West Side Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area (NRSA) Updated Plan, 2016-2021
This plan reflects recent changes in the West Side NRSA and provides direction for neighborhood entities to work together to result in focused improvements that were identified by area residents, homeowners, businesses, groups, elected officials and agencies, all stakeholders of the designated West Side NRSA program. The attached West Side NRSA Strategic Plan, 2016-2021, provides information about the geographic area, process applied and strategies developed.
The benefits of having a NRSA program provides additional opportunities to generate public and private investment. Focused strategies can raise area value by helping existing residents by maintaining lower crime rates and increasing access to local services and supporting lower income upward mobility by services are needed to improve employment outcomes.
To promote social and economic growth, this plan focused on strategies for community improvements that address vacancy and blight, retail/business development and increasing human capital through resident skill development.
A collaborative approach with West Side NRSA agencies and resources can help address/implement strategies to further stimulate area revitalization and support a foundation to generate economic opportunities at the neighborhood level.
West Side NRSA strengths and aspirations of the plan focus on build on neighborhood characteristics to increase investment in both residential and commercial properties. A brief summary of the updated West Side NRSA goals/objectives include:
1. Public service and neighborhood safety improvements
- Increase traffic calming; improve street lighting/pavement/parks
- Strengthen collaborations to address vacant parcels, increase home ownership rate and code compliance
2. Residential rehabilitation to maintain/expand moderate cost housing
- Expand support for outreach of home improvement programs, and increase focus on high visibility households
- Build upon stakeholder confidence to address low to major home repair issues to increase median home value
- Support/promote historical housing character
3. Neighborhood economic development
- Increasing support for small business growth and development
- Focus/increase investment on commercial improvements
- Collaborate with partners to address commercial vacancies
- Market businesses/neighborhood and amenities
- Increase opportunities for job trainings
- Promote homeownership with daytime workers
As West Side NRSA stakeholders continue to build on strengths, resources and capacity, the following principles can assist in current and future efforts:
1. Strengthen stakeholder commitment for building a stronger neighborhood
2. Public and private investments help generate additional confidence for area investment
3. Endure economic benefits are reinvested in the area
4. Strengthen networks among government, agencies, businesses and neighborhood groups
5. Foster growth of resident-based initiatives to address housing, economic and service needs
For the full 2016-2021 West Side NRSA Strategic Plan click here.
