Sustainability Consulting for Groundwork Indy
Overview:
KERAMIDA provided strategic and tactical recommendations for funding and implementing municipal sustainability efforts and developed memoranda and funding requests for city-wide efforts in support of the City of Indianapolis’ long term vision of building vibrant, livable Indianapolis neighborhoods.
Project Details:
As a way to build community capacity for brownfield reuse, and reduce dependency on grant funding, KERAMIDA conceptualized, drafted Indianapolis’ letter of intent, completed a successful application, and coordinated the Groundwork USA feasibility study for the launch of the local Groundwork Trust.
KERAMIDA drafted a successful letter of intent, followed by full proposal to rebrand and transform Indianapolis’ United North West Area (UNWA) neighborhood into an eco-district where stakeholders of other urban neighborhoods could observe and replicate community-led, place-based approaches for:
Improving waterway access and quality
Rehabilitating existing, but underfunded, park and recreation assets
Mitigating food access challenges though urban agriculture
Reactivating underutilized or vacant properties
Remediating the health threats of brownfields
Connecting neighborhood residents to amenities
KERAMIDA proposed an approach to maximize the impact of existing UNWA organizations, including two neighborhood organizations, a community development corporation, a community service center, two city-established Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts, and over 50 churches and other religious institutions and serve as an implementation agent of brownfield reuse strategies.
KERAMIDA facilitated the coordination with Groundwork USA to complete a feasibility study, which resulted in the 2015 launch of Groundwork Indy, with a mission to reclaim urban brownfields. As the local Project Coordinator for the Groundwork Indy Feasibility Study, KERAMIDA planned Steering Committee working sessions with Groundwork USA and the National Park Service (NPS), provided input, reviewed and commented on Groundwork USA draft documents, organized meetings with local partners and city officials, secured endorsements from NPS, EPA, Groundwork USA and the City, and secured commitments for matching funds. KERAMIDA handled all communications on behalf of the Steering Committee and represented the Committee at relevant local community meetings; maintained a detailed database of contacts made during the feasibility study/strategic plan phase with notes about the potential for future involvement as donors, cooperators, clients, advisors or board members; and documented all funding, in-kind services, volunteer hours, materials, and equipment leveraged by the Groundwork Indy Steering Committee to support their work.
KERAMIDA also secured and led the implementation of Indianapolis’ first U.S. EPA-Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Grant, which emerged as a vehicle to tap the opportunity for beneficial and transformative change that exists among the many brownfield sites found within the coalition of urban neighborhoods, which comprise the Northwest Area of Indianapolis. The final plan for the work completed is located here. Based upon this experience, KERAMIDA successfully secured a second U.S. EPA-Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Grant for Indianapolis’s Indy East Promise Zone as well.
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