MBE Maximization

About

In 2019, the Hill CDC launched our MBE Maximization Initiative with two information and recruitment sessions hosted in November and December of 2019 to recruit and promote minority and women-owned business (MBE/MWBE) enterprises, as well as Section 3-qualified businesses to participate in the upcoming construction of the New Granada Square project, and other upcoming developments in the Hill District.

Our Philosophy

The Hill CDC utilizes the development principles established by the Greater Hill District Master Plan to facilitate economic empowerment and commercial development. To that end, our mission is to ensure that community residents, organizations, and businesses gain social and economic benefits from neighborhood revitalization efforts by creating new opportunities for entrepreneurship and equity and engaging and hiring from the neighborhood's workforce and minority businesses. See a full description of our philosophy below, which can also be downloaded here.

Join Our Contact List

If you are an MWBE or Section III business, sign-up by clicking the button below to be added to our contact list and receive email updates about the latest opportunities in the Hill District.

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Pathways to Opportunity and Economic Justice

During those two recruitment sessions, attendees identified various barriers to their ability to competitively participate in the bidding process. The core of those barriers was access to capital. In response, the Hill CDC and our partners, CHN Housing Partners, Mistick Construction, Riverside Center for Innovation, and Paramount Pursuits, collaborated to create the Pathways to Opportunity and Economic Justice Series.

The first event in that series, MBE Maximization Solutions and Networking, was held in March 2020 to provide information on contract unbundling, payment terms, other contracting requirements, upcoming events in the Pathways to Opportunity & Economic Justice Series, lines of credit, and accessing other forms of capital with representatives from various banking institutions and networking for joint venture opportunities. Our financial partners included: PNC, Dollar Bank, Bridgeway Capital, Northwest, Enterprise Financial Services Group, and First National Bank.

About the Project: New Granada Square

New Granada Square will be a mixed-use, cultural, community, and commercial space that will anchor coordinated development on adjacent parcels. The development, which will span the entire block, features the restoration and revitalization of the New Granada Building, a historic structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places, at least 40 units of artist-focused affordable housing units, 25,000 square feet of Class A office spaces, and a minimum of 6,500 square feet of retail space fronting Centre Avenue. The theater has 40,000 gross square feet of cultural, event, and commercial space for development. The total budget of the project is over $45 million. The New Granada Square project will begin in 2020 with the construction of the 40 units of affordable housing over the top 6,500 sq ft of commercial space followed by the historic rehab of the New Granada Theater and new construction building.

For more information, please review the case for support as well as the New Granada Square.

Past Events

Section III Business Information Session & Workforce Development Recruitment Session

Pre-Bid Meeting

The Hill CDC partnered with Mistick Construction, Riverside Center for Innovation, and Paramount Pursuits to host a Pre-Bid Meeting for the New Granada Square Apartments. Participants received the Bid Package prior to the meeting. Each attendee had the opportunity to ask questions, received clarification, and got best practices and assistance from our programmatic partners. To view the PowerPoint Presentation from the meeting, please click here.

Bidding Bootcamp

The Hill CDC partnered with The Riverside Center for Innovation and hosted a two-day Bidding Bootcamp.

Participants learned:

  • Bidding & Estimating Strategy
  • Estimating Tools & Prep
  • Reading Drawings & Take-offs
  • Bid Prep, Bid Day Activities & Follow-Up

MBE Maximization Solutions and Networking

MBE Maximization Info Sessions I & II

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS!

If you have any questions or are looking for more information, please contact our Programs Team at programs [at] hilldistrict.org (subject: MBE%20Maximization) .