The face of Frankford
is looking better

By Jon Campisi
Times Staff Writer

Marie Delany is clearly impassioned about her volunteerism.
It shows when she speaks about the Frankford Community Development Corporation, which she has led since 2005.
Delany serves as president of the eight-member board of directors for the CDC, an organization that aims to usher in economic vitality to the lower Northeast neighborhood.
The non-profit organization actually started out in the early 1990s as the CDC of the Frankford Group Ministry.
Since that time, the CDC has expanded its borders, and its mission has changed slightly, evolving from a goal of providing affordable housing to focusing more on general economic development.
The group works in conjunction with neighborhood groups such as the Frankford Business and Professional Association and the Frankford Civic Association.
Still, in Delany’s mind, more could be done to ensure the organization continues to thrive and provide service to a community that has suffered a somewhat negative reputation in recent times.
"The CDC is vital to the community. The CDC basically represents the community," Delany said during a recent interview at the group’s headquarters, a house at 4900 Griscom St.
The group moved into its new headquarters — which it leases from Frankford Hospital — not too long ago. It previously operated out of the Third Federal Bank building at 4625 Frankford Ave.
Tracy O’Drain, manager of economic development programs for the CDC and one of three paid staff members at the organization, touted the group’s ability to help revitalize the neighborhood.
"CDCs can do a lot," she said. "We have the capacity to do a lot."
Some of the services provided by the CDC include career development, which includes helping low- and moderate-income residents with resume development and locating employment opportunities; revitalization through its Main Street program; and business corridor enhancement.
The CDC serves on many different levels, with the ultimate goal of making the neighborhood of Frankford a place residents can be proud to call home and where business owners can operate thriving establishments.
"We would like to become a better linkage with the city — strong city support," Delany said. "We would like to reach out to the community, so we reach out and work in concert with one another."
Delany did acknowledge past woes, some of which included problems with the IRS during the 2005-06 time frame, which were highlighted in a Feb. 14 story this year in the Times. But, she said, the group is in a better position now, perhaps in part due to what it has learned from past experiences.
"We’re not looking to go into the past but reach into the past and go into the future," she said. "You’re getting a chance to kind of reinvent yourself in a way."
The CDC has a variety of goals, one of which is to put Philadelphia Housing Authority homes into private ownership instead of just rental status.
The CDC is also looking to work more closely with banks, with a goal of minimizing predatory lending.
Delany also said the group’s goal is to create a master housing or neighborhood development plan, something that does not exist at this time.
Many of these goals should be attainable, Delany said, especially with new blood on the board. But accomplishments will only come if the community agrees to work alongside the CDC to ensure Frankford’s standing in the Northeast Philadelphia region.
Delany said the organization is planning to visit local businesses and discuss forging possible partnerships, with idea of building "a relationship that would benefit them as a business and us as a CDC."
In addition to smaller, local businesses, the CDC would also like to partner with larger companies in the area, such as Home Depot. She said this could benefit the community, since businesses such as these could offer employment opportunities to residents of Frankford.
In creating partnerships and networking with people and businesses in the area, the CDC would be performing a separate function other than fund seeking.
"There’s a lot that can be done if we go back to not always having to have money, because it’s not always the fix," Delany said.
Delany, a Cardinal Dougherty High School graduate and North Philadelphia native, moved to Bucks County after she got married but relocated to Frankford because of her dedication to the neighborhood.
"I’m a Philly girl," she said. "The only (reason) I’ve stayed is I’m mission-driven, and God has asked me to stay.
"You do what you know you’re driven to do; you do what you know is in your heart," she continued on her volunteerism. "That’s why those of us who are left are here." ••
Reporter Jon Campisi can be reached at 215-354-3038 or jcampisi@phillynews.com