1. Periodically, and in conjunction with the State's five-year Open Space Plan, examine recreational facilities for usage, condition, accessibility and other factors in regard to changing neighborhood needs.
2. Maximize the value of existing facilities, through improvements or equipment, rather than further dilute maintenance resources with additional responsibilities.

2. PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS

   GOAL:

1. To improve the condition of the public infrastructure in support of other community development activities taking place in the area.

1. Address any adverse or inadequate conditions of the public infrastructure in conjunction with other neighborhood revitalization efforts, to improve safety and the neighborhood environment.

3. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

   The City acknowledges that the recent economic climate has rendered this category a high priority. Support of economic development activities can take many forms, including inducements to business expansion through improvements to the public infrastructure, or public service job training/job matching activities. In the past, subrecipients have encountered difficulties in meeting CDBG job creation requirements when assisting for-profit businesses. Understandably, no agency wants to turn away business development because of certain funding conditions.

   Within the city, either through municipal resources or through non-profit providers, business loans, loan guarantees, technical assistance and/or access to the federal Small Business Administration are currently available. The amount of CDBG available for other community development activities, including economic development, renders the funding of duplicate services an unwise investment of limited resources. The challenge to the Consortium is to coordinate the economic development assistance currently available, include more private participation, especially through area financial institutions, support education and training activities and support public domain initiatives to increase business activity.

   The City of Chicopee, through its Office of Community Development, provides business development loans through the Chicopee Development Incentive Program (CDIP), a gap financing vehicle designed to create or retain jobs primarily for persons of low to moderate income. Loan review is accompanied in partnership with the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce.

   Chicopee also supports economic development activities of the Western Metropolitan Development Corporation in their marketing and siting of companies at Airpark West and Airpark North, as well as WestMass Area Development Corporation in their master planning and marketing of the Chicopee River Technology Park, a project also underwritten by the City of Springfield.

   GOALS:

1. To encourage diversification and increased business activity through the coordination of efforts to promote and market the area.
2. To attract private investment for the rehabilitation, preservation and restoration of urban commercial areas.
3. To retain and expand business development and increase employment opportunities.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Foster private investment which will result in job creation for low and moderate income persons by assisting in public infrastructure improvements.
2. Advance economic self-sufficiency of low and moderate income residents through the support education and job training programs to improve job-readiness and opportunity.
3. Support efforts to leverage private investment in low/moderate income neighborhood commercial areas, through such activities as facade improvement and technical assistance.
4. Based on prior experiences, the Chicopee Development Incentive Program (CDIP) will endeavor to make three (3) loans totaling approximately $200,000, leveraging $600,000 in private investment and creating or retaining 50 to 60 jobs. At least 1% of these jobs will be occupied by persons of low to moderate income.

4. PUBLIC SERVICES

   GOAL:

   To support those services for which the greatest need exists and which relate most closely to other activities affecting neighborhood revitalization and quality of life.

   OBJECTIVE:

   To expend up to 15 percent of the City's yearly CDBG allocation in support of services that meet the overall goal and CDBG eligibility/benefit requirements. These may include: youth services, senior services, recreational services, employment training, child care homeless services, education crime prevention, tenant/landlord counseling, fair housing, substance abuse prevention, health services and handicapped services.

5. HISTORIC PRESERVATION

   GOAL:

   To undertake select activities to preserve the cultural identity and physical history of the area.

   OBJECTIVE:

   Preservation of historic properties listed, or eligible to be listed, on the National Register of Historic Places.

6. OTHER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT NEEDS

   GOAL:

   To undertake such activities which are necessary to eliminate slums, prevent blight or address health, safety or environmental conditions in otherwise stable neighborhoods or in areas undergoing revitalization.

   OBJECTIVES:

1. Eliminate lead paint hazards in targeted units through participation in the region's two-year Lead Based Paint Abatement Program. Two year impact goal: 45 units.
2. Judicious clearance of vacant/dilapidated structures to eliminate threats to public health of safety, slums or blighting conditions or to undertake other eligible activities.

Anti-Poverty Strategy

See Executive Summary for the Holyoke-Chicopee Consortium.

Housing and Community Development Resources

The City of Chicopee will continue its efforts to use a portion of its Community Development Block Grant allocation to address non-housing community development priorities. The City will also seek out state and other federal funding sources Massachusetts Community Development Action Grants, Urban Self-Help Grants, Public Works Economic Development Grants, and Urban Parks and Recreation Recovery Grants.

Coordination of the Strategic Plan

The City of Chicopee will continue to use its portion to realize stated goals and objectives. The City will balance requests with objectives, available funding and how objectives can be met through other resources, as well as how the proposed project coordinates with other housing and community development activities.

The City will continue its cooperative relationship with its public housing authority to maintain concerted efforts to keep the changing needs of the homeless and special needs population a top priority. The fulfillment of this plan relies on the cooperation among government officials, neighborhood groups, residents, implementing agencies and funding agencies. By creating a network of these agencies the City seeks to bring together a unified commitment towards strengthening the fabric of its urban neighborhoods.

Description of Key Projects

The non-housing community development projects to be undertaken include improvements to neighborhood recreational facilities, improvements to neighborhood public facilities, infrastructure improvements to lower income residential areas, assistance to industrial subdivision and public services. Key project types include:

• $55,560 for improvements to neighborhood recreational facilities.
• $305,000 to neighborhood public facilities.
• $200,000 for public utilities.
• $60,000 sidewalk improvements in lower income residential areas.
• $75,000 for industrial subdivision.
• $915,940 for public services, allocated to the following categories:
• $52,968 for senior services;
• $65,332 for day care services;
• $30,000 for youth recreational services;
• $65,500 for physical and mental health services;
• $12,000 for homeless and shelter services;
• $138,000 for housing services;
• $262,140 for general services;
• $290,000 for unprogrammed funds.

Locations

All of the non-housing physical improvements will take place in lower income neighborhoods. All public services are available to income eligible persons and households city-wide. These services, which are concentrated in the Chicopee but also have locations in other cities, can be viewed on the accompanying maps.

Lead Agencies

The Office for Community Development will act as the lead agency in administering these non-housing community development activities. It is theCity's desire to form coalitions with a variety of prominent providers, including city departments, in order to carry out these activities.

Housing Goals

See Executive Summary for the Holyoke-Chicopee Consortium.

Maps

MAP 2 depicts points of interest and low-moderate income areas.

MAP 3 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and minority concentration levels.

MAP 4 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and unemployment levels.

MAP 5 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects; in addition, a table depicts information about the project(s).

MAP 6 depicts Neighborhood Segments and proposed HUD funded projects.