activists in Chicago brought attention to the poor lending

standards of financial institutions to low‐income neighborhoods and racial minorities, the Community

Reinvestment Act requires that deposit‐taking financial institutions offer equal access to investment and

services to areas at least five miles away from each branch. In the case of larger banks, the area being

covered must incorporate an entire county or even the entire state. Since being passed in the 1970’s the

Community Reinvestment Act has been used in the United States to win billions of dollars towards

lending, investments, and community services.

Application of the CRA

According to information provided on the Policy Link website, access to credit and financial services is

critical to communities. The Community reinvestment is one of several tools communities should utilize

to secure loans for home construction, establishing neighborhood businesses, and for supporting

neighborhood institutions. The CRA secures community access to the banking system.

The bank implementing the CRA examines the financial safety and soundness of a community. This

allows for an open dialogue between banks and the neighborhood in which they provide capital and

financial service to. Although banks are required to reinvest in local communities it is still up to the

community to make a case for itself on why investment is necessary. Community organizations should

prepare themselves with necessary data and be able to convince banks of the financial gains they will

reap if they commit to a partnership.

With the establishment of the CRA, community organizations have been able to win increased

investment, charitable loans, and gain significant access to loans and financial services. The

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establishment of the Community Reinvestment Act has increased the commitment of banks for

community funding to over $1 trillion dollars and has significantly made changes in policies within the

banking system. The advocacy practices of the Community Reinvestment Act impacted banking practices

and fostered a change in the perception of the media and the public in support for equal access to

capital and financial services.

In 1999, Congress passed the Gramm‐Lead‐Bliley legislation, which give banks the opportunity to gain

ownership of insurance companies, mutual funds, and other financial institutions. The results after

passing this bill has encouraged institutions to grow larger, raising questions on how banks could ensure

they would be able to provide assistance to low‐ income neighborhoods and racial minorities. In order

to secure the necessary funding from local banks as they become part of larger institutions,

neighborhoods and communities will need to create Community‐ Based Organizations (CBO’s) that will

advocate for the continuous use of the Community Reinvestment Act.

In Policy Link’s explanation of a Community Reinvestment Act, they have a section dedicated to keeping

local accountability of banks. It offers certain implications on the effects local banks being purchased by

outside financial institutions will have on local communities.

• The more banking becomes national, rather than local, and contains multiple

business ventures, the more difficult it is for the local communities to persuade

financial institutions to focus on neighborhood needs.

• The more bank corporations expand to include other financial sectors, the more

investors they have to answer to, and typically, deliver high profits to, as quickly as

possible. This keeps lending focused on short-term bottom line and not on long-term

community needs.

The CRA , The Fruit Belt & Community Participation

There are several ways to use apply the CRA to serve the Fruit Belt’s residential needs. As identified in

Chapter 5, the major concerns of residents exhibited the need for youth programs, job opportunities,

crime prevention and residential stability. To effectively establish the needs of the community, more

work must be done to engage residents and receive feedback. Conducting surveys, holding meetings

and providing opportunities for residents to submit ideas and comments would increase the support for

PD 508 Spring 2009 30

BNMC expansion by involving residents in the decision making process. Following this important

outreach, data analysis and a review of loan practices within the neighborhood would establish the

current financial climate for the Fruit Belt. Finally, organizations within the community and those who

advocate on behalf of the Fruit Belt need to review the data in planned community meetings, where

information is presented for the residents to understand, but also to give feedback on what they also

feel the need of the community is.

After establishing the needs of the Fruit Belt, the next step would be to identify the current practices of

financial institutions and see if they meet the criteria set up by the CRA. Determine community,

investment, and service needs. Within the Fruit Belt neighborhood it is clear that there is lack of

investment from financial institutions. In this case advocacy planning will be a major driving force to

creating links between banks and the neighborhood and allow for more investment in the Fruit Belt.

According to Allan Heskin, advocacy planning was a response to the urban crisis of the 1960’s, built on

the failure of urban renewal and the growing popularity of citizen participation. Advocacy planners

sought to address the problems faced by racial minorities living in dilapidating conditions due to hyper‐

segregation and blatant neglect.

The major key to success for the Fruit Belt neighborhood would be to define clear‐cut goals for the

community so that lending institutions will be more likely to consider and lend in the neighborhood. To

ensure its growth, the Fruit Belt should create alliances with reputable community‐based organizations

in the City of Buffalo in order to run a successful community reinvestment campaign. One way that the

community can begin to establish alliances and promote community reinvestment is with the help of a

national organization known as Policy Link. Policy Link involves itself in a variety of efforts to build

meaningful, mutually beneficial partnerships between institutions and disadvantaged communities

located near their campuses. They try to ensure that community engagement is thoroughly embedded

in the practices and policies of universities and colleges.

M&T Bank & The Fruit Belt

The Fruit Belt is contained in the Jefferson Area Banking Development District. This district is under the

watch of M&T Bank. This bank has already become involved with its local neighborhood. In 2006, M&T

aided the St. John Fruit Belt Community Development Corporation with their Townhomes project. They

PD 508 Spring 2009 31

have given financial support as well as financing residential mortgages to single‐family owner‐occupied

housing.

M&T had also created a citywide initiative in the 2006‐2007 school year to teach high school students

how to manage their money. This is an Internet based program which M&T partnered up with the

University at Buffalo’s School of Management to create. This technical knowledge can be helpful in

making smart financial choices when these students grow older.

Since the bank and the Fruit Belt neighborhood already have a working relationship, community building

may not be much of an issue. M&T should provide their financial training to the residents of this

neighborhood as an addition to the services that the BNMC and the University are offering.

6.5 Schools as a Center of the Community

A study performed by a unique team of nonprofit organizations provides evidence of the demand for

school expansion, renovation and overhaul across the country, noting that many American schools are

crowded, have fallen into disrepair and have been deeply affected by economic recession in the 1990’s.

The National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities and The KnowledgeWorks Foundation have

collaborated with several other nonprofit organizations to develop a guide for planning and designing

communities around their respective educational facilities. Attempting to find a creative way to

rejuvenate schools and communities concurrently, Schools as Centers of Community: A Citizen’s Guide

for Planning and Design (2003) identifies the importance of an integrated school system that effectively

supports residential needs. This document highlights engagement and citizen participation as the

foundation of success for a successfully integrated learning experience, pointing out that “schools make

a difference when they serve as centers of community.” Blank et al (2003) identified four major areas of

improvement driven by schools serving as the center of community.

• Student learning‐ Students demonstrate significant gains in academic achievement and in

essential areas of nonacademic development

• School effectiveness‐ Parent teacher relationships are stronger and teacher satisfaction is

higher. There is a more positive school environment and broader community support

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• Family engagement‐ Families show greater stability. Parents communicate more often with

teachers, are more involved in school activities, and demonstrate a greater sense of

responsibility for their children’s learning success

• Community vitality‐ Surrounding neighborhoods enjoy increased security, heightened

community pride and better rapport among students and residents. The schools themselves are

more intensively used.

