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Community spaces require community ownership. GCC is working to understand the feasibility, structure, and funding requirements for a community land trust in St. Louis. With a grant from Missouri Department of Conservation, The Rome Group is developing a business and financial plan, in consultation with a Steering Committee of residents and stakeholders. |
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IMPLEMENTATION PARTNERS The Rome Group // Missouri Department of Conservation // Land Reutilization Authority of the City of St. Louis (LRA) FUNDING PARTNERS Missouri Department of Conservation |
Current partners and the Steering Committee are working to define a blueprint for a sustainable community-based land trust in St. Louis. Staff, however, will be hired by a future Board of Directors (with minimum 60% representation from high-vacancy neighborhoods). It is the intention of the Steering Committee to provide core documents that define the requirements for local representation, hiring practices, anti-discrimination policies, and guiding principles to ensure that future staff represent and reflect land trust communities.
CASE STATEMENT Released in March 2020, the Case Statement describes some of St. Louis' history that led to high rates of vacancy; the potential role for a land trust in reducing vacancy; the proposed scope for a trust as it relates to green spaces, housing, and jobs; tools for holding residents at the center of equitable development; a general budget; and a reference list of regional plans and reports that discuss or recommend community land ownership in St. Louis. FEASIBILITY STUDY In May 2017, members of GCC approached the Environmental Studies Program at Washington University in St. Louis about collaborating to research options for creating a land trust focused on converting vacant land to community green space. Members expressed an interest in understanding the financial costs and benefits of vacant land conversion under the current and potential alternative models, as well as the process for community empowerment in a land trust organizational structure. In October 2018, the Environmental Studies Program released the Land Trust Feasibility Report, which includes:
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GREEN CITY COALITION
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