National Community Development Week started twenty-seven years ago and is spearheaded annually by the National Community Development Association. Additionally, National Community Development Week provides the opportunity for communities to invite congressional members and their staff to learn more about the accomplishments of CDBG and HOME, visit projects, and meet with people who have benefitted from these programs.

For more information, click here.

The Baca Building (right) and Estella’s Café (middle) are local landmarks on Bridge Street in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Families and individuals have been critical in supporting the city’s historic preservation efforts.

It has often been said that “If you’ve seen one rural town, you’ve seen one rural town.”  This observation is certainly true as each community has its own geography, history, natural resources, climate, and demographics.  However, the unique nature of each town should not serve as a barrier for sharing success stories and best practices because communities – particularly small towns – can learn much from each other about building partnerships, seeking innovative funding opportunities, and encouraging community participation in economic development projects.

While not every small town will have the same local assets and advantages described in these case studies, every community does have the opportunity to look at itself, bring residents and elected officials together, and set a vision for how to take advantage of local assets in whatever form they take.  It is the goal of these case studies  to provide a snapshot of a few communities that have succeeded in beginning to make those visions a reality.  Click here for an overview of the case studies

Featured Case Studies:

• Las Vegas, New Mexico
• Guthrie, Kentucky
• Potosi, Wisconsin
• Greenville, Kentucky
• Lavonia, Georgia
• Sheridan County, Wyoming
• Lewistown, Pennsylvania
• Clinton, Iowa
• Rome, Georgia

A citizen-supported restaurant and hotel tax in Greenville, Kentucky established a Tourism Commission which has financed downtown façade improvements as well as free festivals and concerts, including the popular summer music series, “Saturdays on the Square.” (Photo Courtesy of Greenville photographer Amy Hourigan)

Contact Brett Schwartz, Program Manager, at bschwartz@nado.org or 202.624.7736 with any inquiries.

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These case studies were researched and written by NADO Research Foundation Fellows Parrish Bergquist and Brett Schwartz. NADO Associate Director Kathy Nothstine provided editorial review and guidance. This project is based in part upon work supported by the Federal Highway Administration under Agreement No. DTFH61-10-C-00047 and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under Agreement No.  DCSGP0003-11. The substance and findings of the work are dedicated to the public. The author and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this publication. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government or the NADO Research Foundation.

Fifty miles south of Greenville, Kentucky (previously featured here), the Pennyrile Area Development District (PADD) has been a partner in another transformative small town redevelopment project in Guthrie.  This past August, the town broke ground on a planned Transportation Museum and Welcome Center, a $1.4 million project almost a decade in the making.

Guthrie, home to 1,400 residents, is located along the Kentucky-Tennessee border and is steeped in transportation and American history.  Known as the “Crossroads of the South,” the town is named after James Guthrie, former US senator from Kentucky and one-time president of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad – the company that built the first major switch track in the city.  Throughout the years, other rail lines would be routed through Guthrie both north-south and east-west, solidifying the town as a major destination during the golden era of the railroad.  The town also has its place in one of the darker episodes of American history as Native Americans on the Trail of Tears entered Kentucky by way of Guthrie on the journey westward.

Abandoned for decades, the two-building structure in downtown Guthrie known as the “Jenkins Building” will be home to a new transportation museum and Trail of Tears route welcome center when it opens in summer 2013. (Photo courtesy of De Leon and Primmer Architectural Workshop)

Though the railroad industry and Guthrie itself has changed much since its boom years, this town has not forgotten its roots and continues to embrace the culture of the industry that led to its development almost two centuries ago.  The transportation museum and welcome center for those touring the National Trail of Tears route will be located in a 120-year old two-building structure located downtown, known locally as the “Jenkins Building.”  Vacant since the early 1980s and currently in major disrepair, this 8,000 square foot space was the former site of a pharmacy and later the Jenkins Department Store which served the residents of Guthrie and surrounding areas for decades.  The red brick building was donated to the city after Mayor Scott Marshall reached out to the owner and discussed the plans for a museum.