(National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities 2003)

This model places emphasis on the role of the school and designing the school’s future around the entire

community’s needs, while capitalizing on community engagement to determine exactly what those

needs might be. Because the Fruit Belt community is currently in transition and because a large

proportion of the population is dependant (i.e. school‐aged or senior‐aged), Fruit Belt community

schools and other public buildings have potential to fit into this model and serve the community at a

greater capacity. Area school programming could be increased to serve older adult programs in the

evening and on weekends and school facilities could be utilized to hold community functions and

activities. By activating school sites and public buildings beyond normal business hours, the Fruit Belt

community can effectively increase security and furthermore provide a renewed sense of ownership in

neighborhood institutions.

Moreover and in response to enrollment increases and deteriorating school building conditions, Buffalo

is amidst a comprehensive school renovation project that includes additions and improvements to many

east Buffalo schools. While this immense project comes full circle to improve the quality of education

provided publicly to city residents, much of the improvements only impact the physical aspects of our

education system. The Fruit Belt community residents should work to engage their neighborhood

schools, look to increase activities held on school grounds and capitalize on the immense resources a

local school can provide for its neighbors. A reference for Schools as Centers of Community: A Citizen’s

Guide for Planning and Design can be found in the reference section of this document.

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6.6 The Network of Existing NPOs

The following section describes some of the existing organizations supporting community needs within

the City of Buffalo.

Fruit Belt Neighborhood Advisory Council

The Neighborhood Advisory Council is made up residents of the Fruit Belt who operate under a set of

their own by‐laws. The NAC works closely with the CAO by through an Overall Advisory Council made up

of representatives from each NAC. They express their needs to the CAO.

Community Action Organization

The Community Action Organization is the main antipoverty agency in Erie County. The Community

Action Organization provides services to families during times of emergency, provides employment

training, and housing development. It encourages residents to actively participate in changing their

neighborhood.

Friendly Fruit Belt Block Club

The Friendly Fruit Belt Block Club has a network of community gardens linked by parks and playgrounds.

The president of this block club has lead an active organization aimed at the overall revitalization of

their neighborhood. This club has been actively working BNMC to clean up their community.

Other Organizations

The City of Buffalo has a plethora of community‐based and nonprofit organizations that have worked

well in dealing with neighborhood revitalization. Heart of the City, Massachusetts Avenue Project, PUSH,

and Buffalo ReUse, while largely basing their efforts on the west side of the city, have aided in successful

revitalization efforts that come from grassroots organization. The knowledge, energy and leadership

that these organizations exhibit should serve as an example of how residents can work together to

achieve common goals.

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The east side of Buffalo has several organizations in its own right that have fostered activism and

engagement likewise. These organizations should look to each other to form partnerships and create

networks to increase capacity and rebuild communities that are inclusive and service a wide base of

needs.

By creating a network of community‐based organizations, time and money is saved. Sharing information

and resources can speed up the process of achieving the goals of these nonprofits. The Fruit Belt should

take the initiative to apply and adapt best practices used by groups within the City.

6.7 Extension of Existing Programs

East Side Neighborhood Transformation

The East‐Side Neighborhood Transformation Partnership (ESNTP) is a partnership between the Center

for Urban Studies at the University at Buffalo and the existing Community Action Organization (CAO).

This partnership seeks to transform the Fruit Belt as well as the Martin Luther King Jr. neighborhoods

into physically as well as socially healthy communities. The ESNTP employs a community centered

planning process by providing the communities with the technical support they need to rebuild their

communities.

Locust Street Arts Program

The Locust Street Arts Program is an asset that is already in the Fruit Belt neighborhood in which an art

partnership can be made. The organization provides free art classes taught by professionals to anyone

between the ages of 4 and 21 who is willing to learn. It has been around for fifty years teaching

neighborhood children the values of art. Teens who are serious about their creations have their own

independent studios.

BFNC Moot Senior Center

On the other end of the spectrum, Older Americans can utilize the BFNC Moot Senior Center on High

Street. This program lets seniors socialize and stresses an active independent lifestyle. Transportation is

provided to take members grocery shopping as well as fitness programs and health workshops. Daily

PD 508 Spring 2009 35

lunches are served. This center is an all‐encompassing important asset to the neighborhood’s older

members and should be built upon using the BNMC’s resources to health care.

6.8 The Role of the FaithBased Organizations

Faith Based Organizations have a lot of functions in the Fruit Belt. They are places where people go to

worship and congregate. The Fruit Belt has many of these organizations located within its boundaries.

St. John's Baptist Church has had a large influence on the Fruit Belt neighborhood. Over 82 years of

service to the Fruit Belt, it has spent $34 million in neighborhood. Dr. Michael Chapman, the Pastor of

St. John's, created the St. John Fruit Belt Community Development Corporation in 2003. This corporation

has produced new subsidized housing and town homes for residents in the neighborhood. The St. John

Baptist Hospice Buffalo House opened in 2008 and was the first faith‐based community facility providing

hospice care in the nation.

Although St. John's Baptist Church has been a driving force for the Fruit Belt, the other faith‐based

organizations are equally important. The neighborhood should make sure that each religious

organization has an equal voice in the community building process. Partnerships between all faith‐based

organizations should be promoted. The benefits to these partnerships are the easing of the burdens of

hosting community wide events and making the neighborhood's political voice heard.

6.9 Community Benefit Agreement

Background

In terms of growth and expansion of the BNMC into the Fruit Belt area, it is within the best interest of

the community members to ensure their wants and needs are incorporated into any and all planning

efforts. It can be easy for a developer to overlook the needs of the community in an effort of financial

and personal attainment. This is where a relatively new planning technique, the Community Benefit

Agreement (CBA), is brought into play. As described by the AFLCIO, a CBA is a “legally‐enforceable,

project‐specific, contract” that is negotiated between a community and developer that name specific

benefits from a project to the community, in exchange for the support of the community of the

PD 508 Spring 2009 36

proposed development. Crafters of CBA’s consider this written document to be an essential tool for a

community not being neglected by a developer.

An argument exists that because large amounts of taxpayer dollars are allocated to Economic

Development projects, the taxpayers should reap benefits from the growth, but in actuality these

“projects produce mixed results for the existing communities” and standards for urban redevelopment

and developer accountability remain inconsistent. (Ibid). CBA’s respond to this by acting as a tool that

communities use to require that developers include amenities and benefits to the neighborhoods they

affect. The CBA is used to create specific benefits, financial and non‐financial, for a community that will

be affected by growth and development. In return, the community often times publicly endorses and

recommends that other profile leaders support the development project with the included benefit

agreement.

