The Northside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance team included Susan Winkler of The Hartford (second from right), Lynda Godkin also of the Hartford, Marilyn Stout of Aetna, NINA's executive director and Richard Kadzis of CoreNet Global (left).

Mark Twain once described the urban Hartford neighborhood of Asylum Hill today located near the Hartford, Aetna and other Connecticut-based financial institutions as “the chief” of “all the beautiful towns it has been my fortune to see.”

Today, the area is economically and socially challenged but, thanks to NINA it is experiencing a new burst of energy and revitalization, according to the Hartford's Facility Strategy Manager Susan Winkler, who helps coordinate and support NINA on behalf of her employer and other local companies. It is a prescription befitting a CoreNet Global Community Reinvestment Challenge (CRC) best practices case study.

“The foundation of NINA's strategic plan can be adopted or modeled by any public/private partnership - a plan focused on public safety and homeownership initiatives as well as a strong relationship with the residents themselves,” said Winkler, who also serves as NINA president. “NINA's success can be attributed to the experience, trust and compassion of its residents.”

Building a solid relationship between the neighborhood residents and its corporate citizens was NINA's first true success. In 2003, the institutions formalized the effort by gaining non-profit 501(c)(3) status for NINA, and then launched a definitive strategic plan to continue to work with the grassroots coalition to transform the Asylum Hill neighborhood.

NINA's mission is simple: “To be a catalyst for community reinvestment in the Asylum Hill neighborhood.” The foundation of NINA's strategic plan is focused on two initiatives, homeownership and public safety.

To commence NINA's homeownership strategy, $1.5 million dollars in seed money was raised from the member institutions with a four-year commitment to NINA's project plan. This was the leverage that the neighborhood needed to begin the process of revitalization. One immediate goal of NINA was to increase homeownership opportunities in Asylum Hill. Many studies demonstrate that an increase in homeownership in a community positively affects public safety, economic development and educational attainment levels in local schools.

In less than two years, a local Executive Director was hired. Five blighted and abandoned homes previously used for illicit activities, such as prostitution, were purchased by NINA from a defunct, local non-profit. By leveraging their collective clout and credibility, NINA garnered additional public and private funding. As a result, restoration of these homes is now underway, and the first three homes are expected to be completed early Fall 2005. Construction on the additional two will also commence in 2005. NINA has collected a list of over thirty prospective buyers to date.

Additionally, the Corporation for Independent Living (CIL), a national non-profit developer, has teamed up with NINA to maintain the neighborhood ambience in one of its development projects.

Winkler, along with Hartford SVP of State/Community Relations Lynda Godkin and Aetna, Inc. Managing Director Marilyn Stout, recounted in 2004, Aetna planned to demolish an 1890 brick Victorian structure, a converted home formerly used for employee training, to satisfy demand for additional parking next to its Hartford world headquarters.

“Acting in a nimble and opportunistic fashion, NINA asked Aetna to donate the property to it so that NINA could relocate the historic structure a mile away to a donated vacant lot in the Asylum Hill neighborhood,” Stout related. “The 'Victorian Lady on the Move' garnered attention from 110 media outlets from around the country from Hartford to Honolulu. In its new neighborhood among NINA's other properties, the 3,000 square-foot-home is currently under contract to a local architect and his wife, who are restoring the home to its historic grandeur.”

Recently, NINA's efforts to preserve the Victorian Lady were recognized by the Historic Preservation Alliance which presented NINA with the 2005 Jeffrey S. Czopor Award. In addition to this prestigious award, the Victorian Lady won a “Restore America” grant from HGTV (Home & Garden Television) and the National Trust for Historic Preservation and will be featured on national television later this year as part of HGTV's Restore America program.

Building community relationships is also a key element to NINA's success. The Executive Director is a member of the Neighborhood Revitalization Zone or NRZ. He attends monthly meetings with a variety of residents and is active in supporting their plans. He can be seen frequently walking the neighborhood and greeting its residents. Building relationships with the neighbors helps confirm that their corporate neighbors have their best interests in mind.

Mark Twain would be proud.