07-18-18 Residential Neighborhoods

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®CITY OF SOUTH BEND OFFICE OF THE CLERK Councilmember Scott replied,What I'm thinking is just brainstorming. If you could sit down with them and try to answer the questions Committee Chair White has asked. This area is definitely on our list. Alkeyna Aldridge, Director of Engagement and Empowerment for the City of South Bend with offices on the 14th floor of the County-City Building, stated, I think that is a good point because we need your help to identify potential entrepreneurs that could get into those spaces. We have some City programming such as us donating $30,000 to a small business resource center located on Lincoln Way corridor. That is primarily there to focus on the Black Community. It is not specific to Lincoln Way. With regard to programming at Charles Black,brainstorming for that will be good as well. Mr. Davis Jr. stated, The reason that is listed on our agenda is on Western we see a night and day difference. Across the street you see all this Hispanic investment. On this side, there is nothing. Several years ago, the Council passed a resolution to approve the funding of Smart Streets. The Corridor Projects like Western and Lincoln Way were done by this Neighborhood Organization. Once that was done, voted on, funded and implemented, the funding went directly to the Brown Community and it didn't come back to the folks that visualized the project to happen. That is why we are here discussing this all over again. It is not us against any other community, we are just concerned that our tax dollars are not returning to our area. How do we develop a plan, lobby for the money, get the money,but then have nothing developed that we called for ourselves?How fair is that? That is not very fair. Mr. Donaldson stated,Also, if you want to make something happen, you have to be intentional. It is just like Smart Streets or anything else done in the City. That was done intentionally. You had a group of folks sit down and plan what they want to do and they did it. In reference to helping minority business,I don't care where you find them,but you have to find them and you have to go in and be intentional about finding them. We have to be intentional about what it is we want to do. Ms. Aldridge stated, With regard to intentionality, particularly with the African-American Community as opposed to any other immigrant community,the West Side just happens to be the place where any immigrant community is going to locate. It is the cheapest community and was the community we were red-lined to in the past. It is a racially contested space and, like you said, we have to be intentional. With regard to immigrant communities, I think that because they come and culturally have to be more entrepreneurial than everyone else, it's not easy to adapt. It's not that we're being more intentional with the Latino Community and not with the African-American Community, in fact, we are really trying hard to focus on the African-American Community and often times it takes a culture shift for us, as well. We need to get with our young folks and our Centers and make sure they understand part of contributing to this community is being a small business owner in this corridor. Or even within your own family,promoting entrepreneurship. We can get incentives all day but if a Black business owner doesn't walk onto the 14th floor and ask about them, it's not helpful to anyone. As much as we want to be intentional about it, we have to have help from the rest of the community as well. Committeemember Williams-Preston stated, I am also going to speak to intentionality because what you should know is that for the last two (2) or three (3) years it has been my very focus to get resources and support to the African-American Community. Out of that world and advocacy EXCELLENCE I ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION I INCLUSION I EMPOWERMENT 455 County-City Building 1227W.Jefferson BVIdI South Bend,Indiana 466011p574.235.9221if574.235.9173 TM574.235.55671www.southbendin.gov 7