Small Town, Big Expectations  

The museum and welcome center will be located in downtown Guthrie near the very train tracks (visible to the right and top of the photo) that helped shape the history and culture of this small Kentucky town. Click to enlarge map. (Image created using Google Earth)

Guthrie has set high expectations for this locally-driven project.  “Our goal is to have the museum be the same quality as one you would find in much larger cities, such as Louisville or Lexington,” says Tracy Robinson, Executive Manager of the city’s Guthrie Partners for Main Street.  Much of that high-end quality will come from enlisting the services of the De Leon & Primmer Architectural Workshop, a Louisville-based firm which specializes in designing modern projects that embrace local themes and history.  “A key part of the design concept was heavily influenced by common and familiar elements specific to the railroad and transportation industry that was so important to the city’s early growth,” explains principal Roberto de Leon.  Once completed, visitors will experience a renovated building which highlights the town’s past through the use of steel plate framing, concrete walls, and even color gel fluorescents which will elicit transportation-themed colors of red, yellow, green, blue, and brown.  The inside will mostly be gutted to make room for the modern exhibits, but the exterior façades and beautiful brick walls will be preserved, including a hand-painted vintage Coca-Cola mural advertising the soft drink for five cents a bottle.

Community involvement and buy-in was crucial while planning the museum.  “Throughout the design process, we worked closely and collaboratively with the Guthrie community and city leaders, organizing a series of workshops to maximize the value of the community’s investments in the project.  Most importantly, we were interested in the community’s aspirations,” says de Leon.

A rendering of the proposed exterior design for Guthrie’s transportation museum and welcome center. (Photo courtesy of De Leon and Primmer Architectural Workshop)

What was once an eyesore in downtown Guthrie will now attract visitors to learn about the city’s past, the transportation industry, and the larger surrounding region.  It is anticipated that visitors to the museum will benefit local businesses as people will shop and eat while downtown, an area that currently has 17 commercial buildings.  More importantly, the transportation museum is expected to serve as a larger catalyst for economic development in addition to the immediate local jobs created during the renovation stage.  “By renovating the Jenkins Building, this project can inspire other projects across the street, then down the street, and overall instill a sense of pride in the community,” says Robinson of Guthrie Partners for Main Street.  Finally, in addition to the economic development the museum is expected to bring to Guthrie is the priceless role that the museum will serve in celebrating the town’s past and reminding the residents, particularly children, of their own vibrant heritage.

‘You Must Be Persistent’

While the interior of the building will mostly be gutted, the building’s historic façade and brick exterior will be preserved, including this vintage Coca-Cola advertisement. (Photo courtesy of De Leon and Primmer Architectural Workshop)

Funding for the project was pooled from a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and $900,000 from two Kentucky Transportation Enhancement (TE) grants.  “During the grant process, you must be persistent,” explains Robinson.  “We had to compete with much larger communities vying for limited amounts of money which means you have to be creative.  A project like this means a lot to a community like ours and we were stubborn enough not to give up.”  That persistence was clearly demonstrated by Mayor Marshall who made numerous trips to the state capital in Frankfort to seek funding and support for the project.

PADD supported the city in preparing the application and are also administering the CDBG funds.  “The interstate highways today take you around the towns that used to be the jewels of the region,” says Jason Vincent, PADD’s Assistant Director.  “With this new museum, Guthrie will have an opportunity to showcase its rich transportation history by attracting visitors to town.”

Through this new museum and welcome center, Guthrie has been able to turn a community liability into a true asset.  When it opens in the summer of 2013, it will have been after years of hard work, struggle, and dedication – much in the same spirit of Guthrie’s original residents who built this railroad town many years ago.

This case study was researched and written by Brett Schwartz, NADO Research Fellow.