The first noted CBA was negotiated in 1998 in Hollywood, California for the development of the

Hollywood and Highland Center, better known as the Kodak Theater and adjoining retail complex. The

private developer Trizec Properties leased the land from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit

Authority for the development of an entertainment and retail complex that would play a large role in

the redevelopment of Hollywood Boulevard. While an attempt to revitalize a somewhat neglected area,

or as neglected Hollywood can be, the local communities feared additional traffic congestion, increased

crime, possibly environmental factors and the complex fitting in with local aesthetics. With the city

offering close to $100 million in subsidies, the community felt that their needs should be understood

and met by the private‐public partnership.

A CBA was formed and signed by all parties. Benefits to the public included traffic improvements

financed by the developer, a hiring plan to utilize locals as a first‐source, a policy of union‐neutrality, and

a stipulation that ensures all workers within the center be paid a living‐wage, (Wolf‐Powers). In response

to these agreements, almost 70% of the initial employees of the complex were recruited from the

immediate area and almost half of the permanent positions provide living‐wages, (Salkin). Because

these agreements were made and goals met, the community supported the project, which became a

useful attainment to the developer, as it was seeking government subsidies for the project.

PD 508 Spring 2009 37

There are many critics who see downsides to CBA’s, however. Community members in opposition to the

proposed Atlantic Yard Sports and entertainment complex in New York City criticized the CBA because

they believe that “the eight‐member coalition did not adequately represent the needs of the Brooklyn

Community,”(Atlantic Yards CBA Press Release). Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani criticized

CBA‐like arrangements as “distorting the planning process through buying off opponents,” (Erik

Engquist). No matter what views exist, the most beneficial argument is that economic development

needs to utilize new processes such as CBA’s to ensure that all investment will create sustainable and

significant benefits to the community as a whole.

Precedents

Ideas can be extracted from existing community benefit documents from across the country to be used

as a basis for any proposed agreement between the Fruit Belt neighborhood and the institutions that

comprise the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. While the actual implementation of any agreement has

to be based on the existing conditions and surroundings of that area, ideas like those listed below can be

interpreted and manipulated to create positive conditions in the Fruit Belt.

One Hill Coalition Agreement – Pittsburgh, PA

Community groups, residents, unions, and religious organizations joined together to form the One Hill

Coalition. This organization was formed to leverage the wants and needs of the community against the

City of Pittsburgh, Sports and Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, the Urban

Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh, and the Pittsburgh Penguins who were taking over property in a

blighted section of the Hill District Community for the construction of a new hockey arena for the

Pittsburgh Penguins. The groups entered into a Community Benefits Agreement in August 2008 that

provided benefits for all parties including:

• The Penguins agreed to pay $500,000 a year for six to 12 years for a Neighborhood Partnership Program,

focused on development and social services such as treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. The county

would conduct a two‐year review of social services.

• $1 million each from the Penguins and the city's Urban Redevelopment Authority for a Hill District grocery

store. Kuhn's, a locally owned chain of eight supermarkets, has proposed a full‐service grocery at Centre

PD 508 Spring 2009 38

Avenue and Dinwiddie Street, and Save‐A‐Lot, based in St. Louis, has proposed a smaller discount

operation at the same location.

• A First Source Employment Center that will give neighborhood residents the first chance to apply for jobs

created at the arena and through redevelopment of the 28‐acre Mellon Arena site. The city and Allegheny

County agreed to provide $150,000 a year for at least two years to start the program. The Penguins

agreed to create jobs that pay wages of $12 to $30 an hour plus benefits.

• The creation of a master planning committee that has until Feb. 19, 2010, to come up with guidelines for

development of the Hill District and Uptown. The committee would include four people appointed by One

Hill and five by local officials, although no decision would take effect if more than two people vote against

it. The Penguins agreed not to submit development plans for the Mellon Arena site until after this process

ends, although the team could build a hotel near the arena.

• The city, county and URA agreed to work with Pittsburgh YMCA to build a community center in the

neighborhood.

(Agreement facts extracted from www.communitybenefits.org)

Oak to 9th Community Benefits Coalition – Oakland, CA

A coalition consisting of Urban Strategies Council, Asian Pacific Environmental Network, Easy Bay Asian

Youth Center, and St. Anthony’s Catholic Church organized to make sure the Oakland waterfront

community would benefit from a 64 acre development project that would create homes and retail in

what was noted as the biggest project in Oakland since World War II. Based on town hall meetings that

posed the question of “who benefits from development?” and community participation efforts on part

of the coalition, community priorities were formed that included affordable housing and job access for

low income families. In 2006 the CBA was entered upon with the coalition and developers that included

benefits such as:

• 465 units of housing affordable to families earning $50,000 or less (considered very low‐ and extremely

low‐income households)

• A majority of units will be family sized 2‐3 bedroom units.

• Worked with the Oak to 9th Community Benefits Coalition to also win a pipeline into good paying

construction careers for 300 Oakland residents, with an emphasis on local neighborhood residents.

• Jobs will be filled by Oakland residents just starting their apprentice hours in construction.

PD 508 Spring 2009 39

• $1.65 million contribution by the developer will go to construction job training to address the specific

workforce barriers faced by immigrants and former prisoners re‐entering the workforce.

• Heavy monetary penalties for non‐compliance.


Bronx Terminal Market CBA – Bronx, NY

A Task Force Coalition comprised of representatives appointed by the Bronx Borough President and the

New York City Council Bronx Delegation, representatives of local minority and women organizations,

and stakeholders in the Bronx community formed to create a CBA between the coalition and the

developer of the Bronx Terminal Market, which is the redevelopment of a blighted area in the Bronx into

a retail center and market along the Harlem River waterfront. Under the agreement, the developer has

agreed to provide $3 million dollars towards the funding of certain recruiting, training and

business/apprenticeship programs, as well as benefits that are divided into a construction and post

construction period.

Construction:

• Workforce development, including trade apprenticeship programs

• Bronx ‐based business and minority/women‐owned business development

• “Buy Bronx” program, which encourages the purchase of construction materials from Bronx‐based

suppliers.

Post Construction:

• First source hiring program operated through a non‐exclusive referral system to Gateway tenants

• Post‐construction commercial retail space set aside

• Post‐construction service contract goals.


The CBA calls for the administration of the benefits package through the “Gateway Fast Track Unit” and

the appointment of a Program Administrator, who is principally responsible for implementing and

monitoring the community benefits program and who reports back to the coalition.

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CBA’s in Practice

One Hill Coalition

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s first Community Benefit Agreement was negotiated in August 2008 between

the One Hill Coalition and the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Sports and Exhibition Authority, the Pittsburgh

Urban Development Authority, the City of Pittsburgh, and Allegheny County. The One Hill Coalition is a

grass‐roots community organization in a heavily minority‐populated and impoverished area within the

Hill District neighborhood of the City of Pittsburgh.

