housing/commercial |
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Over the past 25 years, the BGC has renovated or built more than 200 units of rental and owner-occupied housing in Garfield, Bloomfield, and Highland Park. The BGC is completing construction of eight new single-family homes in Garfield, and a second group of nine homes is planned for construction in 2008. By mid-2010, a total of 50 such houses will have been built over an eight-year period, in collaboration with our partner, Garfield Jubilee Association. For more information, contact Barbara Murphy at 412-665-5208. The homes we build and renovate are now compliant with federal Energy Star standards – not just to reduce our carbon footprint, but also to make homeownership a realistic goal for lower-income families who cannot afford high monthly utility bills. The more families who can afford to stay in their homes and rental units, the more stable the neighborhood becomes. And dollars not being spent on high heating bills can go toward other basic expenses, or even to extracurricular activities families might not have been able to enjoy before – for example, visiting a museum or attending an arts performance. 2030 and Beyond! The Garfield Neighborhood Plan In collaboration with other neighborhood interests, the BGC has worked to create a Garfield Neighborhood Plan that looks objectively at the prospects for new housing and other land uses for the community. The end result is a plan, created through community input, that not only helps determine what needs to be done over the next 20 years, but also how it can best be accomplished. Community meetings were held in May and October of 2009, with attendees expressing their preferences on topics such as housing, green space, and facilities. The final plan was presented to the community at a public meeting on April 29, 2010. To download a copy of the final plan, click here. [19 MB]
BGC Board Member Freddie Croce presents the finished Garfield Neighborhood Plan to the community. Penn Avenue Encouraging productive investment along Penn Avenue in Garfield is a primary mission of the BGC as we work closely with Friendship Development Associates (FDA), a city "Main Street Organization," offering assistance in financing, planning, zoning, and marketing issues. The BGC collaborates with FDA on the Penn Avenue Arts Initiative (PAAI), an effort to encourage artists and art-related businesses to buy and locate on Penn Avenue. One of the PAAI's high-profile marketing events is “Unblurred,” which sets aside the first Friday evening of each month for a series of arts-related activities along Penn Avenue. In addition, the BGC is leading other neighborhood organizations as we work with the city on the first phase of Penn Avenue infrastructure reinvestment. Design and engineering work for Phase One is beginning; construction is scheduled to start in 2011. The project, extending from Mathilda to Evaline, will will include new street surfacing, new sidewalks and treatments, new traffic control equipment, and improved lighting. Documents related to the progress of this plan are available for viewing and download at the project website. |
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