~~

This is part of the NADO Research Foundation’s Vibrant Rural Communities series of case studies, which describes how rural regions and small towns across the country are growing local and regional economies and creating stronger communities. This series shows how communities can leverage a wide range of tools and resources to build on their assets, protect their resources, and make strategic investments that offer long-term benefits.

This project is based in part upon work supported by the Federal Highway Administration under Agreement No. DTFH61-10-C-00047. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of FHWA or the NADO Research Foundation.

RETAIN FUNDING FOR LOCAL DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

ACTION NEEDED: Urge your members of Congress, especially those serving on the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies (T-HUD), to support the HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program as part of the final FY2013 Transportation-HUD Appropriations bill.  The members of NADO support retaining CDBG formula funds as a flexible, locally driven resource that provides valuable assistance for local community and economic development initiatives, including infrastructure and job creation projects supported by the CDBG state small cities program. 

ISSUE: The HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program continues to face cuts each year.  The program was reduced from $3.99 billion in FY2010 to $3.34 billion in FY2011 to $2.94 billion in FY2012. This continues a recent downward trend in CDBG funding since the program reached a high of $4.36 billion in FY2003.

On June 19, the House Appropriations Committee approved a FY2013 T-HUD appropriations measure (H.R. 5972) that would fund the CDBG program at $3.34 billion, approximately $400 million above FY2012 and level with the Administration’s FY2013 request.  During House floor debate of the T-HUD measure, an amendment offered by Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) to eliminate all funding for CDBG grants in FY2013 was soundly defeated with a 80-342 vote.

Of interest to regional development organizations, the House Appropriations Committee included report language that would examine how grantees use CDBG funds as matching dollars for other federal programs.  Specifically, the report directs HUD to detail the percentage of CDBG funds used to match other federal programs; which federal programs are being matched; the local match requirements of such federal programs; what portion of the local match requirements are being met using CDBG, by federal program; and what legal authority allows the use of CDBG as a local match, by federal program.

On April 19, the Senate Appropriations committee approved a FY2013 T-HUD appropriations measure (S. 2322) that would fund the CDBG program at $3.1 billion, approximately $150 million above FY2012 and the Administration’s FY2013 request.  It is unclear when the Senate will move the bill to the floor.

KEY TALKING POINTS:

• CDBG is an important tool used by state and local officials as they tackle their most serious community and economic development challenges, such as providing affordable housing, upgrading and building essential public infrastructure and water systems, creating small business development loan funds for local entrepreneurs and industries, and addressing local planning and technical assistance needs.
• At a time when local governments and communities are striving to overcome intensifying global economic competition, upgrade aging public infrastructure, and address the severe housing crisis, it is vital that federal policy makers continue to maintain support for the CDBG program.
• The cornerstone of the CDBG program is its locally driven, flexible, and bottom-up approach.  The program provides invaluable resources for 1,180 urban counties and cities to meet locally-identified needs.  As required by law, 30 percent of CDBG formula funding is reserved for states to assist rural communities with economic development, infrastructure improvements, and other fundamental building blocks for job creation and economic development.
• State, regional, and local officials use the CDBG program to provide valuable seed capital, gap financing, and core support for a variety of projects.  In addition, CDBG funds are typically used to leverage and attract private sector investments.  Every CDBG dollar invested in communities is leveraged, on average, by three dollars in private funding, bringing much needed business investments to distressed areas.

The following amendments were offered to the FY13 T-HUD Appropriations bill:

HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program:

So far, there have been three amendments offered and voted on that pertain to the HUD CDBG program:

• McClintock Amendment to H.R. 5972, FY2013 T-HUD Bill: The amendment offered by Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) proposed to eliminate all funding for CDBG grants in FY2013.  The amendment was defeated by a 80-342 vote.
  • To view the roll call vote, click here
• Chaffetz Amendment to H.R. 5972, FY2013 T-HUD Bill: The amendment offered by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) proposed to reduce CDBG by $396 million (reducing it to FY2012 levels).  The amendment was defeated by a 157-267 vote.
  • To view the roll call vote, click here
• Diaz-Balart Amendment to H.R. 5972, FY2013 T-HUD Bill: The amendment offered by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) proposed to increase the proportion of CDBG funds available for public services from 15 percent to 25 percent. The amendment was withdrawn and no vote was held.

