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.

On March 30th, we held another session of our second public working meeting around the theme of Housing. Our first iteration of this meeting was held on February 11th; due to lower-than-usual turnout, we felt it was important to have another opportunity for residents to voice their opinion on this important subject. Combined, these meetings engaged more than 100 people. At the March 30th meeting, residents discussed existing market conditions, residential stability, landlord and tenant rights and responsibilities, community building, and tools and partners. In small group discussions, participants reviewed information and developed strategies and goals to address the needs of our neighborhoods. You can check out the data and community input by clicking the links above.

This is what he heard:

• COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP will be our future! Our neighborhoods want to align resources and partners to ensure future development is locally owned and residents organize against speculation and discrimination.
• Housing policy must PRESERVE OUR DIVERSITY! The Gravois-Jefferson Plan must lay out strategies to preserve socioeconomic and racial diversity, such as affordability requirements for new developments and developing tools to empower homeownership among low-income households.
• COMMUNICATION AND COORDINATION are integral to success! We need to work with residents and partners to increase awareness of policy and opportunity — this includes fair housing, marketing, training opportunities, and more.

If you didn’t have the opportunity to attend, you can also participate online in all the activities from the meetings by clicking here.

In addition to our most recent working meeting, we have met with local youth at Carnahan HS, Roosevelt HS, and the Thomas Dunn Learning Center, convened a group of local stakeholders with interests in youth empowerment, and facilitated planning activities with the Amigas Latinas group. We are always happy to come and talk with you or your group – just let us know! In the coming weeks, we look forward to carrying out our “Resource Group” strategy, checking in with the Vietnamese elders, and planning our third public working meeting.

Thank you for your continued support!

Last week, we had our second public working meeting around the theme of Housing. At the meeting, residents discussed existing market conditions, residential stability, landlord and tenant rights and responsibilities, community building, and tools and partners. In small group discussions, participants reviewed information and developed strategies and goals to address the needs of our neighborhoods. You can check out the data and community input by clicking the links above.

This is what he heard:

• COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP is key! Our neighborhoods want to align resources and partners to promote a Community Land Trust and resident-led rehabilitation of vacant properties.
• Housing policy must PRESERVE OUR DIVERSITY! The Gravois-Jefferson Plan must lay out strategies to preserve socioeconomic and racial diversity, such as affordability requirements for new developments and developing tools to empower homeownership among low-income households.
• We need these conversations to BENEFIT EVERYONE! We have consistently heard a need for training and educational programming as tools to improve landlord-tenant relationships and quality of rental housing stock.

We realized many did not have the opportunity to attend the last meeting, so we will be hosting a second gathering for the Housing Working Meeting. Stay tuned for details. In the meantime, you can also participate online in all the activities from the meetings by clicking here.

In addition to our most recent working meeting, we have met with the area Aldermen, convened a group of local stakeholders with interests in youth empowerment, and facilitated planning activities with the congregation at Curby Memorial Church. We are always happy to come and talk with you or your group – just let us know! In the coming weeks, we look forward to meeting with youth leaders to develop a youth engagement strategy, speaking with the local Amigas Latinas group, and checking in with our fantastic business community.

Thank you for your continued support!

Seasons Greetings!

On Tuesday, November 29th, a group of more than 70 people came together for the first Public Working Meeting of the Gravois-Jefferson Historic Neighborhoods Planning Initiative! Hosted at Thomas Dunn Learning Center, the group of residents, business owners, local developers, elected officials, and other stakeholders used the theme of “People” to brainstorm strategies, goals and partners for a variety of focus areas. We began with a Presentation, then broke into small groups to brainstorm ideas. Additionally, participants reviewed a draft of the Neighborhood Vision Statement, developed by the Steering Committee the week prior.

We learned that meetings are most effective and appreciated when residents have the opportunity to collaborate with their neighbors. Those who attended the meeting liked the opportunity to brainstorm in small groups; in the future, we will ensure these opportunities exist at all meetings.

