Accomplishments of The Council
In the initial application to become a Front Porch community, a Neighborhood Action Plan (NAP) was formulated. This NAP would dovetail into the comprehensive Newtown Redevelopment Plan, which was completed and adopted in October 2002. The idea was that Newtown Front Porch would become the community based organization/ vehicle that would help build consensus and unity among neighborhood residents and subsequently the vehicle by which the Newtown Redevelopment Plan would be realized, in partnership with the City of Sarasota, who commissioned the study/plan. This report discusses the accomplishments of the Newtown Front Porch Neighborhood Revitalization Council (NFPNRC) in that respect.
The Newtown Front Porch Neighborhood Revitalization Council’s mission is to serve the Newtown community by improving the quality of life for its residents, redeveloping the business community and providing the education and economic stimulus that will facilitate the Newtown community’s efforts to become a self sustaining, highly desirable destination location / mixed-income community that no longer depends on entitlements and subsidies for its survival.
During the five plus years since being designated it has become increasingly clear that the formalization of a Community Development Corporation was a priority. The NFPNRC has worked diligently to build consensus among residents in the community and engage them on a consistent basis. Through a strategic partnership with the City of Sarasota and the Newtown Redevelopment Office, the NFPNRC has been provided office space in the City-owned building at 1782 Dr. MLK, Jr. Way. This building strategically houses the Newtown Redevelopment Office, the Enterprise Zone Development Agency staff person and a Police Substation.
With input from Newtown community residents, including NFPNRC, the City of Sarasota constructed a parking lot at the northwest corner of Dr. MLK, Jr. Way and North Links Avenue in anticipation of the redevelopment along the Dr. MLK, Jr. Way corridor.
In 2004, the NFPNRC embarked on an effort to provide minor repairs to homes of the elderly in Newtown. This project was named Operation ReHabitat. The program began with an investment of $50,000 from the Office of Urban Opportunity and the NFPNRC was able to leverage that through a matching grant of $50,000 from the City of Sarasota. In March 2006, NFPNRC partnered with Habitat for Humanity Sarasota, with its volunteer force and Global Day of Prayer who enlisted the support of local churches through its 90 Days of Blessings. Through these strategic partnerships 36 homes were completed and the quality of life for the residents was greatly enhanced.
In 2004-2005 members of the NFPNRC participated extensively with the Housing Authority of the City of Sarasota in its Hope VI planning process, which did not result in the Housing Authority receiving one of the competitive grants for redevelopment. However, in 2007, the NFPNRC successfully partnered with the Housing Authority and Michael’s Development to apply for and receive $7 million in low income tax credits for Phase I of the redevelopment of public housing properties in Newtown.
Late 2005, The NFPNRC worked with representatives from Wal-Mart and the City of Sarasota Newtown Redevelopment Office in an effort to bring a Super Wal-Mart to the Newtown community, on an old Brownfield site owned by the City of Sarasota. It was felt by many that this would jumpstart the redevelopment effort and provide much needed jobs as well. This effort subsequently failed after Wal-Mart decided to exercise other options.
In 2006 the NFPNRC commissioned and completed an Economic Feasibility Study to identify the types of businesses that could be successful in Newtown. This process was led by the firm of Wilson Miller and engaged community residents to express their views and concerns. The study was completed and presented to the Sarasota City Commission in June 2006.
In 2006, NFPNRC worked with the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and Florida Power & Light on it Home Energy makeover Project. The NFPNRC identified 50 homes where complete home energy audits were conducted by teams of FPL/Community Foundation volunteers and things like energy efficient bulbs installed; insulation for hot water heaters provided; water saving shower heads installed, etc.
In 2007, the NFPNRC formed an alliance with the Greater Newtown Community Redevelopment Corporation and the Sarasota County Branch of the NAACP to support the City of Sarasota’s efforts to convince Sarasota County Government to expand the Community Redevelopment Area to include Newtown. We lobbied commissioners, held a press conference announcing our solidarity and attended the commission meeting in support of the expansion. The Sarasota County Commission unanimously approved the measure and established the Newtown Community Redevelopment Area. The NFPNRC is working with the redevelopment office staff to develop a Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) Plan to be presented for adoption by the CRA and City Commission before June 30, 2008.
