Sign In

Status: Not Registered

Skip navigation

Home

Brownfields Blog

Brownfields Welcomes Community Development Competition Finalists

by Paula Dohnal

November 15, 2009

Chase and Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. have announced the five student team finalists competing for a $25,000 grand prize as part of the 2009 Chase Community Development Competition. The prize will be awarded to a New Orleans-based nonprofit organization partnering with students on the winning real estate development concept. The final round of competition is on Tuesday, November 17, at 1 p.m. in Room 352 at Morial Convention Center. Chase will award predevelopment grants of $25,000, $15,000, and $10,000 for first, second, and third place winners.

“Chase is committed to strengthening neighborhoods by connecting community leaders with innovative solutions,” said Lizette Terral, the New Orleans president of Chase. “The Chase Community Development Competition will make a difference in the lives of our customers and neighbors in New Orleans.”

The 2009 Chase Community Development Competition finalist teams were selected by a panel of a dozen professionals from the local public and private sectors. The 2009 finalists include:

Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Washington University in St. Louis in partnership with Broad Community Connections, proposing Broad Street reFresh, a fresh food hub for community, health and economic development
The New School in partnership with the Neighborhood Empowerment Network Association (NENA), proposing the NENA Housing & Economic Development Resource Center
Tulane University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in partnership with the Algiers Redevelopment Foundation and The Salvation Army on Reconnecting Riverview: A new vision for Old Algiers
UC Davis and University of Oregon in partnership with the Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative, proposing to create mixed-use housing on Martin Luther King Blvd.
University of New Orleans, DePaul University, and Louisiana State University in partnership with the Lower Ninth Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development on the redevelopment of 5523 St. Claude Avenue to bring fresh food to the Lower Ninth Ward

Students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Washington University in St. Louis won first place in the 2008 Chase Community Development Competition for their plan for the 100-year-old Franz Building on O.C. Haley Boulevard in New Orleans. The redevelopment of the Franz Building will restore a historic landmark, as well as provide affordable retail space for small businesses and a business development center in the Central City neighborhood.

“The work of the students has been invaluable and we are grateful for their fresh ideas and hard work,” said Phyllis Cassidy, executive director, Good Work Network. “The students’ development plan and architectural designs, which we could take to potential funders, was a great benefit in helping us move the project forward. Thanks to Chase and Enterprise for bringing the competition to New Orleans.”

Held in New Orleans for the second consecutive year, the 2009 Chase Community Development Competition matches practical development ideas of college students with the real-life needs of low- to moderate-income families in New Orleans. The competition was created 15 years ago by Chase in New York City, and in 2008, the competition’s direction was refocused to center on the rebuilding efforts underway in New Orleans.