In the 1950’s ground broke on the now called Mellon Arena, the current home of the Pittsburgh

Penguins where construction displaced hundreds of families in the Hill District, a high minority rate

neighborhood thus beginning the decline of the neighborhood leading to its present status as a highly

impoverished area. In recent years, a deal has been reached to build a new multi‐purpose arena on

property adjacent to the existing arena. Fearful of the repercussions that may exist and possible future

displacement that may exist, community members of the Hill District got together to form the One Hill

Coalition to fight the process and appeal to local leaders for help in revitalizing the area. Believing that

the City of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Penguins didn’t have the interests of local community

members in mind, the One Hill Coalition filed a lawsuit to appeal the Pittsburgh Planning Board’s

approval of the arena and area design.

Community leaders wanted to ensure that the Hill District would not be shorthanded in the

development of a new public‐private funded area and would actually benefit from the services and

amenities being put into place, thus devising a plan to create the region’s first CBA. After a year of

negotiations and stalled deliberations, the involved organizations came forth with a signed document

that was agreed upon by all parties. This was cited as being the “historic first step [that] begins the

process of ensuring that major economic development projects provide concrete benefits to the

communities where they are located,” (One Hill Fact Sheet).

The Hill District CBA includes over $8 million in monetary resources, plus many non‐financial benefits

that will be influential in creating a driven and prosperous community. These benefits include “a

community‐driven Master Development Plan, a commitment that Hill District residents will have first

priority for jobs that are created in connection with the development of the Arena and adjoining area,

PD 508 Spring 2009 41

and a commitment that those jobs will pay family sustaining wages.”(One Hill CBA). The Urban

Redevelopment Authority will fund a Master Development Plan for the Hill District that occurs between

August 2008 and February 2010. During this time period, the Penguins and City may not put forth any

development plans for and after this time period, any future developments must exist within the

outcomes of the Hill District Master Development Plan.

Also in the agreement, the County will conduct a multi‐year review of existing social services in the Hill

District and will use this review to identify inefficiencies and gaps that exist. The City and County will

partially fund and work with community officials to open an employment center that can be utilized to

connect Hill District residents with ‘family sustaining jobs’, as well as give first opportunities to Hill

District residents for jobs created by the redevelopment of the site of the existing arena. The Pittsburgh

Penguins will provide and partially fund a Neighborhood Partnership Program that can provide up to “$6

million to support community and economic development, education and youth services, preservation

and green spaces and drug, alcohol, and mental health services in the Hill District,” (ONE HILL CBA). The

Penguins and the URA will provide $1 million each for the development of a grocery store within the Hill

District for the benefit of the community.

In return for the benefits to the community, One Hill Coalition agreed to withdraw its lawsuit and appeal

to the planning board for the design approval, and agreed to not sue to stop future development as long

as all future development coincides with the principles of the Master Development Plan and community

officials are involved in the planning process. A Steering Committee made of four individuals appointed

by One Hill and five appointed by public officials will oversee the implementation of this CBA and report

to the community and all stakeholders.

City of New Haven & Yale

In June 2006, a Community Benefit Agreement was entered upon between the City of New Haven,

Connecticut and Yale‐New Haven Hospital, Inc. Based on the construction of a new cancer center by Yale

University and the surrounding community’s objection, a coalition of twenty‐two community groups,

unions, and faith‐based organizations formed Community Organized for Responsible Development

(CORD). In return for the benefits agreed upon, the community supported the construction of the cancer

research center, which was necessary for approval by the city.

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When made aware of the proposed cancer research institute, community organizers feared of increased

traffic and parking problems, redevelopment without input, environmental issues, labor‐force issues,

and the gentrification of the local community. In order to garner support from the community, hospital

officials portrayed the plan as the route to “making [the neighborhood] safer and more economically

productive,” (Salkin). Since the community knew that this economic development would occur through

pushing out low‐income residents who could no longer afford to live in an up and coming neighborhood,

the community came together to fight the university and hospital. While using the Hollywood and

Highland Complex CBA as a model, the Yale CBA is different in that it is deal with the City of New Haven

who is representing the community as a whole. Yale was hesitant to enter into this agreement at first

but was highly encouraged by a resolution by the Board of Alderman seeking the benefits of the

community.

Agreements include Community Outreach Coordinators through a $150,000 investment by Yale to assist

families with uninsured children to ensure they receive proper care. They will also provide traffic

improvements for their immediate campus and assist with parking enforcement in regards to visitors

parking on or near property of private residents. A Citizens Advisory Committee will be formed to meet

regularly to meet and discuss and problems or activities between the hospital and the community.

Requirements had to have been met in regards to employment standards and focusing employment of

local residents and community members first and foremost.

The hospital will pay the City of New Haven $1.2 million over four years to be used solely at the

discretion of the city for housing and economic development in the neighborhoods surrounding the

hospital. The hospital will also provide $100,000 for at least five years to form “career ladder programs

that will allow Yale New Haven employees employed in entry level non‐healthcare positions and 100

residents from the neighborhoods surrounding the campus, the opportunity to enter the healthcare

field,” (Yale CBA). The community gained many amenities while focusing on the betterment of the

community as a whole. The outreach programs are beneficial to the community as they provide medical

care to uninsured children and host a clinic for children suffering from asthma. In return for the benefits

bequeathed upon the neighboring communities, the City of New Haven gave its full support of the

project and the developer and allowed the planning process to continue through the necessary

channels.

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A Community Benefit Agreement can be a very beneficial tool in ensuring the best interests of a

community are taken into consideration during planning. While often overshadowed, two sides exist to

the agreement, that is, both sides make sacrifices and deals. In regards to the University at Buffalo‐

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus expansion into the fruit belt, if a CBA comes to fruition, sacrifices and

bargains will have to be made on both sides for a true benefits agreement to work. Using the input for

community members and ideas from previous CBA’s it is possible to make recommendations for the

Fruit Belt community to take to the bargaining table with the University and Buffalo and BNMC.

Steps to a CBA

In her writing Understanding Community Benefit Agreements: Opportunities and Traps for Developers,

Municipalities, and Community Organizations, Patricia Salkin outlines a checklist of issues to review in

considering the use of a CBA. She states that it is necessary to identify the underlying issues that exist

between the developer and community group. This checklist, more‐so an inventory of issues, includes

questions on the parties involved, benefits, and remedies. Her checklist consists of the following

questions broken into the above mentioned categories.

Parties

• What are the obligations of the developer? The community coalition? Individual agencies within the

coalition?

• Is the municipality a party to the agreement?

• What has the authority to speak for or sign for each party?

Benefits

• What are the benefits to all involved parties?

• Is a needs assessment or study required (relevant to environmental benefits)?

