• FRI One of 13 Organizations Selected by Citi Foundation and Low Income Investment Fund as part of “Partners in Progress” Initiative

    Hatcher Station Village, a modern, mixed-used development in South Dallas, came closer to reality today with an announcement in New York City that Frazier Revitalization, Inc., (FRI) received a $250,000 grant from Citi Foundation to increase economic progress as part of the Partners in Progress (PIP) initiative.

    The initiative, backed by the Citi Foundation and the Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF), is designed to increase capacity of trusted local organizations to create strong, resilient neighborhoods and paths to economic opportunity.

    “Hatcher Station Village is a catalyst for making connections with education, jobs, health care and community,” said FRI project leader Andrea Hills, who is in New York to receive the grant. “This grant will boost our ability to plan and attract economic development and much needed services in the Frazier neighborhood of South Dallas/Fair Park.”

    FRI, born out of the dreams of Frazier Neighborhood residents, was formed in 2005 for the purpose of providing leadership for implementation of the Frazier Neighborhood Master Plan prepared by noted architect and urban planner Antonio Di Mambro. FRI’s mission is to be a catalyst for the revitalization and transformation of Frazier by coordinating, supporting, and assisting in economic and cultural development.

    The proposed Hatcher Station Village is located on a 7-acresite across the street from the DART’s Green Line Hatcher Station. While plans are still being developed, the easy access to DART makes this project a cornerstone for economic opportunity in South Dallas, connecting the neighborhood to resources in health care, education, job training and employment.

    Through the PIP grant, FRI and 12 other grantees will be able to initiate or deepen their efforts to become “community quarterbacks.” In this role, FRI will lead the development or expansion of local stakeholder networks to improve places-the physical environment of a community including housing, transit, and safety- and create opportunities for people-such as jobs, child development, education, and health. PIP funding will enable grantees to engage and align an expanded range of partners, share knowledge, and use data to drive project design. In addition, grantees will participate in a learning community that will include coaching and skill building.

    “Recognizing that there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution to improving economic opportunity, we know the quarterback model works to align smart approaches with smart financing,” said Nancy O. Andrews, President and CEO of LIIF.

    “The Partners in Progress initiative is focused on identifying and supporting organizations that have the credibility and potential to be local community development champions,” said Pamela Flaherty, President & CEO of the Citi Foundation.

    The impetus behind the PIP initiative came from Investing in What Works for America’s Communities, a book LIIF co-published in 2012 with the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, which asserts that flexible and dynamic community quarterbacks could transform local community development efforts that are often fragmented and duplicative. The Citi Foundation supported LIIF’s work on the original book, and the PIP initiative now aims to advance the community quarterback model across the nation.

    To learn more about the PIP program, visit www.partnersinprogressproject.org.

    Follow PIP on Twitter, @PIPCommunities, and like the PIP Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/partnersinprogressproject. To learn more about FRI, visit http://www.fridallas.org.

    About the Citi Foundation

    The Citi Foundation is committed to the economic empowerment and financial inclusion of low- to moderate-income individuals and families in the communities where we work so that they can improve their standard of living. Globally, the Citi Foundation targets its strategic giving to priority focus areas: Microfinance, Enterprise Development, College Success, and Financial Capability and Asset Building. In the United States, the Citi Foundation also supports Neighborhood Revitalization programs. The Citi Foundation works with its partners in Microfinance, Enterprise Development, and Neighborhood Revitalization to support environmental programs and innovations. Additional information can be found at www.citifoundation.com.

    About the Low Income Investment Fund

    The Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) invests capital to support healthy families and communities. Since 1984, LIIF has served 1.5 million people by investing $1.4 billion. Over its history, LIIF has provided financing and technical assistance to create and preserve affordable housing, child care centers, schools, healthy food retail, health clinics and transit-oriented developments in distressed neighborhoods nationwide. LIIF’s work has generated $26 billion in family income and societal benefits. LIIF has offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City and Washington, D.C. For more information about LIIF, visit www.liifund.org.

    About Frazier Revitalization, Inc.

    FRI’s mission is to be a catalyst for the revitalization and transformation of the Frazier Neighborhood by coordinating, supporting, and assisting in economic and cultural development. FRI’s core areas of expertise include real estate development, community outreach and engagement, and collaboration with diverse sectors and organizations.

    CONTACT: Andrea Hills, 214-500-1586, ahills@fridallas.org