A Model of Community Rebuilding through Collaboration
The
William Penn Foundation, in 1990, recognizing the need to demonstrate
the effectiveness of private and public partnerships in improving
inner-city neighborhoods established the Beech Corporation as a part
of its North Philadelphia Initiative.
The Beech Corporation's charge
( now known as Beech Interplex,
Inc. ) was to spearhead the revitalization of the Cecil
B. Moore neighborhood, a 26 square block area in North Central
Philadelphia. This was done through the coordination of
the efforts and services of organizations, financial participation
in projects, leveraging of funds and through monitoring and facilitating
appropriate adjustments in the improvement process.
The
programs of Beech revolve around a holistic approach to community
development. This includes empowerment of residents by promoting
homeownership and rental opportunities through rehabilitation and
new construction, education, job placement, economic development,
human services, and the beautification of open space areas.
The
premises that guided Beech's initial operations were:
- establishment
of a physical presence in the Cecil B. Moore area by locating
its office in the community
- implementation
of mechanisms to expedite improvement as opposed to adding another
bureaucratic layer
- enhancing
communication and cooperation between the community, private, and
public organizations
- accurate
assessment of community needs and addressing these needs in the
revitalization efforts
- incorporation
of planning visions with urban realities
- institutionalization
of services to ensure continued community growth once the major
revitalization efforts are concluded
- judicious
utilization and leveraging of grants and loans
- provide
long-term employment opportunities to low, moderate-income residents,
and unemployed members of the community
