SPRING 2002

Letter from the Editor

Lofts Seed Downtown Redevelopment

HMDA Changes to Enhance Fair-Lending Analysis

Fed Issues Final Rule Aimed at Curbing Predatory Lending

New Markets Tax Credits

Spanning the Region

Have You Heard

Calendar

Resources

Community Development Conference

Call for Papers

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Lofts Seed Downtown Redevelopment

The Francis Building in downtown St. Louis (left) was converted into 63 apartments and renamed ArtLoft (right).

Where can you go to "forget all your troubles, forget all your cares"? Where all the lights are bright, of course. Downtown.

At least that's what the song says. The reality may be different. Ask mayors of many U.S. cities and see if they agree with Petula Clark's assessment. Revitalizing deteriorating downtowns has been a problem faced by mayors for decades. How to convince existing businesses to stay, how to attract new businesses, what to do with vacant buildings and--maybe more importantly--how to get housing and attract residents to the core of cities are all enormous challenges for city governments...FULL STORY