Our goal: to create an attractive, vibrant, mixed-income, mixed-use neighborhood with access to healthy foods, medical care, quality schools and neighborhood retail shops.

Arts and Culture

We will maximize community recreation facilities and opportunities to enhance arts and culture, as well as work to restore a sense of community history and pride in our community by:

  • Working with The Red Stick Project to instill pride, purpose and passion in our neighborhoods through large-scale murals

  • Improving parks/recreation facilities in our community

  • Building community gardens for the community, by the community

  • Implementing a Youth Empowerment Solutions (YES) program focused on non-violence, self-identity and cultural awareness

  • Partnering with organizations to landscape and maintain Gilbert Memorial Cemetery

Public Safety

We will improve public safety and the perception of public safety among current and future neighbors, as well as work to develop authentic engagement between our community and law enforcement by:

  • Implementing BCJI initiatives such as HopeZone Community Safety Meetings and Blight Abatement Law Clinics

  • Incorporating a neighborhood watch program

  • Improving street lighting

  • Installing additional fire hydrants

  • Supplementing, not overlapping, the Melrose East Crime Prevention District

Infrastructure and Transportation

We will establish neighborhood connectivity through an enhanced transportation plan and gateway improvements by:

  • Improving sidewalks and bike lanes

  • Building a walking and biking path to connect with shopping, services, facilities and nearby higher education institutions like BRCC

  • Improving covered bus stops and bus stop map availability

  • Conducting neighborhood road repairs

  • Improving the public transit system

  • Improve gateways and nodes at main entry points into our neighborhoods

We will increase the availability and types of neighborhood businesses and amenities by:

  • Attracting retail development for our community's convenience, such as shopping, grocery stores, pharmacies, dry cleaners, coffee shops, ice cream shops, restaurants, etc.

Economic Development

We will increase opportunities for economic development, increase the job readiness skills of unemployed and underemployed neighbors, and recruit/retain businesses in our community by:

  • Attracting new businesses that will hire skilled and trained individuals from our community

  • Creating a support system for entrepreneurial opportunities

  • Providing our neighbors with better access to EmpoyBR services that offer job readiness curriculum and workshops

Land Use
and Zoning

We will work to eliminate vacant lots, as well as adopt zoning designations that support and reflect ideal characteristics of our community by:

  • Repurposing vacant lots 

  • Establishing a neighborhood conservation district

  • Meeting with city leaders and council members regarding zoning regulations, non-conforming use regulations and alcohol outlets