information from the Delridge Neighborhood Development Association

Over the past 20 years, DNDA has worked tirelessly to energize and activate the Delridge corridor, leading positive community change by spearheading innovative projects and providing resources to partners and residents alike. Where run down residences and overgrown green spaces once stood, there are now bustling affordable housing hubs, and cleaned-up parks and trails. The historic Frank B. Cooper School, once a foreboding and seemingly abandoned monolith along the corridor, is now the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center - a dynamic mecca for arts, culture and nonprofits. It too is a vibrant residence, providing affordable housing for artists and a space to make their art - all in one. The Delridge neighborhoods also boast Brandon Court and the West Seattle Community Resource Center, two additional DNDA projects that now house the Delridge Library and West Seattle Food Bank, respectively.

Ten years ago, through its “Three Projects, One Community” Campaign, DNDA integrated the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center into the community. Since opening its doors in 2006, Youngstown has hosted more than 30,000 visitors annually, inspiring and incubating new arts participants, art-makers and organizations from the multicultural, inter-generational Delridge communities to engage in civic dialogue and meaningful community transformation.

Today, the feeling around the DNDA offices is one of excitement and hope, paired with renewed determination and hard work. This year, as part of their mission, DNDA will launch a new greenspace project that partners the organization with Seattle City Light, Seattle Tilth, Nature Consortium, K-8 STEM, National Parks Service, and Seattle Greenspaces Coalition. In other exciting news, DNDA recently received funding from 4Culture for facilities upgrades at Youngstown, and support from Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods to develop and produce a local cultural events series.
DNDA invites the community-at-large to Destination Delridge: A Landmark Celebration, taking place on Friday, February 26th at Metropolist in Seattle’s SODO neighborhood. The event will feature dinner, live art, music and other performances from some of Seattle’s finest artists, a dance party, and the opportunity to support DNDA’s work strengthening Delridge. Tickets can be purchased here.

DESTINATION DELRIDGE: A LANDMARK CELEBRATION
Celebrate 20 years of DNDA and 10 years of Youngstown
METROPOLIST
2931 1ST AVE S. STE A SEATTLE, WA 98134
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2016 | 6p Mingle 7p Dinner & Program
LIVE PAINTING | MUSIC | PERFORMANCES | DANCE PARTY
Tickets: $100 http://destinationdelridge.brownpapertickets.org
Info: 206.935.2999

About Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association
Since 1996, DNDA has brought together Delridge neighbors, other non-profits, the business community and local government to build a thriving community, with an emphasis on social, racial, and environmental justice. Our mission is to activate growth in the Delridge corridor by providing access to vital resources for all our neighbors. These resources include: Affordable housing, green space, healthy food, education, and arts and culture. www.dnda.org

About Youngstown Cultural Arts Center
The Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (Youngstown), operated by the Delridge Neighborhood Development Association (DNDA), is an innovative and dynamic arts hub. It hosts and houses groundbreaking arts programming and is a widely recognized model for comprehensive and integrated community engagement. Youngstown is a multi-purpose venue dedicated to arts, education, and to the provision of space for members of the community to create, converse, and perform.
Located in the historic Frank B. Cooper Elementary School in the Delridge neighborhood of West Seattle, Youngstown is included in the national register of historic spaces, hosting over 30,000 participants annually, and growing. www.youngstownarts.org