Funding
The city of Kansas City, Mo., provided core funding to support our administration and planning, neighborhood capacity building and outreach efforts. MARC, the Green Impact Zone and numerous community partners leveraged the city's initial investment through competitive public and private grants, which benefited not only the Green Impact Zone but also other areas across the region.
City of Kansas City Investments
The city of Kansas City's support for the Green Impact Zone has been instrumental in building a solid foundation for community transformation. From 2009 to 2012, the city has invested $4.2 million in the Green Impact Zone. In addition to administrative costs for office space and staff to manage this complex initiative, these funds have supported a wide variety of projects, including:
- Community leadership training for more than 250 residents of the zone and other KC neighborhoods.
- Neighborhood capacity-building projects such as neighborhood cleanup events.
- Community-wide events and door-to-door outreach to inform residents about available services.
- Job skills training for young adults who have completed concrete repair work at nearly 100 homes in the zone.
- Extensive data collection to document current conditions and measure progress in the zone.
- Strategic planning to support housing and redevelopment projects.
- Youth programs to offer environmental education and leadership training to high-school students in the zone.
- Attracting national and local developers and investors to the zone and to Kansas City.
Leveraging Public and Private Investments
Kansas City's initial investment has helped leverage numerous additional federal grants, and these public investments are now leveraging even more private funds. The following list itemizes more than $178 million in investments that were either facilitated by the Green Impact Zone concept or came about as a result of zone partnerships.
- SmartGrid — $48 million in DOE and KCP&L; funds for a SmartGrid demonstration project in the zone and surrounding neighborhoods.
- TIGER — $50 million in DOT funds for transportation infrastructure ($26.2 million in the zone) and improved transit access across the region.
- EnergyWorks KC — A $20 million EECBG grant to Kansas City and partners for energy retrofits in the zone and six other KC neighborhoods.
- Sustainable Communities — $4.25 million in HUD funds for sustainability planning in the region, including $145,000 for housing work in the zone.
- Brownfields Development — A $1 million EPA grant for brownfields development in Jackson County, with a particular focus on the zone.
- Housing Rehabilitation — 23 Properties and $172,500 donated by Wells Fargo to the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council.
- Weatherization — $2.7 million in MDNR funding for an ongoing city program, adding 115 homes in the zone where weatherization was completed.
- Related Investments — Troost Bridge, $9 million; Troost BRT, $24.5 million; NSP3, $1.8 million; NHS (Federal Home Loan Bank) $283,000; EDA (Climate Sustainability Center Study) $250,000.
- Blue Hills Contractor Incubator Project — $2.2 million of a $3.1 million renovation of the 5008 Prospect building, which will serve as a contractor's incubator and Blue Hills Community Services offices.
- Bancroft School Development — A $14 million redevelopment of the vacant Bancroft School with affordable housing units and community space.