PARSONS SCHOOL OF DESIGN AND THE MILANO GRADUATE SCHOOL
TEAM UP TO TAKE FIRST PRIZE IN JP MORGAN CHASE
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMPETITION

(New York, NY - May 13, 2002) Parsons School of Design and Milano Graduate School, two divisions of New School University, won First Prize in the JP Morgan Chase Community Development Competition. Fifteen schools participated in the competition, which fosters partnerships between graduate schools from regional universities and community-based nonprofit institutions. Through their collaborative efforts, nonprofit groups benefit from the students' technical expertise while the students gain practical experience and meet professionals in the field. JP Morgan Chase provided $25,000 to the winning team's nonprofit sponsor - Riverside Church at an award ceremony held on Tuesday, May 7 at JP Morgan Chase at 270 Park Avenue in Manhattan. The jury consisted of a panel of distinguished judges in community development from government agencies, financial institutions, and for-profit and non-for-profit developers.

This year, the project team had three schools with three distinct specialties and focuses: Robert J. Milano Graduate School (the Finance) and Parsons School of Design's Product Design Department (Concept and Design) at New School University and the School of Architecture at The City College of New York (Architectural Design). Faculty for the project included - Dennis Derryck at Milano; Atim Annette Oton, Richard Yelle and Douglas Diaz at Parsons and Ghislaine Hermanuz at City College.

The team selected to work with Riverside Church to develop The Uptown Nonprofit Center. The Riverside Church, located in northern Manhattan, has a diverse membership of over 2,400. In 2000, they established a $10 million dollar Jubilee Fund to support community development and community building under the Riverside Church Center for Societal Transformation.

In response to the challenge posed by Riverside Church, the team proposed the creation of the Uptown Nonprofit Center, a $12.5 million dollar infrastructure development that is environmentally and financially sustainable. The Center provides 40,000 square feet of new, affordable office space - specifically designated for nonprofits serving northern Manhattan. The revenue generated from the office space allows for the development of 20,000 Square Feet of additional space to be used for community programming. Housing nonprofits and community space in the same building create a synergy of action and energy that benefit the Riverside Church, the community, and the nonprofit sector as a whole.

The proposed building envelope consists of 9 floors of program space: the basement, ground and second level will accommodate community programming. The third floor consists of a multi-media and technology center, to be used by the nonprofit tenants as well as the community programs. Floors 4-9 will provide office space for a variety of nonprofits based in Northern Manhattan.

Aspects developed by Parsons School of Design's Product Design students focused on concept and design of "Quiet and Interactive" spaces that form the community center. These spaces address the 3 principal needs of the institutions and the individuals who form an integral part of it. These needs include holistic living; total sustainability and individual/social interaction. Aspects developed by City College's Architectural Design students focused on the architecture, space planning and building components.

The financial package ($12.1 million) developed by the Robert J. Milano Graduate School students included $1.5 million (12%) equity from the Riverside Church, raised through a capital campaign, green subsidies in the amount of $1.3 million (10%) from the New York State Energy Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) Energy Smart Program and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Water Act and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Grant for Green Buildings. Given the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone's (UMEZ) interest in supporting the nonprofit community, the project will seek a $2.1 million (17%) grant from the UMEZ. Advest, Inc. will secure a nonprofit 501 © (3) revenue bond for $7.4 million (60%). Works in progress, a woman-owned firm, will provide project management services.