 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From our Councilman, Phil Gordon
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I want to tell you the story of a 15 year old kid who couldn't speak English but who came to this country alone to seek the life he had heard existed in America - a country where he would raise a family and purchase his own home, something he could never do in his homeland. He found a job as a tailor and brought his family money he saved. Just
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
of safety and security to do well with our lives.
Unfortunately, those central city neighborhoods are now facing many challenges- crime, blight and a more transient population are among the toughest to combat. I believe one of the most effective ways to deal with those challenges is to invest in our neighborhoods by encouraging residential development. Not only is infill housing the fastest path to stable, healthy neighborhoods, it is a far less expensive investment in the future than the prison we'll have to build without it.
There are 500 acres of vacant land in my central city council district alone. That means that most, if not all, of District 4's neighborhoods are impacted by land that serves as home to vagrants, providing hiding places for criminals, and serving as dumping grounds for the less responsible. By the same token, even one new home in an aging neighborhood is a sign that this is a community worth investing in. A ripple effect soon occurs; neighbors feel Ok about adding an extra room, or
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ers, the prostitutes and the burglars get the message that it is not a comfortable place to linger any longer. If one new home can accomplish all that, imagine what 100 new homes can bring about. Some of the gains are obvious: a limit to urban sprawl, improved air quality, reduced traffic congestion, better schools. What isn't always immediately obvious is the boost to local economies that also results. The construction of 100 new homes will have the immediate impact of bringing approximately 150 new jobs and $8 million in wages to a city. The more long-term, "trickle down" effect
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
before he was to become a father, he bought his first home right in the center of Phoenix.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
He and his neighbors took good care of their home, even sweeping the street on which they lived everyday. They made their neighborhood a place where everyone knew and cared about each other and took pride in their neat, attractive houses and lawns.
It was a neighborhood where everyone watched each other's children, where kids felt safe playing on the local streets, and where eventually many of those kids bought homes and raised families themselves. The young man I am talking out was Jacob, my grandfather, and he never let us forget that it was the home he bought that was our family's anchor, and that the wonderful neighborhood where we grew up gave us the self-confidence born
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
of an invigorated community is approximately $2.50 million in wages, $400,00 in local fees and taxes, and about 70 new jobs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As I've said many times, I am passionate about neighborhood preservation,a and I am convinced that quality urban residential infill is the key. I will always work to find the kinds of projects that will not only blend with our wonderful established neighborhoods, but will enhance our quality of life as well.
Councilman Gordon invites your comments on this article.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
painting the outside of the house.
Older homes
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
which were once dilapidated now have "character." Residents take back their street, kids play safely outside again, no longer are weeds allowed to grow. The drug deal
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|