"Tear It Down," Sayeth the Councilman, Part 3: A civilian's due diligence as to 922 Culbertson's possibilities.

Part 1
Part 2

As the plot thickened, Jeff did something absolutely unprecedented, and far outside the customary "business as usual" box that one might be forgiven for imagining that it is prohibited by New Albany municipal ordinance.

He offered numerous cases in point from a wider world to show how the 922 Culbertson discussion might have been proceeding had it been (a) transparent and involving the neighborhood, and (b) not emphasizing squalid "business as usual," which has a way of being, well, usual.

Here they are.

Study: Older, smaller buildings better for cities (AP)

"While small, older buildings might not make for an impressive skyline, they may be better for cities than massive, gleaming office towers, according to a study released Thursday.

Neighborhoods and commercial areas with a mix of older, smaller buildings make for more vibrant, walkable communities with more businesses, nightlife and cultural outlets than massive newer buildings, according the National Trust for Historic Preservation's study."

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New Focus for Redeveloping and Revitalizing Communities (CPHA Baltimore)

"This means that a previously unoccupied, or poorly maintained, historic building is more likely to be developed into a place that could benefit the community and local economy, such as a locally-owned coffee shop, a renovated corner store, or a well-maintained home.

Strengthening existing communities prevents unnecessary building of auto-centric shopping and business centers in rural areas, which negatively impact the environment, and causes people to flee existing communities. If residents can shop locally and walk to work in their neighborhoods, communities will be more stable and sustainable."

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Detroit's West Village becomes hot spot for restaurants, revitalization, by Amy Haimerl (Crain's Detroit Business)

"That was in the glorious fall weather of last October, and the two walked the streets looking at Georgian Revivals, Tudors and a passel of other historic properties tucked way in the area. In their ramblings, they came across a commercial space at Parker and Kercheval streets.

'There used to be an old party store in it, and we kept looking at that space and saying, 'Oh damn, that would be such a great spot for a more upscale bodega like you see on every corner in New York,' ' said Kirby, 26.

And since Drought goes through three tons of organic produce a week, the two knew they'd have access to excellent fruits and vegetables to build a market/bodega around. (Bodega equals party store in the local parlance.)

Kirby and James started rehabbing the space in November — using $1,200 worth of credit card points James traded for Lowe's gift cards — and are planning a soft launch party April 3.

As they make plans for their grocery, a recent open house drew more than 20 people to 1417 Van Dyke St., all of whom were hoping that their business would be selected to move into the location.

'Things have evolved here,' said Hurttienne of The Villages CDC. 'That evolution has led us to the point where 1417 Van Dyke can do an RFP for a business to move in. That feels like a huge thing. It's just tremendous.'

That property is owned by Alex Howbert, a third-generation West Village resident. He is working with Practice Space to find the right business tenant for the Victorian house, which once housed a grocery that his father and uncles frequented."

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The (hi)story of a corner: Community and revitalization at Tower Grove and Manchester (The Grove)

Guy Slay is a firm believer in collaboration and the strength of such collaboration in driving a neighborhood to success. The drivers include the Grove Community Improvement District and its roles in marketing, infrastructure and security initiatives, the other investors, developers, and business owners in the neighborhood, as well as all his tenants.

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Corner Store Revitalization Project (City of Edmonton)

There’s been a shift in Edmonton’s retail landscape away from local community and neighbourhood shops. Shopping malls, mega-commercial strips, and power centres with stand alone big-box format stores dominate the shopping landscape.

This shift has drawn people away from shopping in their own neighbourhood at local corner store businesses and small local shopping centres. As a result, there’s been a decline in the number of neighbourhood stores and businesses, and a physical deterioration of many residential shopping sites.

The purpose of the Corner Store Project is to explore the actions the City might take to revitalize small neighbourhood shopping sites in mature neighbourhoods.

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"Healthy Corner Stores as an Economic Development Strategy" (Healthy Corner Stores Network)

Corner stores are a convenient food source in rural, suburban, and urban communities across the country. Most corner stores sell packaged foods and beverages of minimal nutritional value, alcohol, and tobacco products, with few healthy or fresh options. However, these small-scale
stores have tremendous potential to improve community health and promote economic development.

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Sparking Community Revitalization (White House)

"In 2010, the Obama Administration launched the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI), a partnership across various federal agencies to combat the lack of access to healthy food by provide financing for developing and equipping grocery stores, small retailers, corner stores, and farmers markets selling healthy food in underserved areas. There are currently 23.5 million Americans, including 6.5 million children, living in neighborhoods without full service grocery stores and limited access to fresh, healthy food.

In addition, in 2011, the Department of Treasury provided $25 million in grants to Community Development Financing Institutions to fund healthy food initiatives and the Treasury’s New Market Tax Credits program includes 50 companies that expect to generate $461 million for HFFI activities. The Health and Human Services Department awarded $10 million to community economic development corporations to develop grocery stores, small retailers, corner stores, farmers markets, and other innovative initiatives to help revitalize communities. And U.S. Department of Agriculture continues their work to improve access to healthy and affordable food across the nation through various agency programs."


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Part 4 is on the way.