While I agree with what Wizardmarks is saying - there are problems at the
Citywide level on how vacant-boarded housing is addressed and dealt with, I
also see it is a somewhat separate issue from what Megan was addressing.
In Jordan, it is not only the V/B that are a symptom of the real problem,
it's the "for sale"/"for rent" signs as well.
In my opinion there are social issues the free-enterprise system can
"shake-out" by itself and social issues it cannot.
The area in North Minneapolis in question (primarily the 5th ward) was
constructed as a blue-collar neighborhood to begin with. The majority of
the residential structures are a "less-expensive" version of construction
that ocurred at about the same time, in other neighborhoods.
If you were an urban planner and you had been asked 30 years ago where you
thought crime & poverty and "racial packing" would occur in 30 years time,
you would have come to the same conclusion as to what has actually
transpired - primarily the Northside of Minneapolis. As it was/is the least
expensive area to invest-in. Median house prices always have been lower on
the northside than in other comparable neighborhoods (even the racially
diverse neighbrhoods) in Minneapolis. That 3-bedroom bungalow that can be
had in Jordan for $140k is going to cost substantially more in other
neighborhoods.
The problem (specifically) becomes how do you change that? It isn't simply
a question of how we as a City deal with V/B. It is a question also of what
the long-term vision (for the neighborhood is). I personally haven't heard
a good solution to the problem.
However, having lived on the northside for about 8 years, I AM sure that
what we we've done in the past does NOT work. If I am not mistaken, to a
large degree, other than through the actions of stalwart neighborhood
activists such as yourself that chose to stay, I think that one of the
largest components that had a positive affect on turning-around many of the
southside neighborhoods was the ability to attract "returnees", that were
willing to invest in the neighborhoods.
That is the only message being sent by CM Samuels regarding his call for
middle-class families to rturn to the northside. The northside needs to
find middle-class people that are willing to return, roll-up their sleeves
and invest of themselves.
dennis plante
lind-bohanon
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