Since 2006, several sustainable communities have been planned and/or developed in St. Louis’ challenged Near North Side. Three of these present living examples of the evolution of approaches to sustainable affordable housing:
- Renaissance Place at Grand (a HOPE VI project) is a certified (Pilot) LEED for Neighborhood Development project that was built with new-urbanist and smart-growth principles.
- North Sarah Apartments (a HOPE VI project) is an Enterprise Green Community and includes adaptive “live/work” spaces in anticipation of a change in the market.
- The Near North Side (a Choice Planning and Implementation Community) is utilizing the tenets of EcoDistrict to expand sustainability and equity opportunities.
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s HOPE VI Program and Choice Neighborhoods Initiative required that a plan for People be put in place to help residents of redeveloping neighborhoods make progress toward self-reliance. For each of these Near North St. Louis developments, Urban Strategies has played a key role in designing and implementing comprehensive plans in collaboration with the community, providing support as neighborhoods phase from planning to transformation to sustainable and thriving communities. These sustainability sites showcase the best of resident-led community redevelopment that a neighborhood elevates and supports.
SPEAKERS
Cady Scott Seabaugh, Vice President – Communications & Sustainability, McCormack Baron Salazar, Inc.
Cady Seabaugh manages communications across the company and externally with funders, government partners, resident partners and the media. In this role, she oversees public relations, new business development, funding applications, social and new media, and internal communications. In addition, as a LEED Accredited Professional, she assists Project Managers and the Design and Construction team in ensuring that all sustainability goals and performances are met.
Esther Shin, M.S.W., President, Urban Strategies
Esther Shin leads a team of professionals with expertise in human capital and economic development to help people in communities across the United States. She believes that all residents want safe, vibrant neighborhoods to work, live, and play. Esther has led or supported in securing nine Choice Neighborhood Implementation grants, amounting to more than $270 million in federal resources, which has leveraged more than $3 billion in additional investments. She was recently named by the St. Louis Business Journal as one of the Most Influential Business Women, and, in 2016, Esther was selected by the Annie E. Casey Foundation for the tenth class of their Children and Family Fellowship. The Fellowship works to increase the pool of leaders with the vision and ability to frame and sustain major system reforms and community, capacity building initiatives that benefit large numbers of children and families.