We have organized the strategies, goals and partners based on the focus area it pertains to:

• In the Health and Safety focus area, our major takeaways are:
  • The need to reduce crime; community-grown solutions will help
  • Increase access to healthy foods and health services
  • Desire for a safe and engaged community
  • Click HERE to see data related to Health & Safety. Click HERE to see all of the input we received about this topic during the Working Meeting.
• In the Youth and Families focus area, our major takeaways are:
  • Connecting schools with community to improve youth opportunities
  • Bringing neighbors together to make change (block parties, neighborhood watch, etc)
  • We have strong partners
  • Click HERE to see data related to Youth & Families. Click HERE to see all of the input we received about this topic during the Working Meeting.
• In the Economic Development and Prosperity focus area, our major takeaways are:
  • Support local, youth, refugee, and minority-owned business & entrepreneurship
  • Program to provide financial literacy & job training
  • Policies to mitigate gentrification and build wealth for low-income residents
  • Click HERE to see data related to Economic Development & Prosperity. Click HERE to see all of the input we received about this topic during the Working Meeting.
• In the additional seven focus area, our major takeaways are:
  • Maintain and promote cultural and artistic life
  • Hold landlords accountable and ensure high-quality, affordable housing
  • Policies and programs to solve dumping and trash issues
  • Ensure neighborhoods are environmentally-friendly
  • Click HERE to see data related to:
    • Education and Training
    • Housing
    • Empowerment, Civic Engagement and Equity
    • Public Space and Urban Landscape
    • Mobility, Circulation and Transportation
    • Arts and Culture
    • Air, Water, Energy, Sanitation and Environment
  • Click HERE to see all of the input we received about these topics during the Working Meeting

Draft Vision Statement

“Our vision is for accessible, sustainable, inclusive neighborhoods where families and individuals thrive in a diverse and historically rich, engaged community.”

If you weren’t able to make it, we have developed online versions of our activities that can be accessed here. We will also be doing this outreach on-the-ground in order to ensure we are capturing as many voices as possible, including those who may not have access to the internet. Thank you for your continued support and participation in the Gravois-Jefferson Historic Neighborhoods Plan! We look forward to seeing you at our next Working Meeting at the end of January. Until then, Happy Holidays!

Hello! Over the past few weeks, we have been working with residents and local stakeholders to determine community assets, challenges and opportunities; focus areas for intervention and community-led development; and priorities for the Gravois-Jefferson Planning effort. With information gathered at our Kick-Off Event on November 1st and our second Steering Committee meeting on November 10th, in addition to one-on-one and group meetings with individuals living and working in the area, we have compiled summaries that offer insight into the collective understanding of our neighborhoods. For those that have not had the opportunity to voice their thoughts, please consider participating in the activities using our online platform!

A general overview of the information gathered, as well as feedback on the Kick-Off, can be found here: Community Insights Summary

We had more than 90 people attend the Kick-Off, contributing over 750 unique pieces of data. Our major takeaways from the event include:

• The importance of bringing people of color and youth from these neighborhoods into the planning process
• The Benton Park West, Gravois Park and Dutchtown Neighborhoods have strong assets from which to build, especially its diversity and density
• While many focus areas are interrelated, people continuously expressed the need for strategies that address health and safety, youth and families, and inclusive economic development

Residents have also been mapping the strengths, opportunities and challenges in their neighborhoods. That information is shown in an interactive map; feel free to contribute your opinions: Strength, Opportunities, Challenges Map

Another component of this process is compiling data on the planning area. During the Kick Off, we set up a “Data Dig” activity, where participants could study some information on the neighborhoods and provide feedback. We have summarized that activity, and its responses, here: Neighborhood Data

Thank you again to all those who have participated in this process thus far — the response from the community has been fantastic, and we look forward to continuing our work together. See you at the first Public Working Meeting!

Have any questions or feedback? You can always contact us!