ECD

Workshop on Starting a Community Kitchen

Increased interest in locally grown and processed food is driving a demand for community kitchens. This workshop is developed to serve as an overview of the various issues associated with developing, constructing and maintaining a community or shared-use kitchen.

Purdue Extension is hosting several workshops around the state in 2008. The goal of this workshop is to provide knowledge, contacts, and resources to business and community leaders considering investment in community or commercial kitchens. The information will be delivered through formal lectures with expert speakers and experienced instructors as well as provide a workshop notebook with additional resources. Scheduled dates and locations include:

• April 2 - Indianapolis
• April 9 - Crown Point
• April 30 - Fort Wayne
• October 8 - Madison
• October 15 - Vincennes

For more information, contact Kevin Keener or Jerry Nelson. A brochere is available here with cost, and further details.

LISC Urban Forum

Posted by Carmen DeRusha

The Commercial Markets Advisory Services and Indianapolis LISC would like to invite you to attend Urban Forum 2008, taking place April 28th-30th in Indianapolis, Indiana.  Gather with well over four hundred decision-makers from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, and share your diverse and unique perspectives on community development.  You will have ample opportunity to build a network of peers, experts, consultants, retailers, and developers to support you in the commercial revitalization process.

This year will be better than ever.  We have added more intermediate and advanced level sessions to satisfy the needs of skilled practitioners.  The conference will also have more sessions devoted to commercial development.  There are two new tracks focusing on retail attraction and retention, as well as tracks on commercial and mixed-use development. 

You will come away with a deepened knowledge of current commercial revitalization issues, and proven methods and strategies for reinvigorating your corridor.  We hope to see you there.

Conference highlights include:

Targeted Expertise.  High-energy professional development sessions, interactive skill-building workshops, and dynamic keynote presentations tailored to the unique needs and makeup of the urban commercial revitalization community.

Vendor Marketplace.  Representatives from financial institutions, consultants, nonprofit organizations and government agencies will occupy twenty exhibitor booths, where attendees can gain exposure to tools and resources available to them.

Theory in Action.  Tour successful CDC projects supported by Indianapolis LISC's FOstering Commercial Urban Strategies (FOCUS) program. FOCUS seeks to bring prosperous commercial development to local neighborhoods.

Networking.  Plentiful opportunities to interact and exchange ideas with hundreds of community and commercial development professionals from across the nation.
One-on-One Consulting. 

More information is available here.