The Goal Is To Rebuild One Block At A Time
By Teresa Woodard ReporterJuly 16, 2011
Taking a neighborhood back from criminals by cleaning it up. St. Louis’s 21st ward, on the city’s northside is proof the concept works. Sunday hundreds of volunteers show residents someone cares.
A basement is being cleaned, a kitchen is being painted, handrails are being installed, loose bricks are being repaired, and new floor tiles are going in. And it’s all happening on three blocks of Red Bud Avenue; not usually a hotbed for rehabbers.
“It’s a blessing for me because I couldn’t afford it. I couldn’t afford it and they’re doing lot of things I needed done,” said homeowner Janice M. Taylor.
About 400 volunteers from
Boeing and another 100 or so from the agency Rebuilding Together St. Louis worked together on a vision dreamed up by St. Louis alderman Antonio French. He is targeting specific blocks in his ward, rehabbing homes for people who can’t do it themselves. He’s learned when a neighborhood looks better, people act better.”This block for instance has had a lot of gang trouble in recent years, so, while investing in that block, and rebuilding the houses, and really getting the homeowners involved and communicating over the month leading up to rebuilding day, it’s reclaiming that block,” said French.Dave Ervin, director of Rebuilding Together agreed.”If you shut your eyes and look at these houses in your mind, they go back to the World’s Fair. They were beautiful homes in great states, but now you open your eyes and see these homes are in dire need of help,” he said.It is an ongoing effort in French’s ward. He calls it the Block-by-Block initiative. By the time it reaches its two-year mark, 100 homes will have been repaired. And it inspires. While volunteers worked upstairs, Taylor cleaned out her basement, perhaps for the first time since she moved in, in 1966.”Everybody’s eager to work and that puts me motivated to do something,” she said. “Since I’ve got them, we can do it.”"I am truly grateful and appreciative for their work, thank you, thank you, you thank you,” she added.
French is proud of the results, too. “The murder rate in our ward is on pace to be reduced by 80 percent over last year, knock on wood, so we’re going to keep working throughout the summer to keep violent incidents down. But days like this are really inspiring for everybody participating.”
