By BILL BROOKS, Editor and publisher
This missive isn’t about John Franklin Hay. It’s about Near Eastside Area Renewal, commonly known as NEAR.
Except it is about Hay, who in July announced his retirement after 11 years as NEAR’s executive director. But this is a man who has led four such Near Eastside organizations over the past few decades. He led Shepherd Community Center from 1987 to 1993, then the John Boner Neighborhood Centers (as it is known now) from 1994 to 1998. From 2000 to 2006, he was executive director of Horizon House, and took the reins at NEAR in 2013.
Notice gaps in that timeline? One, from 2006 to 2010, is explained by his service as senior pastor of the West Morris Street Free Methodist Church.
But back to the subject at hand: NEAR. And Hay’s tenure – which by the way isn’t quite complete, because he’s staying on until a replacement is found. When he isn’t riding his bicycle near and far. More about that later.
As he reflects on his service to the Near Eastside over four decades, certain words pop up more than once – “privilege” chief among them. Also, “collaboration.”
Hay said those four community-based organizations were each in crisis when he arrived, and – working both terms into one phrase – he was privileged to collaborate with stakeholders to right the ships.
Keep in mind that although the word “retirement” is used in the official NEAR announcement, and although Hay is hitting 65, he’s not ready to shift to shuffleboard and euchre tournaments. Instead, he’s taking time to “refresh and recharge before …” well, whatever challenge comes next. “I want to continue to work in ‘community’ and ‘justice.’”
Focusing specifically on those previous 11 years at NEAR, Hay has no trouble listing a top accomplishment – “Renewing St. Clair Place as a vibrant neighborhood.”
Amanda Wishin, president of the St. Clair Place Neighborhood Association, would agree.
“NEAR reinvigorated St. Clair Place,” she said. “It not only brought in new neighbors by building new houses and renovating existing houses, but it also created multiple community spaces for neighbors to gather, to garden and to build something more than streets of houses. NEAR continues to support the neighborhood’s community spaces and its community building efforts.”
Hay said not that long ago as many as 45 percent of St. Clair Place 882 parcels were vacant. And the area had the city’s highest rate of foreclosures. Worse, in the early 2000s a Hamilton Street home was the scene of a mass murder. A highly publicized mass murder. “That was fresh on everybody’s minds,” he said. The thinking was, “if we can revitalize St. Clair Place, there’s hope for other neighborhoods.”
The resulting revitalization included new sewers, new sidewalks, using a variety of federal and state funding – and even, in 2012 and thereabouts, the Super Bowl Host Committee.
Since, about 150 homes – either new or previously abandoned – are occupied. “All affordable,” Hay said with pride, “without any displacements.”
Affordability continues to be a strong focus of NEAR’s efforts, including the creation of the Community Land Trust, a creative system by which a not-for-profit entity retains ownership of the land, while qualified homeowners buy the house. “That makes sure the property remains affordable” when time comes for the next sale. NEAR provided a major push for the Community Land Trust’s creation, which is now steered by the Kheprw Institute.
NEAR, meanwhile, is holding on to 20 or so properties until the Community Land Trust shifts into high gear – all with an eye toward making more affordable home ownership opportunities available. NEAR also has 13 houses in Willard Park and 15 in Rivoli Park awaiting the same future.
“How do you end generational poverty,” he asked rhetorically. “You develop assets. First, home ownership, then business ownership – and education. You gain wealth for the family’s next generation.”
But he said the market has changed. Whereas once it was tough to get private developers to build in less-than-dynamic markets, today houses are being built in those areas – houses well out of the price range of too many people.
While a focus has been on that issue, Hay has other points of pride as he prepares to clean out the desk. That event is not imminent. He has agreed to stay on while a search for his successor plays out.
Among those points of pride:
o The Minnie Hartmann Center, senior apartments in the former Indianapolis Public School 78 at 3734 E. Vermont St.
o Education Village, in which 22 vacant or abandoned houses, mostly along Rural Street south of 10th Street, were turned into affordable housing primarily for teachers in Indianapolis Public Schools and charter schools – “so those educators won’t move to the suburbs and eventually end up teaching there.”
