BANDYWINE GATEWAY NEIGHBORS HISTORY AND MISSION
Brandywine Gateway Neighbors (BGN)(formerly known as the Inter-Neighborhood Foundation) was founded in 1981 as a planning and community development agency by residents of three downtown Wilmington neighborhoods. BGN was created in order to: insure the residential integrity of the area; to eliminate blight; to prevent the displacement of residents with limited means; to promote social, cultural, and economic diversity within the area; and to improve the quality of life available to residents of the Brandywine Gateway Community.

BRANDYWINE VILLAGE REVITALIZATION PROJECT
Brandywine Gateway Neighbors is currently embarked on a five year, 8.7 million dollar neighborhood reinvestment project in Brandywine Village. This neighborhood, with a mix of small row homes and large semi detached and detached homes, is within walking distance from the City of Wilmington’s downtown business district. The neighborhood is currently on the edge of deterioration. With its proximity to downtown and its mix of housing sizes and styles, Brandywine Village has the potential to be a residential hub for City workers.

PROPOSED TECHNICAL ACCEESS PROJECT
One component of this comprehensive reinvestment plan is the acquisition and rehabilitation of 50 homes for sale to low and moderate income families. Statistics prove that lower income families are being left behind in the technology era. Long term, this lack of access to computers and the Internet will effect many areas of people’s lives, including employment opportunities and earning potential. Brandywine Gateway Neighbors recognizing the growing importance of basic computer literacy for all members of our community will be providing access to technology with each of these rehabilitated homes.

Each home sold during this revitalization program will be hard wired for Internet access; hopefully this will become the standard for all affordable housing developments. Also included will be a computer and three years service with an Internet provider. At the end of the three years BGN will work to make sure that ongoing Internet service remains affordable for each of these families. Minimum specifications for these computer systems are based on the PeoplePC program, which includes a 366 megahertz processor, 64 megabytes of RAM, a 6 gigabyte hard drive, 32x CD-ROM drive, a 56K modem, color monitor, 3.5-inch 1.44-megabyte floppy diskette drive, keyboard, mouse, speakers, Windows 98, and a software package.

While having the necessary hardware readily available and access to the Internet are critical components in fostering competency with technology, it is useless without appropriate training in how to use the equipment. For training to be effective, it needs to be accessible to people, in an area close to home. BGN is proposing a partnership with Evan G. Shortlidge Academy to provide this computer training. Shortlidge Academy, located in Brandywine Village has demonstrated an interest in being a partner and a resource for the neighborhood. During the two year planning phase of the Brandywine Village Reinvestment Project, the school opened their doors for community meetings as residents worked to develop long range plans. Shortlidge Academy has recently completed the addition of a fully equipped computer lab. If this application is successful, Shortlidge Academy will make this computer lab available in the evenings and on Saturdays for use by neighborhood residents.

We are requesting a technology grant to cover the costs associated with providing this needed training to area residents. Included in the request will be the cost for a computer teacher, who will offer instruction 2 evenings per week and on Saturdays, the direct cost of janitorial services needed at Shortlidge to keep the building open after normal school hours, student materials, and the cost of administering the grant. While the development project focuses on access to computers for new homeowners, the training will be open to all neighborhood residents.

The coming together of neighborhood institutions, civic associations, and area residents to develop neighborhood planning has resulted in a strategy that incorporates all of the aspects needed to create a mixed income, diverse community, where City residents will choose to live and raise their families.

For more information please contact Alice Walker at Brandywine Gateway Neighbors, 1300 French Street, Wilmington, DE 19801, (302) 429-0333.