• What is the scope of the developers’ responsibility or financial obligation?

• When does it begin and how long does it last?

• Does the obligation transfer to subsequent project owners, or other third parties such as sub‐contractors

or on‐site vendors?

• What is the implementation process and timeline?

PD 508 Spring 2009 44

• Will an individual agency or committee be responsible for the oversight?

• How will the process be monitored?

• How often will reports be made?

• Is there a process to amend the terms of the benefit or program?

Remedies

• What constitutes a breach on the part of the developer?

• What constitutes a breach on the part of the community?

• What are the remedies in the event of a breach?

• Are the remedies specific to each benefit?

• What type of notice is required before relief is sought?

• Will the right to request specific performances be included?

• Is equitable relief permitted in the event of an irreparable injury?

• Who is responsible for attorney’s fees in the event of a court action?

• Will the other clauses of a CBA remain in effect in the event of a breach?

• Are there any intended third‐party beneficiaries?

This inventory is necessary to make sure all parties are on the same page in regards to the proposed

benefits agreement. Since it is a legally enforceable and binding document, a CBA must be prepared by

legal counsel of all parties. Because all agreements are set up differently based on the different factors

in play within each community including but not limited to the actors, present conditions, and financial

obligations, it is impossible to have a universal template for CBA’s. However, based on other CBA’s from

across the country, a proposed agreement should be based on a format similar to:

Fruit Belt Community Benefit Agreement

• Parties Involved:

• Background and Introduction:

• Definitions and Meanings of Terms:

• General Provision/Agreement Overview of General Terms:

o Section 1: Term 1

o Section 2: Term 2, etc

• Enforcement:

• Signature of all Parties and Witnesses:

PD 508 Spring 2009 45

Implementation

Much like the One Hill Coalition in Pittsburgh, the Fruit Belt community can require that the University

and BNMC fully fund a master plan for the entire community to create an end vision for the

redevelopment of the area. In doing so, the planning community involved in the redevelopment will be

able to assess the current conditions and go deeper into the wants and needs of the residents while

creating a vision and path for the future. Except for the immediate construction of buildings within the

BNMC, a moratorium can be placed on new construction within the Fruit Belt until the Master Plan is

finished in order to make sure all new development fits within the desired constraints of the Master

Plan.

For the Fruit Belt residents to ensure the terms of the agreement are being followed, community

members should establish a ‘coalition’ that will be tasked to “monitor and enforce the agreement and to

maintain a dialogue between the community and the developers,” (Salkin). To use Pittsburgh case study

as a guide for implementation in the Fruit Belt, the coalition should include the existing neighborhood

non‐profit and religious organizations that have already formed a base and a cause for existence. These

groups can organize a wide array of residents that can come together to form a coalition based on the

causes and initiatives of the communities. Within the coalition, an advisory committee should serve as

the voice of the coalition to city officials and representatives of UB and BNMC. The separate

neighborhood organizations can still exist to serve their respective missions while the coalition will act

as a single entity, acting in the interest of the community collectively.

PD 508 Spring 2009 46

6.10 Recommended Programs – CBA Components

Assuming the BNMC, the University and the Fruit Belt will work towards a community benefit

agreement, the following section identifies programs that would mutually benefit the involved parties in

various ways. Each program is intended to support the betterment of the community as well as the

success of the University’s and BNMC’s growth. It is important to keep in mind that these ideas were

developed out of suggestions voiced at the community meeting as well as research done by our team of

students. While these ideas are well‐rounded and thoughtful, they were not wholly developed in the

traditional spirit of a community benefit agreement, where programs and actions would come directly

from community members and involved parties.

Implementation of the following ideas and programs will necessitate action from the University, the

BNMC and community residents as a united team working towards revitalization and growth.

Collaboration and communication predicate the success of these programs, and with cooperation these

ideas mutually benefit each stakeholder in many ways.

We have identified ten main subject areas for programs to be founded upon. Table 6.10‐1 illustrates

their overall benefits and requirements and the following section describes each program individually.

Figures 6.10‐2 and 6.10‐2 truly illustrate noble visions of the Fruit Belt’s future based on our

recommendations.

PD 508 Spring 2009 47

chart placeholder – prolly 11x17 fold out

Table 10-1 Benefits of Recommended Programs

Program Fruit Belt University at Buffalo BNMC

Note: A comprehensive chart is available in the Appendix

PD 508 Spring 2009 48

Table placeholder

Figure 6.10‐2 Fruit Belt 2020

Figure 6.10‐3 Quality of Life Elements for the Future

PD 508 Spring 2009 51

A Successful Community Center

The Fruit Belt is the only neighborhood in the City of Buffalo without a cohesive community center. In

working together with the University at Buffalo, Fruit Belt residents should secure neighborhood

property to house an active and accessible community center. This will provide the community with

standard services including a place for the neighborhood to hold meetings, after school programs for the

Fruit Belt’s children, and recreational space for the residents to play, exercise, and congregate.

Arts

In December of 2005, the BNMC received a grant from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Active Living

by Design (ALbD) program. The BNMC’s proposed “ArtScape” project aimed to strategically integrate art

into the ongoing infrastructure, landscape and streetscape improvement projects. The funds were

targeted to acquire and maintain high quality public art to be places in strategic areas, adding a unique

urban design element to the BNMC campus. The BNMC's plan for public art aims to improve and enrich

the public environment utilizing art to physically enhance the overall image of the campus and

contribute to the well being of its users.

Quality public art installations will beautify the community, draw visitors to the area and renew pride of

residents. As a good neighbor, the BMNC should foster beautification programs immediately to restore

pride and sense of place to the Fruit Belt community. The Fruit Belt community should have an

increased opportunity to play a role in the beautification process by utilizing and expanding on programs

already in place. In conjunction with the Locust Street Arts program, the BNMC should come to an

agreement to fully implement their public arts project or an expanded public arts project that highlights

local artists and places art within the Fruit Belt community.

PD 508 Spring 2009 52

Terms of this public arts agreement may include

• A defined installation and commission plan with strategic locations for art to be placed both permanently

and temporarily throughout the Fruit Belt neighborhood

• Development of a board including Fruit Belt leadership and BMNC arts programmers to decide who, what,

when and where.

