Green Impact Zone Hosts White House Delegation
Dignitaries cut the ribbon at the opening of the Neighborhood Assistance Center
Photo: James Maidhof Photography
More photos from the event on Flickr»
Administration officials from Washington, D.C., joined U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II and dozens of local officials and neighborhood leaders to celebrate the opening of MARC's Green Impact Zone Neighborhood Assistance Center at 4600 Paseo in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, Sept. 1.
Visiting dignitaries included:
- Secretary Shaun Donovan, Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
- Deputy Secretary of Transportation John Porcari
- Adolfo Carrion, director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs
- Van Jones, special advisor for green jobs with the White House Council for Environmental Quality
- Derek Douglas, special advisor to the president for urban affairs
In addition to attending the ribbon cutting, the officials took part in a walking tour of the Ivanhoe neighborhood and a policy forum where local leaders had an opportunity to discuss ways the federal government could help move the project forward.
The Green Impact Zone initiative is an effort to concentrate resources — with funding, coordination, and public/private partnerships — in one specific area to demonstrate that a targeted effort can literally transform a community. This national model for place-based investment is now underway in the heart of Kansas City's urban core. The project, proposed by U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, will put people and dollars to work to strengthen neighborhoods, create jobs and improve energy efficiency.
