Plans regarding the revitalization of northwest Owensboro were made public Monday as City officials held a Northwest Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy meeting, revealing details about the neighborhood’s hopeful redemption.
Director of Community Development Abby Shelton said this consolidated plan has the project taking place between June 2020 through June 2025.
“The consolidated plan is a tool for assessing affordable housing and development needs,” Shelton said, adding that she’d spent the past five months going over data in order to develop the plan. “I like to plan for the next five years. We don’t receive much in funds from the federal government, so I like to make those dollars stretch. It does take some time.”
Most of the funding for this project comes from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and in order for the northwest neighborhood to qualify as a Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area (NRSA), at least 51 percent of the population must meet low enough household income standards. Shelton said the northwest area exceeds that 51 percent threshold as 76 percent of the area qualifies as having low-to-moderate income.
“Fifty percent make over $40,000, but what’s worrying is that 30 percent make under $20,000 a year,” Shelton said. “And that’s for an entire household.”
Shelton is currently holding a survey for those living in the area, which has received only 60 responses so far. The numbers show that the northwest neighborhood — an area that was thriving in the early part of the 20th century — is comprised of very old homes, most of them built around 1939. Citizens of the area said they were most bothered by the appearance of the residences surrounding them.
The survey also revealed that only 35 percent of those living in northwest Owensboro are homeowners, something Shelton would like to see increased to 55-60 percent by the time the project ends in 2025.
“I don’t want to force you out of your homes, but that investment you made — I want you to get it back, and a little bit more,” she said to the crowd at Monday’s meeting.
At least 25-30 dilapidated structures will be demolished, Shelton estimated, saying she’d like to see even more than that leveled so that new business and residential properties can be built.
“I want to help revitalize at least 15 businesses,” she said. “We need that middle housing stock for people to exist in, and we’re severely lacking in that area right now.”
Out of the 1,000-plus buildings in the area, only one of them was deemed to be in excellent structural condition, Shelton said. By contrast, 630 buildings were determined to be in fair condition, while 70 were considered to be in poor structural condition.
Shelton expects that at least $1.7 million in public funds will be allocated to this project, as well as $3.1 million in private funds. Overall, the value of these properties is hoped to increase by a total of $2 million.
Possible programs that will be implemented as part of the revitalization include existing homeowner exterior rehabilitation, business facade exterior rehabilitation, demolition, affordable housing incentives, landscape beautification and affordable housing for seniors.
This area of the city holds a lot of historical relevance, Shelton said, and deserves to be revitalized and revalued. In the 1800s, the northwest neighborhood of Owensboro was home to Irish immigrants and served as the meatpacking district. Several of the places were ransacked during the Civil War, including one called Paradise Gardens.
“The biggest spike of [new homes being built] was in 1939, and then it’s kind of died down since then,” Shelton said. “This tells us that a lot of the buildings are very old. And that throws a whole other wrench of the historic preservation board into it, but we’re going to deal with that.”