• An agreement stating that art will come from all directions ‐ local students, residents, anyone who is

willing and able to create, install, drop off or display public art that the "commission" or "board" deems

appropriate to install

• Measures for Fruit Belt leadership to participate and comply with existing or expanded BNMC program i.e

assistance moderating art installation, maintenance and set up

• Assistance from UB for marketing and promoting installation and art‐related events i.e. radio advertising

on WBNY, printed advertising in UB publications, etc

Benefits of this program would include

• A beautiful, artistic and unique Fruit Belt community where people can visit, view and reflect on public art

• A tranquil and pleasing environment for residents, visitors, patients and workers to enjoy an sunny

afternoon walk

• A potential increase in image and property value

• A cohesive public arts program that bridges the Fruit Belt and BNMC outdoor environment; a program

that increases the flow of urban design from the BNMC into the neighborhood

• A venue for local artists and UB students to unveil and install artwork

Music

The musical history of the Fruit Belt is rich and varied. A space to connect the workers of the BNMC and

the Fruit Belt neighborhood should be provided to hold outdoor concerts. These concerts would

highlight the music that has its roots in the African American history of Buffalo. By hosting a concert

series, connections to the greater Western New York Community can be made to the Fruit Belt. This

musical program can attract people into the neighborhood that will spend money locally.

Funding could come from a partnership with the M&T Bank as well as the BNMC itself. The University of

Buffalo could provide students to perform from their music department as well as their Steppe Troope.

PD 508 Spring 2009 53

These institutions all benefit because of the unique types of music that will be performed at the

concerts.

The concert series can have a rotating theme of music each event. These genres include Jazz

(exemplifying the music of Dr. Lonnie Smith amongst others), Funk (Rick James), R&B (Dyke and the

Blazers, Donnie Elbert), Soul (Mr. Soulspectacular Jimmie Raye, Darrell Banks), Blues (Lucky Peterson,

Count Rabbit) and Hip Hop and Rap performed by local artists.

Job Training

If UB will be providing living‐wage jobs to the Fruit Belt, these residents will have to be properly trained

and prepared for the new venture. Located on Goodell Street in the newly purchased Gateway Building

by the University, the Buffalo Employment and Training Center will be a great asset to the community in

which it exists. By expanding and marketing the existing services and the current employment and

training programs offered, efforts will go a long way in increasing the percentage of workers living above

the poverty line and earning more dispensable income dollars that will circulate throughout Buffalo, and

more specifically the Fruit Belt. UB will benefit by being supported by a skilled staff that is local and has

a stake in the success of BNMC.

Entrepreneurial Expansion

Small Business Plan Assistance

It is important for the residents within the Fruit Belt to be given the opportunity to provide for their

community. Residents with entrepreneurial spirit should be given assistance to write business plans and

decipher loan processes. Technical assistance could be provided by UB’s Master’s of Business

Administration students, business professionals working with the BNMC or by extending existing

programs found within the region. There is a distinct lack of services within the Fruit Belt community

that causes many residents and workers to leave the neighborhood for simple errands such as dry

cleaning, beauty treatments, take out lunches and even groceries. The BNMC and UB should work

together to solicit local small business owners to provide the service needs of staff, residents and

students. Moreover, these institutions should provide meeting and classroom space for small business

PD 508 Spring 2009 54

education and financial seminars. This recommendation goes in had with the following incubator

component.

Business Incubators

Interested Fruit Belt entrepreneurs would submit a business plan to a UB committee consisting of

faculty of the Business and Management Schools. Five business plans would be selected to take part in

the business incubator program. Once selected, the entrepreneurs would commit to a free 1‐year

program to take place in a UB owned building, the “incubator” where they will learn business

management skills, resources, and services to successfully build their business. Upon graduating from

the program, the entrepreneurs will be given a stipend and provided with space in a UB owned building

along one of the old commercial corridors of the Fruit Belt. After a year, they would have to move their

business elsewhere to make room for the next graduating class of the business incubator. Ideally, they

would move to another building along the Fruit Belt commercial corridors. This process will educate

Fruit Belt residents with successful business practices, provide income and revenue for the

neighborhood, repopulate the historic business corridors with stores and businesses, and give people in

the BNMC along with Fruit Belt residents a place to shop, eat, and socialize.

Education

Harlem Children’s Zone Model

The Harlem Children’s Zone is a holistic educational system that serves families and children in Harlem,

New York. There are many programs provided by the HCZ to aid students from pre‐kindergarten to

college. A brief run down on what they offer is below:

• The Baby College is a workshop that teaches expectant parents how to raise an infant.

• The Three Year Old Journey works with parents about their child’s development and parenting skills.

• Harlem Gems program is for pre‐kindergarteners that teaches them how to prepare for school, as well as

different language skills.

• Harlem Peacemakers train Americorps volunteers who eventually become teaching assistants in local

schools and specialize in conflict resolution and literacy advocacy.

• Truce Fitness and Nutrition Center provides free classes in karate, dance and fitness as well as nutrition.

PD 508 Spring 2009 55

• A Cut Above is tailored for middle school aged students and develops leadership and provides academic

assistance.

• Truce Arts and Media fosters creativity through arts and the media.

• Employment and Technology Center teaches computer and job skills to high school students.

• Learn to Earn is another program from high‐school aged students that provides academic assistance.

• College Success Office assists HCZ graduates in getting into appropriate colleges.

• The Community Pride program helps collect and mobilize tenant and block associations especially in

converting their city‐owned buildings into tenant owned co‐ops.

• Single Stop gives legal consultations, counseling and other advice to residents of the neighborhood.

• The HCZ Asthma Initiative aids families with asthmatic children with their disease.

• The Obesity Initiative is instituted in tackling the growing rate of obesity in members of the HCZ.

The Harlem Children’s Zone has had great successes. President Barack Obama said that the HCZ was “an

all‐encompassing, all‐hands‐on‐deck, anti‐poverty effort that is literally saving a generation of children.”

Literacy has increased and the school dropout rate has been reduced. The programs offered by the HCZ

have strengthened the Harlem community.

HCZ & The Fruit Belt

The Fruit Belt Community Charter School has its mission preparing its students in the “renaissance of

their neighborhood, community and city.” This school teaches grades K‐2 with plans on expanding to

fourth grade. A similar model to the Peacekeeper program would be an asset for this school. AmeriCorps

volunteers could mediate conflicts between students in hope to quell aggressive behavior in the future.

At the proposed community center, a Baby College could as be provided to parents expecting their first

child. This would help prepare residents on how to raise their newborn.

The HCZ also uses local schools and turns them into community centers after students have left. City

Honors and Futures Academy can be used for gathering spots for the residents of the neighborhood.

The benefits of education are endless. The BNMC, the University at Buffalo and the City of Buffalo all get

a potential workforce. The neighborhood reaps the benefits of having their youth active and in school.

PD 508 Spring 2009 56

Community Gardening

The Friendly Fruit Belt Block Club currently maintains the community gardens that are located in the

Fruit Belt. These community gardens are ornamental gardens with one producing food. Generally, they

are neglected, aside from the garden at Futures Academy. The benefits of successful community

gardens are numerous, specifically for the Fruit Belt they could help address the issue of vacant lots and

they could have the potential to facilitate the Fruit Belt’s return to what it once was; a community full of

orchards.

