Published: Thursday, November 8, 2007
Community groups trying to revive historic Wick Park
The neighborhood is one of six being targeted this year by planners of Youngstown 2010.
By ANGIE SCHMITT
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN — A group of community organizations has set out to revitalize Wick Park, and with it a highly visible city neighborhood in the advanced stages of decline.
Local activist Phil Kidd is leading the charge to improve the historic park that once served as the focal point of one of the city's wealthiest neighborhoods.
So far, Kidd has enlisted the help of Leadership Mahoning Valley, Treez Please, First Unitarian Church and Wick Neighbors. And the 28-year-old creator of the Defend Youngstown Web site has only begun his appeals for assistance.
Kidd hopes to convene the groups in mid-January to begin planning improvements and organizing a fund-raising campaign.
Initial plans include creating an urban garden, replacing brick entrance ways, mending park benches, and repairing the park's now-defunct fountain. In addition, Kidd hopes to add landscaping, install playground equipment and secure donated artwork from local artists.
"We want to stabilize the neighborhood," said Kidd. "Wick Park is kind of the common part of that area, and it needs a lot of capital improvements."
Once a popular spot for outdoor concerts, Wick Park's relevance in the community has declined in tandem with the neighborhood that surrounds it, said Margaret L. Murphy of Wick Neighbors, who grew up on the North Side.
The 34-acre park, however, is still one of the city's most widely used, according to interim park department director Jason Whitehead. "During the summer time, every weekend the pavilion is booked," he said.
Many of the grand old mansions that surround the park sit boarded up and empty, said Pat Rosenthal, of the nonprofit organization Common Wealth Inc., which looks out over the park. Part of the challenge for the area is overcoming the expense of maintaining the housing stock, she said.
"Many of the houses that are here are very, very large," said Rosenthal. "To attract families to come in and invest in them and bring them up to how they once were, is very, very expensive."
But the neighborhood surrounding Wick Park has its assets as well, said Kidd. In addition to the appeal of the park, the neighborhood is within walking distance of Youngstown State University, St. Elizabeth Health Center and downtown, said Kidd. Investors are starting to take notice, he said.
Common Wealth Inc. is building 10 new homes on Baldwin Street, just east of the park. The first of the properties went on the market in September. The second home is to be completed in late January, said Rosenthal.
Kidd recently rented an apartment in the area. He said his landlord is actively recruiting young doctors from St. Elizabeth Health Center, graduate students at YSU and high-tech workers lured to Youngstown by the business incubator.
"This neighborhood is kind of at a tipping point," said Kidd. "We want to be able to turn Wick Park around."
Additionally, Kidd said, the neighborhood is of strategic importance for the citywide plan Youngstown 2010. It is one of six neighborhoods being targeted for improvements this year by members of the group responsible for the plan.
Rather than leave the task of revitalizing Youngstown to city staff, in characteristic style, Kidd has accepted responsibility himself. He believes citizens should take the lead in advancing the 2010 agenda, he said.
"This is a great example of what collaboration can do for the city in terms of [Youngstown] 2010," said Kidd. "This is what the revitalization of Youngstown is going to take. We have to meet the city halfway."
Though she knows what a long road neighborhood revitalization can be, Murphy said she has seen grass-roots-level projects such as this develop the groundswell needed to bring about change.
"I believe in these types of initiatives," she said. "This is the way we're going to change things."
aschmitt@vindy.com
Thursday, November 8, 2007
The neighborhood is one of six being targeted this year by planners of Youngstown 2010.
By ANGIE SCHMITT
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN — A group of community organizations has set out to revitalize Wick Park, and with it a highly visible city neighborhood in the advanced stages of decline.
Local activist Phil Kidd is leading the charge to improve the historic park that once served as the focal point of one of the city's wealthiest neighborhoods.
So far, Kidd has enlisted the help of Leadership Mahoning Valley, Treez Please, First Unitarian Church and Wick Neighbors. And the 28-year-old creator of the Defend Youngstown Web site has only begun his appeals for assistance.
Kidd hopes to convene the groups in mid-January to begin planning improvements and organizing a fund-raising campaign.
Initial plans include creating an urban garden, replacing brick entrance ways, mending park benches, and repairing the park's now-defunct fountain. In addition, Kidd hopes to add landscaping, install playground equipment and secure donated artwork from local artists.
"We want to stabilize the neighborhood," said Kidd. "Wick Park is kind of the common part of that area, and it needs a lot of capital improvements."
Once a popular spot for outdoor concerts, Wick Park's relevance in the community has declined in tandem with the neighborhood that surrounds it, said Margaret L. Murphy of Wick Neighbors, who grew up on the North Side.
The 34-acre park, however, is still one of the city's most widely used, according to interim park department director Jason Whitehead. "During the summer time, every weekend the pavilion is booked," he said.
Many of the grand old mansions that surround the park sit boarded up and empty, said Pat Rosenthal, of the nonprofit organization Common Wealth Inc., which looks out over the park. Part of the challenge for the area is overcoming the expense of maintaining the housing stock, she said.
"Many of the houses that are here are very, very large," said Rosenthal. "To attract families to come in and invest in them and bring them up to how they once were, is very, very expensive."
But the neighborhood surrounding Wick Park has its assets as well, said Kidd. In addition to the appeal of the park, the neighborhood is within walking distance of Youngstown State University, St. Elizabeth Health Center and downtown, said Kidd. Investors are starting to take notice, he said.
Common Wealth Inc. is building 10 new homes on Baldwin Street, just east of the park. The first of the properties went on the market in September. The second home is to be completed in late January, said Rosenthal.
Kidd recently rented an apartment in the area. He said his landlord is actively recruiting young doctors from St. Elizabeth Health Center, graduate students at YSU and high-tech workers lured to Youngstown by the business incubator.
"This neighborhood is kind of at a tipping point," said Kidd. "We want to be able to turn Wick Park around."
Additionally, Kidd said, the neighborhood is of strategic importance for the citywide plan Youngstown 2010. It is one of six neighborhoods being targeted for improvements this year by members of the group responsible for the plan.
Rather than leave the task of revitalizing Youngstown to city staff, in characteristic style, Kidd has accepted responsibility himself. He believes citizens should take the lead in advancing the 2010 agenda, he said.
"This is a great example of what collaboration can do for the city in terms of [Youngstown] 2010," said Kidd. "This is what the revitalization of Youngstown is going to take. We have to meet the city halfway."
Though she knows what a long road neighborhood revitalization can be, Murphy said she has seen grass-roots-level projects such as this develop the groundswell needed to bring about change.
"I believe in these types of initiatives," she said. "This is the way we're going to change things."
aschmitt@vindy.com
Thursday, November 8, 2007
A group of community organizations has set out to revitalize Wick Park, and with it a highly visible city neighborhood...
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