South End Priorities
(Developed
at June 28 SECC Meeting in response to the AC Land Bank’s cluster development
proposal)
1. Mixed income housing
- Homeownership
- Rental
2. Local employment
opportunities
3.
Mixed-use development (with local retail opportunities)
4.
Opportunities for local residents to buy shares in the
developments
5.
Community benefit agreement.
6.
No currently vacant buildings should be- left vacant at the end of
the process. (Either rehabbed or deemed too far gone and demolished).
7.
Save historic buildings where possible, use to enhance new
developments.
8.
Commercial corridor that has clear and welcoming entrances
9.
Crime deterrents through improved infrastructure
- Address overgrown trees that
block streetlights.
- Improved and upgraded street lights
- Deteriorated sidewalks
10. Increase public
trash receptacles
11. Green/energy
efficient developments- SUSTAINABILITY
12. INTERCONNECTED -
Smart City
NOTES: Our chance of success with this list depends in part on
finding a developer who is willing to work with the community. The more
specific we can be about how to achieve the goals on this list the better our
chances of success. Specifically:
1.
Housing:
What is the mix we desire of rental and owner occupied, and what is the mix of
income levels? Numbers will be welcomed by developers even if they come back
with their own.
2.
Employment:
Write a plan to employ local people using the pipeline being established by
current actors, including City of Albany youth programs, City School District
and Mission Accomplished, BOCES and others. Can our work group take this on?
Again, numbers help.
3.
Retail:
If this is a demand, what is the appropriate retail for the Second Avenue area,
and what has a reasonable chance of success? What is the developer’s role
beyond building an appropriate space? Can we find an owner/operator for the
business?
4.
Shares/Ownership:
This is David Craft’s proposal and he is working on specifics.
5.
Community
Benefits agreement can encompass any of the other items listed here.
6.
Vacant
Buildings: The idea is that within the designated development area, the
developer takes responsibility for all vacant buildings, including buildings
not yet owned by the land bank (where feasible). The city now has the capacity
to assess all vacant buildings as to future viability, and decisions on each
building should be made in partnership with the Building Department, residents
of the area and the developer.
7.
Rehab
of difficult buildings should be more feasible because the project is in an
historic area and the scale of the project is large enough to allow the
developer to access state and federal tax credits.
8.
Crime
Deterrent through physical improvements. It will be in the developer’s best
interests to have these things done by the city. This is not untypical in new
developments, and we can tell the developer we will work with him to insure the
city commits its resources.
9.
Trash Receptacles (and improved street cleanliness): Ditto.
10. Sustainability: There are lots of
opportunities to plug into existing energy efficiency programs. (NYSERDA, Green
and Healthy NY, Solarize Albany, etc.) Can somebody research what is available,
put together a package?
11. Interconnection: This section of the
South End is a candidate for implementation of the city’s initiative to install
Wifi on lighting polls, connect residents with the city. With the
neighborhood’s support, a developer can ask the city to make this one of its
contributions to the project.
Not Discussed:
School 17: This building on Second Avenue is currently in private
hands, but could be crucial to the overall success of the project, providing
space for both residential and commercial and even community space. Do we want
to include a proposal for reuse of School 17?
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