Community gardening is generally sought out by communities in order to beautify ugly vacant lots,

however in Buffalo, community gardening can sometimes be expensive and unless you have a group of

dedicated community members, they can become neglected. In order to address this concern in the

Fruit Belt, the BNMC can sponsor community gardens and through its grounds and landscaping crew,

can assist in preparing the area to be gardened, teach community members how to maintain the

garden, and provide shared tools to the community. This will not only benefit the Fruit Belt community,

it will also ensure that the landscaping efforts that BNMC has employed will not end at the campus’

border, creating a sense of community and beautification through the gardens.

There are three types of community gardens that the Fruit Belt should make use of including;

neighborhood, therapeutic, and educational. Neighborhood gardens can produce food and ornamental

plants, in the case of the Fruit Belt, fruit trees should be planted to create a sense of what the

community used to be; to provide fresh fruits and vegetables; and to foster community participation.

Therapeutic gardens in the Fruit Belt, especially near the BNMC will be beneficial to the residents of the

Fruit Belt and patients in the hospitals. These gardens are generally ornamental and are places of peace

and meditation. Educational gardens can be beneficial to children who will learn gardening skills, where

their food comes from, and responsibility for maintain and caring for something. If a sense of ownership

is fostered early, children can become responsible citizens later.

Health Programs

A location next to a medical campus provides a great vehicle for health care opportunities. The Fruit Belt

should make sure to take full advantage of what the BNMC can offer in this realm. The BNMC should

PD 508 Spring 2009 57

provide a community wide health fair with tabling from local establishments to provide education to the

residents of the Fruit Belt.

Free Clinic

Residents of the Fruit Belt had noted that they would like a free clinic provided by the BNMC. This

should be one of the pinnacle amenities that the medical campus supplies to the neighborhood.

A walk‐in clinic for this community would be convenient and would show that the BNMC truly cares

about the neighborhood it is located in. The University would also benefit from the establishment of a

clinic. They would gain a location for residency for students in their medical program.

Community Kitchens

Food production and consumption are very social activities that can bring people together.

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus should provide a communal cooking space for the local residents

to create their dinners. Community Kitchens are sources of strengthening communities. A space is

borrowed from an institution that already has a kitchen and local community members meet there at

allotted times through the month. A shopping list can be created in advance, and each member brings

materials to cook a large dinner for the neighborhood. At these events, socialization and networking

takes place.

By establishing a community kitchen program in the Fruit Belt neighborhood, the BNMC gains a source

in communicating with the residents. The BNMC can make appearances at these cooking sessions to

show their support to the neighborhood. They can also host periodically a community barbeque for the

neighborhood.

Healthy Eating Programs

Nutritionists from the University at Buffalo should offer their services to help residents of the Fruit Belt

prepare culturally appropriate healthy meals that are within the limits of the budgets. Brigham and

Women’s Hospital outside of Boston provided a program like this to the residents in its neighborhood.

PD 508 Spring 2009 58

They helped low‐income African American women adjust their shopping lists to purchase “heart

healthy” foods for their family. They had these women write out their weekly menus and altered them

into healthier options while keeping them in budget and similar to their original items. A program like

this would help the residents of the Fruit Belt eat affordably well.

Exercise

Sponsorship of adult and youth programs involving fitness and exercise are other potential benefits for the

Fruit Belt. Hosting a basketball tournament, offering martial arts or boxing classes, or the sponsorship of

a neighborhood baseball team are some of the ways that healthy, productive activities could be grown in

the community with the help from the CAO.

The University of Buffalo has many athletic clubs and organizations that could lend their services to the

Fruit Belt. Student clubs could gain their community service credits by hosting events revolving around

fitness. The organizations in the BNMC could also sponsor Little League or Pee Wee football teams

comprised of the children of the Fruit Belt.

Drug Addiction/Wellness

A Drug and Wellness Counseling Center should be placed in the Fruit Belt neighborhood. A partnership

with the City of Buffalo should be considered in aiding in the efforts to combat drug usage in the

neighborhood.

The Community Action Organization and the Fruit Belt Advisory Council partnered up in 2007 to launch a

Community Wellness Center located on 326 High Street. At the community outreach meeting, residents

still claimed that the Fruit Belt needed a community center. They were unaware of this wellness center,

and it is unclear on the current status of it.

MOCHA project

Networking with Buffalo’s MOCHA (Men of Color Health Awareness) chapter should be fostered by the

BNMC. They are a source of AIDS/HIV education as well as a provider of services to “men of color who

are identified as gay, bi‐sexual or men who have sex with men.” Their mission statement says that they

PD 508 Spring 2009 59

want to build a supportive environment through the uses of community development, education and

advocacy specializing in the LGBTQ population of communities of color.

The BNMC and UB can help promote the services of this office located near the medical campus across

Main Street to the Fruit Belt. A resource of this type is beneficial to the Fruit Belt’s members who also

have to deal with being part of a sexual minority. The social stigma of identifying with “gay” in the Black

community leads these individuals into living a life on the “down low.” AIDS and STD awareness are not

talked about and this leads to risky behaviors. The MOCHA project can help prevent disease from

spreading.

Housing

Residents at the community meeting in the Fruit Belt in February made their wishes that no current

residents be displaced because of future development. While it is understood that residents of McCarley

Gardens will be relocated to new homes built throughout the Fruit Belt, they do not want to lose the

sense of community that currently exists within the housing project. In order to ensure that no other

residents are displaced, housing legislation should be written into the CBA that will ensure that no more

residents are displaced. With the threat of new infill housing coming to the area, residents are afraid the

university is going to build new housing for students at the medical campus. Many feared that this

would eventually lead to property values drastically increasing and the eventual gentrification of the

area.

Neighborhood Stabilization Fund/Public Service Fund

As the institutions that comprise the BNMC do not pay property taxes based on status as a not for profit

agency, the City of Buffalo loses more of its tax base for every piece of property the institutions acquire.

An explored remedy is the establishment of a fund that the local not for profit agencies that own a

substantial amount of land within the City of Buffalo give a monetary donation based on an amount

similar to what they might pay in property taxes and is also paid into by residents of the community as

well as the institutions that exist there. As these institutions still use public services such as fire and

police services, street paving, and snow plowing that are paid for by tax payers and the city or county,

the donation can cover costs associated with providing these services. Another use of the fund is to use

PD 508 Spring 2009 60

utilize the money in a way that gives back directly to the neighborhoods in which the institutions exist

for things such as land and facility maintenance and costs associated with homeownership.

Paying into this fund will benefit the City and County by providing additional money for capital costs and

will benefit the community by providing financing for maintenance and upkeep of the neighborhood and

homes. The institutions paying into the fund will benefit in multiple ways, including looking generous

and willing to assist the community in which they exist. This fund would allocate money to people in

need of drastic home repairs and could also be used to improve maintenance on public areas and

streets and sidewalks. Also, by investing in the maintenance and upkeep of the area surrounding the

medical campus, existing conditions can only improve and in due time the community will emerge as a

vibrant place because of the investment of local not for profit institutions.

