Page 13 - Florida Sentinel 11-12-21

SECTION OVER 76 YEARS SERVING TAMPA FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2021
FLORIDA SENTINEL
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Fifth Third Bank Establishes Neighborhood Program With CDC To Transform East Tampa
Fifth Third Bank and En- terprise Community Part- ners announced the establishment of a neighbor- hood program to support the East Tampa commu- nity’s revitalization efforts. The Fifth Third Neighbor- hood Investment Program will span over three years and focus on the Corpora- tion to Develop Communi- ties of Tampa (CDC of Tampa) and cross-sector collaborations. The an- nouncement was made on October 14, 2021 at the Jackson Heights NFL YET Center.
“This opportunity allows Fifth Third to invest in a unique way by taking a thoughtfully structured ap- proach to solve real-world systemic issues,” said Cary Putrino, Fifth Third’s re- gional president.
Fifth Third is collaborat- ing on the initiative with En- terprise Community Partners, a national non- profit that exists to make a good home possible for the millions of families without one.
Together, they managed a criteria-based, invitation- only application process to select nine, majority-Black neighborhoods that have seen a sustained period of disinvestment. East Tampa was one of the locations se- lected.
“Fifth Third Neighbor- hood Investment Program shows what is possible when we make intentional invest- ments that center on Black life and legacy,” said Priscilla Almodovar, president and chief execu- tive officer of Enterprise Community Partners.
“This is more than giving Bank dollars and programs to support local communi- ties,” said Esther Mar- shall, Fifth Third’s Community & Economic Development market man- ager.
Fifth Third intends to commit up to $20 million in
Among those who attended the event were: County Commissioner Gwen Myers, Cary Putrino, Regional President, Fifth Third Bank; Jada Grandy-Mock, Chief Corporate Community & Economic Development Officer; Chloe Coney, Congresswoman Kathy Castor, Esther Marshall, Community and Economic Development Market Manager, Fifth Third Bank; and Ernest Coney, Jr., President/CEO, CDC of Tampa, Inc.
lending, investments and philanthropic support, in- cluding grants from the Fifth Third Foundation to East Tampa.
CDC of Tampa was in- vited to apply for the pro- gram based on its ability to meet specific criteria, in- cluding partnering with the neighborhood’s Black resi- dents, existing civic infra- structure in the neighborhood and its capa- bility to manage equitable investment and wealth- building opportunities.
Ernest Coney, Jr.,
president and CEO of CDC of Tampa, said his organiza- tion will use the dollars to limit gentrification in East Tampa, coordinating the work of two dozen cross-sec- tor partners in six areas: af- fordable housing, commercial development, small business growth, homebuyer development, workforce development and asset growth.
“The residents of East Tampa have been waiting and hoping for economic in- clusion for a long time. The partnership with Fifth Third Bank will allow us to signifi- cantly increase the economic mobility and redevelopment process in East Tampa, helping to bring unfilled
MayorJaneCastoraddressedthosein attendance about the project.
Celeste Roberts attended the presen- tation.
Albert Lee and Ersula Odom were among those in attendance for the presentation.
Fran Tate and Denese James, community leaders.
dreams and aspirations to reality,” he said.
The additional recipient neighborhoods are located in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Ohio, South Chicago, Indi-
anapolis, Atlanta, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Louisville, Kentucky.
To learn more about the Fifth Third Neighborhood Investment Program, please
visit 53NeighborhoodIn- vest.org.
Visit the CDC at https://www.cdcoftampa.or g/. (Photographs by BRUNSON)