In response to citizen concerns, the City of Sarasota, through its Traffic Calming Task Force, which included members of the Amaryllis Park Neighborhood Association, NFPNRC and others, additional traffic calming devices were constructed on 24th Street, Goodrich Avenue and Leon Avenue.
The NFPNRC has worked very hard to establish and maintain an excellent relationship with the Sarasota Police Dept. Administration from Chief Abbott to the North District Lieutenant who regularly attends monthly Council meetings, to the patrol officers who work the neighborhood. The NFPNRC Chair receives minutes of the Police Chief Advisory Committee meetings and various members attend the North Sarasota Community Action Task Force meetings/activities, which addresses public safety concerns in the Newtown area.
With regard to youth programs, the NFPNRC, since its designation, has awarded approximately $40,000 in grant funds to Newtown community organizations serving youth. Those organizations include Bay City Ballers, a youth basketball and mentoring program; Brothers and Sisters Doing the Right Thing, a mentoring program; Wings Academy, an after school enrichment program; The Roy McBean Boys & Girls Club for its youth food service program; Children First for scholarships to parents of children enrolled at the Helen R. Payne location; Second Chance Last Opportunity, a program targeted to reduce the risk of HIV/AIDS, teen pregnancy and school dropouts in the community; Bethel Academy, to provide summer education for youth to improve their reading, writing and math skills; Bethesda Outreach to provide opportunities to help strengthen “at risk” youth and restore families in the community; Choice, Inc, provided workshops to focus on conflict resolution; Scream 4 Success, to celebrate the over 3000 minority students with 3.0 and above gpa; Genesis Inc., mentoring program for middle and high school students to motivate and encourage to go into the medical field; and Back to School Bash, where free haircuts and school supplies were provided to children in the community.
In the area of urban design, the NFPNRC has worked extensively with the city of Sarasota NRO to encourage community input and support for the redevelopment if the Fredd “Glossie” Atkins Park at Dr. MLK, Jr. Way & Washington Court, the eastern gateway to the Newtown Business district. The Council raised the first $25,000 of a challenge grant from the Selby Foundation of Sarasota, which in turn awarded $150,000 to the City of Sarasota towards renovations of the park. The total cost of the park renovations was $1,200,000. The NFPNRC adopted the park through the Keep Sarasota County Beautiful program and conducts monthly cleanups there and along the Dr. MLK, Jr. Way Corridor.
To further enhance the appearance of the neighborhood, the NFPNRC holds an annual Plant Away event where landscaping plants, mailboxes, mulch, etc. are given to area residents who complete a survey regarding various community concerns. In 2007, the survey discussed healthcare issues and was conducted by the Sarasota county Health Dept. and Genesis Health Services. Additionally, the NFPNRC has purchased banners to hang from streetlights along the Dr. MLK, Jr. Way Corridor. The Council is currently working with the City of Sarasota Public Works Dept. to purchase additional trashcans to place along the corridor as well.
The formation of the Sarasota Community Development Corporation, a subsidiary of the NFPNRC will be completed in the first quarter or 2008, to manage and administer the revitalization efforts in the Newtown community and along Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. The CDC will lobby the city to be the owner/developer of the first major new construction development along the MLK corridor. It will be a 20,000 square foot, two-level, mixed-use public-private development that will house a bank, restaurant and other first floor retail with office/professional on the second level. The bank and restaurant have made commitments to be in the development.
The NFPNRC re-established and sponsored the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Freedom March in 2005. In 2006 the celebration was expanded into a “week of service” celebration that included events such as Habitat for Humanity Homebuilding Blitz, Gospel Concerts that included local school and college/university choirs– FAMU and BCU, reading to elementary and daycare school children. The 2008 celebration will feature an awards banquet to honor local citizens and organizations that have demonstrated high levels of service to the community. It will also feature Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s daughter, Rev. Bernice King as the guest speaker. Proceeds from the banquet will provide scholarships to deserving local high school graduates.
