On May 3rd, we held our third and final public working meeting around the theme of Neighborhood. Over 50 people came on a rainy evening to Dunn-Marquette Recreation Center to discuss what our nei ghborhoods will look, feel and sound like in 2030. The meeting began with a presentation on plan progress and a series of maps showing relevant data about neighborhood conditions, including demographics, vacant land, public transit and more. You can view that presentation here. Then, we asked the group to imagine they were in the year 2030, drawing their neighborhoods on three scales (large-scale commercial, neighborhood commercial, and residential). You can view those maps here:

On each map, a key guided comments on neighborhood aesthetic and design (BLUE), businesses and services (BROWN), transit and street configuration (RED), parks and green spaces (GREEN), and priority areas (YELLOW). A catalog of feedback at each scale can be found using this spreadsheet.

1. Connect residents with service providers and needed businesses
   1. Integrate service providers into the community through physical and programmatic solutions
   2. Attract businesses that serve local residents (grocery stores and banks) and youth (arcade and movie theater)
   3. Facilitate residents’ access to local resources
2. Improve transit and accessibility
   1. Increase bus service, both frequency and infrastructure
   2. Improve access for seniors and young people
3. Improve (the use of) space for community benefit
   1. Use vacant lots for commercial and community activities
   2. Rehabilitate alleys and streets to be safer and cleaner
   3. Install more lights and landscaping to support safety and beauty

View the maps developed during this meeting below:

At the end of the meeting, we had a conversation about “community infrastructure”: the entities, partnerships and programs that serve as the long-term implementer, guardian, or funder of important neighborhood services, programs and projects. Ensuring community anchors and leaders have the capacity and resources necessary to carry out the recommendations set forth in the Gravois-Jefferson Plan is prerequisite to success. This conversation discussed how to make that happen.

In the next few months, we will be synthesizing the mass of community input we’ve received into a draft plan, which will be presented to the community for feedback and revision. From there, we will develop a final plan to be submitted for adoption by the City of St. Louis. Thank you for your continued support and passion.