Because of a federal housing law, only half of those homes were sold to educators. Still, Hay sees the project as a success. “You drive down Rural now, it’s a different thing.”
o As NEAR looks beyond its traditional borders, it is playing a role in the redevelopment of Sherman Park – the former RCA brownfield site where the idea is to bring in buyers who will create jobs. But there’s also plans for tax-increment financing district to spur housing development east of Rural Street.
Hay added that locals will also see major streetscape changes, “including work to improve the troublesome interstation of 10th and Rural.”
o And perhaps as important as any single factor, Hay is proud that through his years at NEAR the organization has been financially sound, and has put itself in position to pick up even more funding. “I’m really proud of that,” he said.
There’s history there, too. NEAR was rebranded a few years back, having previously been known as Indy-east Asset Development. I-AD, as it was clumsily known, had risen from the ashes of Eastside Community Investments, one of the nation’s most successful community development corporations – until a spectacular crash-and-burn in the late 1990s ultimately ended that organization’s 23-year-run in 2001.
Hay may be equally as proud of NEAR’s relationship with its neighborhoods. Not that long ago, the neighborhood stakeholders were distrustful of “outsiders” who came on the scene and reneged on promises to involve the neighbors. Hay works to counter that fear, spending many evenings attending as many neighborhood meetings as possible.
From Amanda Wishin’s perspective, Hay has bridged that gap. “St. Clair Place has been lucky to have John as both a stalwart neighbor and as a representative for NEAR,” she said. “He rarely misses a neighborhood meeting to report on NEAR’s projects and to offer support to the neighbors as needed. He brings an expansive view of what is happening on the near eastside and how it affects our little corner of it.
“St. Clair Place is fortunate to have NEAR as a community partner, but we are especially lucky to have John Franklin Hay in our corner,” said Wishin, who contributes to NEAR’s success as a member of its Board of Directors.
Hay would also be quick to point out that NEAR’s success is closely tied to its collaborative efforts with such organizations as the John H. Boner Centers and Englewood Community Development Corp. One result is the establishment of the Near Eastside Promise Zone, a federal designation which give the area preference in receiving federal funding.
Not all of Hay’s personal achievements have involved housing and economic opportunity. He has also hosted the weekly Near Eastside Community Bike Ride. But those events are a short sprint for the avid cyclist, who said he’s logged over 25,000 miles on two wheels – including jaunts through such exotic locales as India, Kenya and Vietnam.
Amid what seems to be constant motion, Hay said he has been privileged – there’s that word again – to do the work he has done with NEAR, with the Boner Center, with Horizon House, with Shepherd Community Center, and with churches.
Now he looks forward to handing the baton to another energetic leader “It’s time for new blood,” he said. But he added:
“I’m lucky. Who gets to work with community building? With affordable housing?”
‘A legacy of transformative leadership’
One of John Franklin Hay’s chief collaborators is James Taylor, chief executive officer of the John Boner Neighborhood Centers – a post Hay once held. Here’s what Taylor had to say about his colleague:
“John Hay has a long history of dedication and work on the Near Eastside, dating back to the 1990s. John Hay took the helm of our community center at a critical time after the passing of John Boner in the mid-90s and set our organization up for success, especially around workforce development and employment services. John brought to our community the asset-based community development philosophy that still frames our approach and work today.
“It is remarkable how much he has given to our neighborhood and just shows how much he loves and cares about his community. NEAR’s emergence in the last 15 years as the neighborhood’s umbrella community development corporation has enabled and strengthened our community in addressing affordable homeownership opportunities, housing for our older low-income neighbors, economic development, and other efforts.
“The St. Clair Place neighborhood revitalization rightfully won numerous awards for its success in what was one of the most blighted, distressed and abandoned parts of our community. “As John Hay embarks on his well-deserved retirement, his legacy of unwavering commitment and transformative leadership will continue to inspire and guide our community for generations to come.”
