Rise Announces 2016 Collaborative Grant Recipients

Rise Community Development announces the recipients of its 2016 Regional Neighborhood Support Collaborative Grants.  The Collaborative Grant Program focuses on providing financial resources coupled with technical assistance to build the capacity and sustainability of non-profit community-based development organizations in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Participation in the program is by invitation only.  Since 1998, the program has made over $2.9 million in operating support grants to 21 local organizations.  In turn, these organizations have successfully developed over 1,400 homes and apartments, representing $278 million of new capital investments in St. Louis area neighborhoods.

The seven grant recipients are:

  1. DeSales Community Housing Corporation for continuation of its South Jefferson Collaborative community health initiative
  2. Northside Community Housing, Inc. for continuation of its community garden program
  3. LinkSTL and Grace Hill for a collaborative resident needs assessment, service referral and financial counseling program in the Old North St. Louis, Hyde Park and College Hill neighborhoods
  4. Lemay Housing Partnership to increase the capacity for its community newspaper
  5. Tower Grove Neighborhoods Community Development Corp.to grow its landlord training, tenant screening, and nuisance property abatement program
  6. Dutchtown South Community Corporation for its Friends of Pocket Park community engagement and park planning program
  7. Park Central Development Corporation for the development of community-driven neighborhood assessments and action plans

The total amount in grants awarded by Rise is $72,860.

Rise Collaborative Grant award winners will  be recognized at the 4th Annual Community Builders Network Awards Reception on Thursday, March 31, 2016, at T-Rex, – 911 Washington Avenue St. Louis, MO 63101.  The doors will open at 5:30 and the program will begin at 5:45. To learn more about the event and to register, click here.

To view the press release PDF, click here.

Rising Stars, New Innovative Program from Rise

Rise would like to announce its pilot “Rising Stars” Program. This program will serve as a mentorship, education and hands-on training program for exceptional university students or recent graduates interested in careers in community economic development in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Rise will provide education, supervision, professional development plans and otherwise prepare the Rising Stars for placement in real-world environments. Ultimately, our desire is to develop an emerging group of community development practitioners, “Rising Stars,” that can be placed in positions at local community development non-profit organizations, bank community development corporations and/or public sector planning and community development offices.

Rise was awarded a grant from the Opus Foundation for $25,000 in support of the pilot program. Earlier this year, Rise was invited by the Opus Foundation to submit a grant application to their Impact Fund in the Community Revitalization category and on December 2nd, Rise received notification that the application was successful. For our press release concerning the Opus Foundation’s funding click here.

The Rising Stars Program concept came about due to the need for capacity building in local Community Development Corporations (CDCs). Often, CDCs lack adequate staff to advance their mission and goals. However, with Rise as the intermediary in the Program, we have the ability to educate and develop an emerging group of practitioners through paid on the job training while building the capacity of  CDCs by placing its Rising Stars with them.

We will keep you informed as the program emerges in 2016.

Rise Receives Federal and State Tax Credits for Adams Grove Development

December 14, 2015–Rise Community Development received approval from the Missouri Housing Development Commission on December 4, 2015 for a reservation of tax credits for its Adams Grove affordable housing development. The development will consist of 50 townhomes and garden apartments, incorporating contemporary design, green building and universal design principles in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood in the City of St. Louis.  The project architect is Trivers Associates and the general contractor will be Altman Charter.  The project is part of a larger, more collaborative effort with Forest West Properties, Inc. (FWP), a subsidiary of Washington University Medical Center Redevelopment Corporation (WUMCRC).  Forest West Properties has solicited numerous developers to build up to 150 additional market rate homes in the part of the neighborhood that lies south of Manchester.  Rise’s work in the Forest Park Southwest neighborhood, which began fifteen years ago, has been a major catalyst for the redevelopment of the neighborhood and the area now known as “The Grove.”

About Rise (www.risestl.org) Rise is a nonprofit organization that partners with communities to build stronger, more equitable St. Louis area neighborhoods.  Rise develops both affordable and market-rate housing, particularly in neighborhoods with the potential to enhance economic diversity.  Rise has developed or assisted in $700 million in neighborhood redevelopment in the St. Louis area.

About WUMCRC (www.wumcrc.com) Washington University Medical Center Redevelopment Corporation (WUMCRC), is a partnership between BJC Health Care and Washington University School of Medicine and works to improve the quality of life for the neighborhoods surrounding the medical campus. In order to achieve this goal in Forest Park Southeast and the Central West End , WUMCRC has invested millions of dollars toward regenerating the market for private investment in businesses and real estate, enhancing human and social service opportunities, and improving the level of physical and personal security.

Rise Hosts Third Annual Rise Up Festival – Celebrating Revitalization in Washington Avenue Historic District

Rise Community Development is producing a one day free street festival to celebrate revitalization in St. Louis. The festival, scheduled for August 21, 2015 on Washington Avenue between 16th and 17th Streets, will kick-off at 4 PM and end at 11 PM.

The event will include live entertainment featuring the Dirty Muggs, the Jeramiah Johnson Band, and the Bottoms Up Blues Gang. Tom “Papa” Ray will emcee the event and Alexsis Tucci will DJ. The Blues Society of St. Louis and STLBlues.net are once again partners in the event. Also featured will be fire dancers and roaming entertainers. The Kids Carnival Area will have games, a hula-hoop workshop, and face painting.

The Downtown St. Louis Restaurant Association will be providing a generous sampling of food from local business owners and Urban Chestnut Brewing Company will provide the microbrew. Other local organizations will be showcasing their programs such as CityArchRiver and the Downtown YMCA. A juried fine arts and crafts show managed by Cultural Festivals (founders and managers of the Saint Louis Art Fair) will feature local fine artists competing for best in show and selling their work.

“With our Rise Up Festival we focus attention on urban revitalization and the importance of neighborhood and community development to the region as a whole,” said Stephen Acree, President of Rise. “We know, and we want others to know, that having strong, economically diverse, livable and thriving neighborhoods is a very important part of our whole regional economic growth agenda.”

About Rise (www.risestl.org/) is a nonprofit organization that connects key groups working to revitalize communities and neighborhoods in the St. Louis area. Rise develops affordable market-rate housing in partnership with community development corporations, particularly in neighborhoods with the potential to enhance economic diversity. Since 2000, Rise has helped secure $560 million in funding and support for redevelopment projects in area neighborhoods.