HUD HOME program:

• Flake Amendment to H.R. 5972, FY2013 T-HUD Bill: The amendment offered by Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) proposed to reduce funding for the HOME program by $200 million (reducing it to the FY2012 level).  The amendment was defeated by a 178-242 vote.
  • To view the roll call vote, click here

ESSENTIAL AIR SERVICE AMENDMENT

• McClintock Amendment to H.R. 5972, FY2013 T-HUD Bill: The amendment offered by Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) proposed to eliminate all funding ($114 million) for the Essential Air Service.  The amendment was defeated by a 164-238 vote.
  • To view the roll call vote, click here

Contact your members in the U.S. House of Representatives and urge them to continue to support the HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program during floor consideration of the House FY2013 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD) appropriations bill.

If you are concerned about other programs funded under the T-HUD appropriations bill including HUD’s HOME Program (House proposes $200 million increase) and the Sustainable Communities Initiative (similar to last year, the House proposes no funding), or programs funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation, now is the time to weigh in with your House Representatives.

BACKGROUND ON CDBG AND LEGISLATIVE UPDATE:

Tomorrow (June 27), the U.S. House of Representatives will consider the FY2013 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD) appropriations bill (which funds programs under the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies).

The HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program has faced drastic cuts over the last several years.  The program was reduced from $3.99 billion in FY2010 to $3.34 billion in FY2011 to $2.94 billion in FY2012. This continues a recent downward trend in CDBG funding since the program reached a high of $4.36 billion in FY2003. For FY2013, the Administration proposed to fund CDBG at $2.9 billion which is the lowest amount recommended for CDBG since the late 1980s.

So far this year, things are looking more positive for the CDBG program.

On June 19, the House Appropriations Committee approved a FY2013 T-HUD appropriations measure that would fund the CDBG program at $3.34 billion, approximately $400 million above the FY2012 level and the Administration’s FY2013 request. Of interest to regional development organizations, the House Appropriations Committee included report language that would examine how grantees use CDBG funds as matching dollars for other federal programs.  Specifically, the report directs HUD to detail the percentage of CDBG funds used to match other federal programs; which federal programs are being matched; the local match requirements of such federal programs; what portion of the local match requirements are being met using CDBG, by federal program; and what legal authority allows the use of CDBG as a local match, by federal program. To view the House FY2013 T-HUD appropriations report, click here.

On April 19, the Senate Appropriations committee approved a FY2013 T-HUD appropriations measure that would fund the CDBG program at $3.1 billion, approximately $150 million above the FY2012 level and the Administration’s FY2013 request.  It is unclear when the Senate will move the bill to the floor. To view the Senate FY2013 T-HUD appropriations report, click here.

NOTE:  It is important to remember that the upcoming sequestration (automatic, across-the-board cuts to all federal discretionary programs), which is scheduled to occur starting January 2, 2013, would make additional cuts to the CDBG program.

KEY TALKING POINTS FOR CDBG:

• CDBG is an important tool used by state and local officials as they tackle their most serious community and economic development challenges, such as providing affordable housing, upgrading and building essential public infrastructure and water systems, creating small business development loan funds for local entrepreneurs and industries, and addressing local planning and technical assistance needs.
• At a time when local governments and communities are striving to overcome intensifying global economic competition, upgrade aging public infrastructure, and address the severe housing crisis, it is vital that federal policy makers continue to support the CDBG program.
• The cornerstone of the CDBG program is its locally driven, flexible, and bottom-up approach.  The program provides invaluable resources for 1,180 urban counties and cities to meet locally-identified needs.  As required by law, 30 percent of CDBG formula funding is reserved for states to assist rural communities with economic development, infrastructure improvements, and other fundamental building blocks for job creation and economic development.
• State, regional, and local officials use the CDBG program to provide valuable seed capital, gap financing, and core support for a variety of projects.  In addition, CDBG funds are typically used to leverage and attract private sector investments.  Every CDBG dollar invested in communities is leveraged, on average, by three dollars in private funding, bringing much-needed business investments to distressed areas.

