Community Partners in the Central Corridor, by Carol Swenson. From the Minnesota Campus Compact convened, "How Can Colleges Support Central Corridor Neighborhoods?" - December 7, 2011, at Bethel University.

1. Community
Partners
in the
Central Corridor
Carol Swenson, Executive Director
District Councils Collaborative of
Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Minnesota Campus Compact
December 7, 2011
Bethel College

2. District Councils Collaborative
of Saint Paul & Minneapolis

3. Diversity in the Central Corridor

4. Rich Civic Infrastructure:
Deep connections into the community
and with each other
Civic/
Place-Based
Labor Faith-Based
Business Local Issues-
Chambers & Based
Associations Advocacy
Issues-Based
Community
Regional
Development
Advocacy
Corporations

5. Transportation Equity / Stops for Us!
Coalition Members
Community-based Organizations Local Business Organizations
• District Councils Collaborative of Saint Paul • Asian Economic Development Association
and Minneapolis (14 St. Paul & Minneapolis • University Avenue Business Association
neighborhood organizations)
Regional Advocacy Organizations
• University UNITED
• Alliance for Metropolitan Stability
Local Advocacy • Housing Preservation Project
• Community Stabilization Project • Hmong Organizing Program, Take Action
• Got Voice, Got Power Minnesota
• JUST Equity • Minnesota Center for Environmental
• Preserve and Benefit Historic Rondo Advocacy
• Saint Paul NAACP • Transit For Livable Communities
• Saint Paul Urban League Faith-based Organizations
Community Development Corps • ISAIAH
• Aurora St. Anthony Neighborhood • Jewish Community Action
Development Corporation • MICAH
• Model Cities, Inc. Labor
• UFCW Local 789
November 2007 Community Meeting
5

6. Central Corridor
Community Summits — 2009
Taking Ownership of our
Future
To be successful, the light rail
line must not only improve
mobility, but must also serve
as a catalyst to strengthen
and enhance existing and
future neighborhoods,
workforces and businesses
along the line.

7. Community Summit Principles
1. Engage in Central Corridor processes and projects as
Community Stakeholders and Partners
2. Maintain and enhance neighborhood livability,
diversity, and cohesion
3. Ensure equitable development and redevelopment
and provide a range of affordable housing options
4. Provide transportation equity
5. Expand the number of persons of color, including
women and persons with disabilities in the
workforce and the number of DBE contractors
6. Sustain and grow small, local businesses
7. Place sustainability at the core of equitable
development

8. Stops for Us!
Organizing for Equity
Along the Central Corridor

9. What is at stake?
Shared Community Value:
Everyone must benefit equitably
• Access to jobs — Twin Cities racial disparities in employment among
highest in the U.S.
• Economic Development Opportunity — Eastern University has greatest
need for economic incentives.
• Equity for those who are transit dependent — Route 16 ridership among
highest in system: serves low-income residents, households without cars,
elderly, middle and high school students, yet project proposes to cut
midday frequency by 66% when use is high — now every 10 minutes
propose every 30 minutes.
• Long-Term Affordable Housing /Neighborhood Preservation and
Livability— “naturally affordable”, safe, green space, education, and
amenities. Plans called for area within ¼ mile of stations to receive the
greatest attention, economic investment and public realm improvements
leaving a half mile between stations vulnerable to disinvestment.

10. I-94 Construction Splits Rondo
In the 1960s, the construction of
Interstate 94 destroyed Rondo
Avenue and devastated the
historic Rondo neighborhood. 70
businesses were lost and 400
families were displaced.
Credjafawn Co-op Store
678 Rondo Ave.

11. Thomas-Dale Summit- St. Paul
(Frogtown) University
% Minority Households 73% 56% 36%

12. Thomas-Dale Summit- St. Paul
(Frogtown) University
Poverty Rate 35.5% 32.5% 16.7%
No-Vehicle households 31.5% 27.7% 18.2%

13. Early Environmental
Analyses
The University Avenue LRT Alternative
would not cause disproportionately high or
adverse effects on minority and/or low-
income populations with regard to social
factors.
Alternative Analysis/Draft Environmental
Impact Statement. 2006
“…concerns have been considered and the analysis determined
that minority or low-income populations within the study area
are not subject to any disproportionate impacts associated with
the development of the Central Corridor LRT; furthermore, the
benefits of the project are fairly distributed.” Supplemental Draft
Environmental Impact Statement. 2008

14. University Avenue
Community Coalition — Outreach
In early 2007, advocacy
organizations form
coalition
Stops for Us campaign
make sure communities
had access to the
proposed light rail line
UACC members at Rondo Days 2007

15. Used Research to Make Our Case

16. Campaign Kick-off Nov. 29,2007
• Corridor-wide Meeting
• Invited elected officials
• DCC Presented Research
• Community Discussion
• Community Report
• Present at Met Council

17. Developed Strategic Alliances
• Local Elected Officials
– Local
– State
– Federal
• Community Leaders & Foundations
• Staff: Project, County, and City
• Federal Staff — FTA & EPA

18. Participated in the Process
New Starts Project Review
• Track Key Decision Points
• Attend Partner
Management/Policy
Meetings
National Environmental
Review Process (NEPA)
• Public Hearings
• Comment Periods
• Community Advisory St. Paul Land Use Planning
Committee • Central Corridor
Development Frameworkd
Local Municipal Consent
• Public Hearings

