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| Pantagraph EditorialWednesday, May 14, 2008 12:25 AM CDT |
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Important to commit to West Side effort over long haul
The turnout for last week's West Bloomington Community Summit is an indication of the strong commitment many residents have to improving their neighborhoods. About 200 people attended the meeting - some to listen, others to offer their ideas. Alderwoman Karen Schmidt, whose 6th Ward includes the targeted area, was pleased with the turnout and the passion of those in attendance, noting that meeting organizers ran out of copies of the agenda to distribute. The meeting also ran about a half hour longer than anticipated because so many people wanted to participate in the discussion. The summit is part of a study being conducted by urban planners Teska Associates of Evanston to seek ways to encourage businesses and home ownership in an area outlined roughly by Morris Avenue and Locust, Lee and Taylor streets. The city of Bloomington is paying $50,000 of the $90,000 study, with State Farm Bank, the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council and AFNI covering the rest of the cost. The area deserves this special attention. That's true in part because of its proximity to downtown, which has been the focus of development of the Cultural District and U.S. Cellular Coliseum. But it also deserves attention because of the strong neighborhood association - Olde Towne and Gridley-Allin-Prickett - that have been working to improve the area. By backing this study, the city and others involved are recognizing the efforts of residents and sharing in their commitment. There is only so much a neighborhood group can do without more involvement of the business community and city government, especially when it comes to economic development, zoning and mortgage foreclosures. The area has a higher average vacancy rate than the rest of the city - 20 percent compared to the citywide average of 13 percent. Schmidt is right about the need to strike a proper balance to be sure the city works with current neighborhood residents so that revitalization efforts don't "change the complexion of the neighborhood" to the point that it's no longer "their neighborhood." After all, these are the people who have made the investments and stood by the neighborhood when it was barely on the radar screen of others. Maintaining the enthusiasm seen Thursday night will be among the obstacles faced by those seeking to improve the West Side, Schmidt accurately notes. "Some of these things are going to take awhile" to accomplish, she said. Although Schmidt was referring to the residents, it is also important for the city to maintain its commitment, follow through on eventual recommendation and not get distracted by other issues. The study and resulting plan can provide a sense of direction to bring together residents, developers and others, working toward common goals. We hope it can also provide a blueprint for other neighborhoods to follow. E-mail this story | Print this story | Search archives | RSS Show comments |  Hide comments | Hide comments on all stories |
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