Affordable Housing

A recommendation is that one of the terms of the agreement be similar to that of the Yale‐New Haven

CBA by requiring the developers to set aside a certain percentage of homes to low‐income families. This

will not only allow people who currently live within the Fruit Belt to ‘move up’ in the housing market, it

will also be a new haven for other low‐income families from around the city to move to. The wide array

and mixture of incomes and classes will provide a very diverse community that will hopefully foster

inclusive growth.

The Fruit Belt will benefit from the terms of these agreements by establishing a community of pride.

Residents will no longer need to be embarrassed of the conditions or the lack of finances to make

improvements for them because these terms will provide opportunities of growth and rehabilitation.

The City of Buffalo will benefit from these because the many of the financial responsibilities associated

with public services within the Fruit Belt will be alleviated by the institutions monetary assistance. The

institutions will benefit because the medical campus will no longer need to create concrete barriers to

separate itself from the rest of the blighted neighborhood. By investing in the Fruit Belt community, the

institutions are essentially fostering growth that will help the entire area, including the entire medical

campus.

PD 508 Spring 2009 61

Security

As part of the CBA, the BNMC will provide private security in the Fruit Belt for three years and then will

be phased out and taken over by the Weed and Seed. During the phasing out period local police will

train Fruit Belt residents in community policing. Increased security will also include the installation of

crime prevention cameras that are similar to the ones already located throughout the City and the

installation of Blue Light phones at key points along the border of the Fruit Belt and the BNMC.

Conclusion

The Fruit Belt neighborhood has an amazing amount of potential in becoming a tight‐knit cohesive

community. It’s future should be just as incredible as it’s past. A thriving economic incubator already

exists within one of the most distressed neighborhoods in the City of Buffalo. The neighborhood should

bind the BNMC into an agreement for the betterment of their community. While the growth of the

medical campus is good for the community in terms of jobs, tax revenue, economics, and quality of life,

it is necessary to establish terms that will foster sound development within the confines of the Fruit Belt

that will spread benefits to all of the residents within the neighborhood.

Revitalization and redevelopment depend on successful community participation and the development

of a common voice. The formation of a neighborhood coalition should happen as soon as possible to

fulfill the community’s goals and aspirations. This body should be comprised of neighborhood

champions, members from existing neighborhood non‐profits, residents and policy makers who will set

aside their individual agendas in order focus on benefits to the Fruit Belt as a whole.

The next step should be to engage as much participation from the community as possible, at many

different levels. A community benefit agreement should be the result of this engagement.

Recommendations provided in this document exemplify just some of the goals that the community

should strive for. A community benefit agreement is solely a community‐based project where

stakeholder and residents to choose their goals together. Conversely, and without sacrificing quality,

Fruit Belt residents must act swiftly. Both the BNMC and the University have time constraints that

without integral engagement and careful planning, could constrain and negatively impact local

residents’ opportunities.

PD 508 Spring 2009 62

It is important for the Fruit Belt community to understand the pros and cons of the precedents and

adapt best practices of previously adopted CBA’s as a foundation to build upon for future growth. At

the same time, it should be noted that the adoption of a CBA involves a give and take relationship by all

parties. In return for benefits given to the community by the University and BNMC, the Fruit Belt

neighborhood and coalition will be required to collaborate and compromise within the ideals developed

in their master plan.

The path to prominence in the Fruit Belt will be long with bumps and detours along the way. The

recommendations put forth should be used as a foundation for what could be in the future. Patience is

important because the turnaround from the distressed conditions found in the Fruit Belt today will not

happen overnight. The Fruit Belt will be a community filled with increased pride and new opportunities

for its existing and prospective residents.

PD 508 Spring 2009 63

Work Plan

PD 508 Group: An Apple A Day Keeps the Doctor Away!

As a group we discussed the content of the project as it concerns developing strategies to create links

between the Buffalo‐ Niagara Medical Campus and the Buffalo, New York’s Fruit Belt neighborhood.

Within that discussion we decided to separate the duties in the group that will be completed within

three stages. Below you will find the stages we decided on, along with dates we have set for completion

and continued group discussion based on data collected. Additionally, we compiled paragraphs stating

our individual roles as they morphed throughout the progression of the project.

Work Plan

Stage 1: Analysis Problem (Feb 4th‐ Feb 21st)

Stage 2: Problem Resolution (Feb 25th‐ March 14th)

Stage 3: Recommendations (March 18th – April 11th)

The task in this project is to generate information concerning Buffalo’s Fruit Belt and its connection the

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. In so doing we will analyze what problems may exist and make

recommendations based on our data.

Group 1 (Stage 1): Brian Kurtz and Billy Miller

Background and historical information on the Fruit Belt and the interactions of the BNMC and the

community will taken to help understand the present situation and how things got to be the way they

are. Plans from the City of Buffalo and UB 2020 will be utilized to help point in the direction of the

future along with examples from other cities around the country. Through these precedents we can

help push for a possible problem resolution

PD 508 Spring 2009 64

Group 2 (Stage 2): Gabrielle Boatswain and Molly Hogle

The information collected form group one will help with beginning stages for problem resolutions. Based

on information of prior studies, we will make attempts to contact universities and planners discussing

the similar concerns as the Buffalo Medical Campus and the Fruit Belt neighborhood. Beyond that we

will analyze policy concerning issues of this caliber and what relations they may have to the Fruit Belt.

Group 3 (Stage 3): Rachel Maloney and Danielle Rovillo

Using the background information collected from group one and the interview data from group two we

will conclude with recommendations for regeneration of the Fruit Belt in conjunction with the progress

of the Medical Campus. This stage will also produce a community benefit agreement.

PD 508 Spring 2009 65

Individual Roles placeholder

PD 508 Spring 2009 66

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Buffalo Employment and Training Center http://www.workforcebuffalo.org/ Buffalo Weed and Seed Initiative Guidlines accessed at http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/pubs/gun_violence/profile03.html East Side Neighborhood Transformation Partnership. State University of New York, University at Buffalo, Center for Urban Studies http://www.ub‐esntp.com/content/pages/esntp.php Locust Street Neighborhood Arts Program accessed at http://www.cominguptaller.org/profile/pr140visual.htm

M&T Bank CRA http://services.mandtbank.com/community/050189_CLine‐WCNY.pdf http://www.banking.state.ny.us/bddmap28.htm

Taylor, H.L. (2007) “It Takes A Village…Toward a Focus on Neighborhood Development”. Advance Newsletter. Issue 3, Fall. Accessed at http://devsoc.cals.cornell.edu/cals/devsoc/outreach/cardi/news/upload/advance‐fall.pdf

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