Contact your members in the U.S. House of Representatives and urge them to continue to support the HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program during floor consideration of the House FY2013 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD) appropriations bill.

If you are concerned about other programs funded under the T-HUD appropriations bill including HUD’s HOME Program (House proposes $200 million increase) and the Sustainable Communities Initiative (similar to last year, the House proposes no funding), or programs funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation, now is the time to weigh in with your House Representatives.

BACKGROUND ON CDBG AND LEGISLATIVE UPDATE:

Tomorrow (June 27), the U.S. House of Representatives will consider the FY2013 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD) appropriations bill (which funds programs under the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies).

The HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program has faced drastic cuts over the last several years.  The program was reduced from $3.99 billion in FY2010 to $3.34 billion in FY2011 to $2.94 billion in FY2012. This continues a recent downward trend in CDBG funding since the program reached a high of $4.36 billion in FY2003. For FY2013, the Administration proposed to fund CDBG at $2.9 billion which is the lowest amount recommended for CDBG since the late 1980s.

So far this year, things are looking more positive for the CDBG program.

On June 19, the House Appropriations Committee approved a FY2013 T-HUD appropriations measure that would fund the CDBG program at $3.34 billion, approximately $400 million above the FY2012 level and the Administration’s FY2013 request. Of interest to regional development organizations, the House Appropriations Committee included report language that would examine how grantees use CDBG funds as matching dollars for other federal programs.  Specifically, the report directs HUD to detail the percentage of CDBG funds used to match other federal programs; which federal programs are being matched; the local match requirements of such federal programs; what portion of the local match requirements are being met using CDBG, by federal program; and what legal authority allows the use of CDBG as a local match, by federal program. To view the House FY2013 T-HUD appropriations report, click here.

On April 19, the Senate Appropriations committee approved a FY2013 T-HUD appropriations measure that would fund the CDBG program at $3.1 billion, approximately $150 million above the FY2012 level and the Administration’s FY2013 request.  It is unclear when the Senate will move the bill to the floor. To view the Senate FY2013 T-HUD appropriations report, click here.

NOTE:  It is important to remember that the upcoming sequestration (automatic, across-the-board cuts to all federal discretionary programs), which is scheduled to occur starting January 2, 2013, would make additional cuts to the CDBG program.

KEY TALKING POINTS FOR CDBG:

• CDBG is an important tool used by state and local officials as they tackle their most serious community and economic development challenges, such as providing affordable housing, upgrading and building essential public infrastructure and water systems, creating small business development loan funds for local entrepreneurs and industries, and addressing local planning and technical assistance needs.
• At a time when local governments and communities are striving to overcome intensifying global economic competition, upgrade aging public infrastructure, and address the severe housing crisis, it is vital that federal policy makers continue to support the CDBG program.
• The cornerstone of the CDBG program is its locally driven, flexible, and bottom-up approach.  The program provides invaluable resources for 1,180 urban counties and cities to meet locally-identified needs.  As required by law, 30 percent of CDBG formula funding is reserved for states to assist rural communities with economic development, infrastructure improvements, and other fundamental building blocks for job creation and economic development.
• State, regional, and local officials use the CDBG program to provide valuable seed capital, gap financing, and core support for a variety of projects.  In addition, CDBG funds are typically used to leverage and attract private sector investments.  Every CDBG dollar invested in communities is leveraged, on average, by three dollars in private funding, bringing much-needed business investments to distressed areas.