Development that Benefits Residents

In 2001, United Parcel Service (UPS) acquired a 31-acre parcel located along University Avenue in the Pittsburgh neighborhood, planning to locate an in-town distribution center there. Due to market changes, however, UPS sold the land to The Annie E. Casey Foundation in 2006. The property, which had been used as an industrial trucking site, remains vacant but holds the potential of supporting commercial, retail, housing, and green space.
 
The Casey Foundation aspires to create a mixed-use development on the University Avenue site that achieves a triple bottom line benefit:

1. Strengthens the economic and social fabric in the neighborhoods surrounding the University Avenue Site.
   
   
2. Results in sustainable development that favorably contributes to the health and well-being of the community.
   
   
3. Generates a return on the Foundation's "patient capital" investment.

Engaging Residents to Inform Development Plans

Since purchasing the land, the Casey Foundation-Atlanta Civic Site (ACS) has been working with residents to craft a plan for the redevelopment of the property. In 2007, 72 residents participated in the Community Economic Development Institute  (CEDI), a collaboration between the Casey Foundation, Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia. The six-month, semi-weekly course covered issues related to community economic development, including transit-oriented development, business attraction, affordable housing, sustainable development, financing, and green space.

CEDI  graduates led Study Circles through which they engaged outside professionals, public officials, nonprofit leaders, architects, designers, and other residents in in-depth discussions of these topics and drafted recommendations for the development of the University Avenue property.

ACS has engaged SNDSI to coordinate the development of the property. As a first step, SNDSI is engaging CEDI graduates and other residents its work to stabilize the housing market in Pittsburgh.