The WealthyJefferson Initiative: The Business Sector

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The Wealthy-Jefferson Initiative The Business
Sector Maria Beversluis, Sadie Healy, Daniel
Heffner and Janelle Vandergrift, Calvin College
Rationale
Proposed Business Initiatives
Why Revitalization?
The Inner City Christian Federation, along with
community members, business owners and city
leaders have expressed their mutual desire
through charettes to revitalize the
Wealthy-Jefferson area. This includes both the
residential and business sectors. This project
focuses solely on the revitalization of the
business sector, but in cooperation with ICCFs
residential development initiative. Research
suggests that local business can in fact assist
in neighborhood revitalization. When combined
with pedestrian-friendly street scapes, locating
every day amenities such as parks and retail
shops within a neighborhood can increase
pedestrian travel and neighbor interaction within
a community (Lund, 2003). To move forward with
this development we need support from all
stakeholders local residents, business owners,
city leaders, churches, development agencies and
area investors.
Parking is currently located along Wealthy Street
where proposed business will locate. Parking to
accommodate the needs of businesses, residents
and St. Marys hospital will be re-located on the
South side of the business district. Moving
parking to this location is important for safety
and aesthetic reasons. It is necessary to create
a diverse business sector of both well known and
local businesses that will appeal to all income
levels to maintain character of neighborhood as
well as generate new growth.
These are business suggestions that we are
offering residents, business owners and city
leaders of business options that we believe will
generate the revitalization of Wealthy Street
from Jefferson to Division Street. Suggestions
are made in the consideration of pre-existing
businesses and residents it is intended to be
for a mixed-income population. Revitalization
will be beneficial to residents by hopefully
eliminating current problems in the area such as
drugs and prostitution.
W S N E
Division Street

• The grocery store must meet the needs of each
  resident. The grocery store will need to accept
  WIC and food stamps as well as appeal to
  individuals passing by.
• The Hardware Store is proposed to fulfill the
  need for a local hardware store.

Grocery Store, Trader Joes
Wealthy-Jefferson Proposed Conditions
Hardware Store, Ace Hardware
W E A L T H Y S T R E E T
Wealthy-Jefferson Current Conditions
Sheldon Street

• Public spaces in the form of parks and civic
  centers also serve as symbols of civic pride and
  sense of place which promote the notion of
  community (Talen, 1999).
• Shoe Store will ideally appeal to a diverse
  group of people
• Pizza Restaurant and Beer Garden will draw from
  a diverse population of customers.

Proposed conditions of the Business sector along
Wealthy Street looking East from Division
Park
Steps for Initiating Development

• Consult all stakeholders local residents,
  business owners, city leaders, churches,
  development agencies and area investors.
  Establish representatives from each stakeholder
  group.
• Construct a committee composed of above named
  stakeholders to recruit local as well as
  well-known businesses.
• Seek funding from city officials, local
  philanthropists, non-profit organization and
  local developers.
• 4. Explore possibilities for combating
  displacement due to gentrification including
  residential tax caps, continued neighborhood
  involvement and input as well as maintenance of
  original neighborhood culture according to
  current residents.
• 5. Developers must be committed to LEED
  certified construction and development as well as
  fostering walk-ability in order to promote
  community.

Shoe Store
Current conditions of the Business sector along
Wealthy Street looking East from Division
Neighborhood Circa 1912 4,744 residents
Neighborhood Today 946 Residents
Pizza Restaurant and Beer Garden
LaGrave Street

• Consignment shops have the potential to drawn
  from upper, middle and lower class populations.
• It would be beneficial to have a pharmacy
  located in walking distance to the hospital.
• An ice cream store located on the corner of a
  roundabout will be a child-friendly location.

Consignment Shop
Pharmacy
Abstract
References
Ice Cream Store
Lund, Hollie. Testing the Claims of New
Urbanism Local Access, Pedestrian Travel, and
Neighboring Behaviors. Journal of American
Planning Association 69.4 (2003) 414-29. Talen,
Emily. Sense of Community and Neighborhood Form
An Assessment of the Social Doctrine of New
Urbanism. Urban Studies 36.8 (1999) 1361-79.
Jefferson Street