Urban Design Center

Sherri Franklin, founder of Urban Design Center, has 20 years experience spearheading the development of affordable housing, community facility, economic development, park and open space and infrastructure projects financed by city and state bond financing, federal grants, foundations, conventional lenders and private equity investors.  As a staunch fiduciary agent, Ms. Franklin's primary life mission is to build the capacity of community leaders and organizations to serve their dynamic communities on a long-term basis.  She has the requisite expertise and tactical knowledge to provide insight and leadership on effective strategies to help her clients build both physical and human capital infrastructure and utilize the myriad of economic reinvestment incentives and public policy initiatives to revitalize communities and bring their program visions to reality.

Ms. Franklin has enjoyed long-term client relationships with several non-profit organizations as a fund development consultant and project manager including:  Concerned Citizens of South Central Los Angeles for the development of 4 affordable low income housing tax credit projects in the early 90s, the Center for Community Change for the provision of technical assistance across the western United States from 1994-96, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor for the development of 4 club site and recreational facilities from 2001 to present, the Alliance for College Ready Public Schools for the development of 2 modular school facilities on LAUSD property from 2006 to 2007, Inner-City Arts for the development of their transformative children’s arts center completed in 2008 and the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles for the development of their new community office building in South Los Angeles completed in 2009.  Ms. Franklin guided each of these organizations and several others through the community plan approval, entitlement and development process while helping to raise over $125 million to complete their projects and strategically position each agency as a leader and stakeholder in the communities they serve. 

Ms. Franklin’s resource development and project management work with government agencies is extensive as well.  She has served as a consultant to the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles Mid City and South Los Angeles Project Areas on several contracts since 2002.  She is currently consulting the Agency on the development of transit and infrastructure resources for Crenshaw Corridor, garnering $16 million in State of CA Prop 1C and County of LA MTA Call funds and on resource development for the $22 million renovation of the Vision Theatre Performing Arts Center in Leimert Park.  The Agency also contracted Ms. Franklin to facilitate the transformation of the politically charged Model Cities Franklin Square project from rental housing into homeownership opportunities for Watts residents as envisioned by late Supervisor Kenneth Hahn.