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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCRA-R-19-0016 OMNI CRA ProposalMay 161h, 2019 Mr. Jason Walker Executive Director Omni Community Redevelopment Agency 1401 North Miami Avenue Miami, Florida 33136 Dear Jason: It was a pleasure meeting with you and your team to discuss the enhancements we are doing at Chapman Partnership to support and help lead the ongoing revitalization efforts of the Omni CRA. We are thrilled to forge our relationship and see your organization as instrumental to enhancing the quality of life for all residents within its jurisdiction, especially our underserved. To further your mission of enhancing the quality of life, the Omni CRA invested in Chapman Partnership by supporting our efforts to improve our appearance for the community and to drive facility improvements to ensure the North Center is showcased in a positive light within the surrounding area. More importantly, create a more welcomed and inviting appearance for our residents, especially our families and children. In our continuing effort to enhance Chapman Partnership and the surrounding Omni neighborhood, we are executing a comprehensive security plan and property enhancement efforts in FY 2019. We want to support Omni CRA's efforts toward creating a vibrant and safer community with pedestrian - friendly streets and aesthetically appealing buildings. As part of our plan, we have also enlisted the support from the City of Miami Police Department to share best practices and assess our areas of vulnerability. We are pleased to say that in our action plan, we have included many of those recommendations. We welcome your consideration to support our efforts and collaborate with us to fund our security, safety, and property enhancement efforts. Your commitment of $200,000 for two years, for a total award of $400,000 will go to safety, security, and enhancements to all Chapman North properties, right here in Omni. Case Statement: Chapman Partnership is contributing to the development of a viable urban community that provides decent housing and suitable living for formerly homeless persons, while enhancing CRA communities through the removal of slum and blight conditions. In FY 2017-18, Chapman North reported 1,255 successful outplacements, the majority of these departures were placed within the boundaries of the City of Miami, and more particularly the Omni and Overtown CRAB. With the goal of augmenting safety and security infrastructure, Chapman Partnership will be making the following enhancements to: • 1550 North Miami Avenue (leased property), which provides residence to 500 men, women and children nightly; • 100+ employee vehicle parking lot and a 10,000 sq.ft. warehouse (Chapman owned property) storing donated furniture and other household items that provide residents with essentials on move -out day; • Volunteer parking lot (leased property), which accommodates parking for approximately 4,000 volunteers annually; and • The 1.55-acre developable parcel of land (Chapman owned property) located at 1551 N.W. 1" Avenue (western parcel site behind the Brightline tracks). With leased and owned property encompassing more than five city blocks (leases extending beyond 2043), Chapman North looks to enhance its community presence for locals, businesses and tourists and the ongoing foot traffic from new residents within the area through the following plan of action and improvements. 1. Designing Flow for Families and Children o Separating families with children from single adult male and female intakes through a newly designed family entrance. Families will use the new entrance throughout their stay at Chapman North, further promoting safety of children as they daily enter and exit the Miami -Dade County Public School busses that transport them to/from local elementary, middle and senior high schools. On average, Chapman North daily houses 150 children ages 17 and under. 2. Improving Flow off the streets: o Creating a more amiable entrance as City of Miami Outreach workers escort intakes to Chapman North. Currently this process often results in congestion, with overflow onto the sidewalk area directly in front of the Center's entrance. Optics from the street will be greatly improved as well as facilitating better control of the building's perimeter, augmenting safety and security for both Chapman residents and passer byers. 3. Increasing Security and providing high quality staff o As the newly designed entrances will add two entry and exit points, additional security teams will need to secure the egresses. Chapman Partnership will contract with a new security company with more experienced guards at the Lieutenant and Sergeant levels, with these new positions primarily being used during key exit and entry times of day. 4. Property Enhancements o Fencing improvements and repairs at the front gate o Landscaping o Trash collection o Pressure cleaning of sidewalks and entryways In support of our efforts through more Omni area police presence, a collaboration has been established with the City of Miami Police Department through which the department will enhance its visibility at Chapman North with the following 1. Regular police presence throughout the day with extra stops on patrol routes and entry into the building. 2. The City of Miami Police Department will utilize Chapman North as a K-9 and Cadet training center, with other various police officer meetings hosted onsite. 3. Chapman will offer opportunities for coffee and snack where appropriate through regular stop into our center All the above will create a greater presence in our community and further drive a strong relationship with the City of Miami Police Department. As a result of Omni CRA support, Chapman Partnership will be enabled to allocate private sector dollars to training all employees (100+) on enhanced safety and security techniques, such as de-escalation, crisis intervention, and dealing with mental health and/or substance abuse issues. Additional support will be used to upgrade technology and security systems, and improve perimeter fencing. I welcome your investment as help improve our Omni community while supporting our residents through our programs and services. Together we can, make a difference to improve the quality of life for all residents and have a positive impact in our community. Sincerely, Symeria Hudson President & CEO Organizational History and Overview Since 1993 Chapman Partnership North, located within the boundaries of the Omni and Overtown CRAB, has provided comprehensive programs and services conducted in collaboration with others to more than 90,000 individuals. In 2018, 726 individuals from within the Overtown community received services at Chapman North. Today, Chapman Partnership is a pillar in the community, with our Homeless Assistance Center serving 500 residents nightly, including families with children representing 45% of the population served, single adult men (43%) and single adult women (12%). From its genesis, Chapman Partnership embraced the goal of contributing to the vibrant revitalization of its surrounding community by augmenting the quality of life of individuals experiencing housing instability. Serving as the private sector partner to the Miami -Dade County Homeless Trust, co -created with the Trust in 1993, Chapman Partnership is credited with reducing the local homeless rate from over 8,000 individuals living on our streets in early 1990 to a mere 1,008 per the January 2019 Homeless Point -in -Time census. The location of Chapman Partnership North was once blighted and the land unused. Chapman Partnership's founding Chair - Alvah H. Chapman Jr., the former CEO of Knight Ridder was charged with developing and implementing a strategic plan to serve the homeless which became the Miami - Dade County Homeless Plan. Chapman Partnership North sits on 3.5 acres of land owned by Miami -Dade County Public Schools and serves as a beacon of hope for over 3,000 residents annually. Located at the epicenter of a blend of new retail, restaurant, entertainment and residential offerings that are quickly becoming the destination of choice for locals and tourists the Center's arched -framed rooftops, swaying palm trees, a children's playground, and multi - sport basketball court gives passing residents and Hop -on Hop -off Big Bus sightseers the impression that Chapman North is a well maintained apartment -style dwelling —far from the soup -kitchen mentality of homeless services. Within its walls is located a landscape of empowering programs far beyond those expected of emergency housing (e.g., shelter, food, clothing, laundry facilities), with Chapman Partnership's homeless assistance model designated as a national best practice in delivering an extensive network of comprehensive, holistic care that motivates residents to reach their ultimate goal of self-sufficiency and independence. With the goal of successfully outplacing residents as quickly as possible into permanent supportive, market -rate or rapid rehousing, transitional housing, or reunification with family members. Chapman Partnership assists residents in developing a client -centered Housing Stability Plan at intake addressing the complex social factors (e.g., poverty, education level, employment history, housing needs, mental illness, addiction issues, non-existent natural support system) affecting their health and quality of life. Through an individualized case plan, residents access a constellation of public and private sector support (over 150 program partners, including government, social service, faith -based and civic groups) coalesced under one roof with programs and services designed to restore and effectively ameliorate the cyclical nature of their homelessness. E!