19. Organized & Carried Out Actions
• Turn-out for official
meetings
• Turn-out at community
events
• Special community
meetings
• Marches
• State Legislative Hearing
• Op-ed Articles
• Letters to the Editor
• Local Television, Radio,
and online media
• On-going outreach to
allies

20. Flexibility & Room for Difference
• Flexibility within Stops coalition
• 2 Title VI Administrative Complaints
– Preserve and Benefit Historic Rondo
– Concerned Asian Business Owners
• 1 Federal lawsuit against FTA and
Metropolitan Council for failure to
disclose and mitigate adverse impacts on
the African American Rondo community
– Preserve and Benefit Historic Rondo

21. Persistence & Focus
• 2006
– Draft EIS release & public hearings — community members, City of St. Paul, Ramsey
County Commissioners call for addition of 3 missing stations
• 2007
– 3 Stations in SDEIS scope
– DCC research report & community meeting
• 2008
– Supplemental DEIS: release & public hearings
– Met Council responds to community research; Add Station “stubs” to project scope
– Local agreement in principal to build 1 station
• 2009
– Title VI Transit Service Study finds census blocks with reduced service
– Title VI Administrative Complaint, Rondo Committee
– Final EIS: if no station at Western, service plan study and implementation required
– Record of Decision supports FEIS recommendations
– St. Paul commits to funding 1 stations
– Title VI Administrative Compliant filed by Asian Business Leaders
– FTA blocks strategy to include stations as additive alternates to construction contract
– Rail~Volution: community members secure meetings with Admin. Rogoff in Nov.
– Environmental Assessment of 3 stations initiated and completed
• 2010
– January 13 FTA announces change in CEI policy
– January 25 FTA and political leaders announce 3 stations will be built as part of the
project

22. The Game Changer
• 2009 Rail~Volution
Conference in Boston,
members of our coalition
talked with Peter Rogoff,
Federal Transit Administrator.
• From our invitation, he came
to our neighborhood and at
our meeting we were able to
elevate our issue and provide
him with the human impacts
resulting from the lack of
these 3 stations.

23. Historic Press Conference — Jan 25, 2010
From left to right: Congressman Ellison, Mayor Rybak, Commissioner Carter, Senator Klobuchar,
Sec. LaHood, Commissioner McDonough, City Councilmember Carter, Mayor Coleman
"You've made a difference and we will use you as an example across the
country...that if you hang together, have great projects that are for the
people, and work with your delegation, you can make things happen."
Secretary Ray LaHood

24. The Central Corridor project
as it is now
Three Stations

25. Thank you from the
Coalition

26. Cornerstones of the Campaign
• Organizing & Action
• Research
• Participation in the Process
• Strategic Alliances
• Persistence over Time

27. Taking Ownership of our Future
This is our once in a lifetime
opportunity to design a transportation
system that will shape the growth of
our region and our country for the
next 100 years.
• Frogtown Square / Kings Crossing
• Western Station / Little Mekong
• Victoria Station / Faces of Rondo
• Hamline Station
– Gordon Parks High School & Three
Ring Garden
– Skyline Tower, Somali Community -
Pedestrian Connections & Places out
of Parking Lots

28. Saint Paul Development Strategy:
Defining Areas of Change and Stability
Dale Street Station

30. St Paul Lowertown Master Plan

31. Frogtown Square & Kings Crossing
Mixed-Use Development / Affordable Housing
Sunday’s Best
Episcopal Homes Senior Housing

32. Gordon Parks High School
Gordon Parks
H.S.
Three Ring Garden

33. Creative Enterprise Zone
Vision: Be a livable, mixed-use neighborhood, recognized as a
center of creativity and enterprise
• Stabilize conditions in which creative enterprises, industry,
artists, non-profits and residents flourish together.
• Connect creative enterprises, industry, artists, non-profits
and residents in an effort to foster collaboration, cross-
pollination, and common-interests

34. Prospect Park 2020

35. Trusted Advocate Pilot Project
District Councils Collaborative & Metro Transit

36. Central Corridor Community
Values and Activities
• Big Picture Project
• Creative Enterprise Zone • Community Agreements Committee
• Old Home Dairy Site • District Councils Collaborative and
(ASANDC & HAP) member organizations —
• Model Cities at Victoria community convening around
• Vacant home rehab corridor wide issues
programs • Place-based community
• Land Banking organizations
• Joint Partnership • CCLRT Construction
Development Equitable Community Communications Committees
• Organizing activities and programs
Development Engagement in corridor
• Transit Service Study –
2012 • Foreclosure Prevention
• Last Mile Walkability • Save Our Homes
Survey – 2012 Livability and Wealth • Business Resources Collaborative
• Friendly Streets (Hamline Access Building – new economic development
Midway) and small business focus
• Irrigate • LRTWorks
• Public Art Plan for the • Central Corridor Training
Central Corridor Programs
• Energy Innovation • Little Mekong
Corridor • World Cultural Heritage District
• Stops for Us — achieved
• Health Impact
Assessment —
completed but not
entirely implemented

37. A Few Conversation Starters
• Small Business Entrepreneurs
• Managing Neighborhood Change
• Transit Service Planning
• Standardizing GIS Data Collection and
Sharing
• Support Community Convenings
• Assist with Documentation and Evaluation
• Be a part of our neighborhoods