New Partners for Community Revitalization

Research has revealed that the single, most important factor in advancing a community-supported brownfields reclamation agenda is the availability of good technical assistance and flexible funding (that may or may not get re-paid) that can be invested upfront in a project to reduce the uncertainty of a project to the point where a site is “developable.” The Brownfields Strategic Technical Assistance Resources Targeted to Underutilized Properties Program (or “START-UP Program”) has been created to fill this need. Nonprofit developers and nonprofit groups working with for-profit developers are invited to seek assistance being made available through the START-UP Program for site-specific, community-supported brownfield redevelopment projects.

Atlantic Terrace Through the Brownfields START-UP Program, NPCR offers flexible, targeted technical and financial assistance to non-profit developers and non-profit groups working with for-profit developers to advance community-supported brownfield redevelopment projects. NPCR also provides assistance to nonprofit Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) program participants. To date, NPCR has provided over $200,000 of technical and financial assistance to 20 projects across NYC’s five boroughs. Project sites have included properties with abandoned buildings and urban fill, former gas stations and heavily contaminated former manufacturing facilities. Assistance has included assessing environmental data and concerns, developing strategies for addressing those concerns; evaluating entry into regulatory programs, developing scopes of work and associated documents for contractor selection, review of consultant work products, addressing community health and safety concerns, evaluating ways to integrate remediation and redevelopment and BOA report review. NPCR offers three types of assistance:

Direct Technical Assistance: which may include report and data review to determine environmental conditions and the need for additional site characterization, assistance with pre-development and development strategies, project management to oversee contractor selection and work quality, and advice on regulatory programs as well as Step 1, 2 and 3 project assistance to BOA program participants;
Financial Assistance to Retain Technical Service Providers: START-UP Program funds are available to reimburse nonprofit developers for external service providers in the pre-development phase; and there is a per project cap of $50,000, usually in increments of $10,000;
Zero percent or low interest recoverable bridge loans for nonprofit BOA program participants: START-UP funds are available to provide bridge loans where BOA grant funding from the State has been delayed.

START-UP Program assistance can be paid for through a variety of mechanisms including fee-for-service arrangements (which may involve deferred payment schedules or forgivable payments), philanthropic grant funds secured by NPCR for this program, or recoverable loans to BOA grantees. The availability and terms of the assistance are based on project need and program resources. Eligibility requires a demonstrated commitment to community engagement as well as a community-supported end-use. Projects are eligible at any stage of predevelopment or development.

START-UP Program Overview (PDF)
START-UP Program Brochure (MS Word)
START-UP Program Application, March 2009 (MS Word)
Case History: Atlantic Terrace, Brooklyn, NY (MS Word)
Organizations that have received START-UP Technical Assistance (MS Word)
NPCR Resource Directory (PDF)

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