Decatur Housing Authority
Decatur, Illinois
A master plan for a 120-acre, mixed-income and mixed-use community, the first new neighborhood created in downtown Decatur in 50 years.
Recognition:
American Planning Association, Illinois Chapter—2003 Award for Excellence in Planning
Project Highlights
Despite having secured a HOPE VI grant, redevelopment of the mostly vacant Longview Place public housing site had stalled over concerns that adjacent distressed neighborhoods would depress demand for mixed-income housing in the area.
Strategy:
Transform the area into a mixed-income neighborhood organized around a grid of public streets, squares, and parks. Introduction of a mixed-use town center would help stem disinvestment in adjacent neighborhoods and support a downtown revitalization initiative.
Project Highlights:
- The new neighborhood provides roughly 50% more housing units than anticipated in the HOPE VI application and deploys an extensive network of parks, a wide range of housing types, and a new town square to create a neighborhood of choice that appeals to lower-, moderate-, and middle-income residents.
- A series of community workshops and design charrettes informed the planning process and built strong support among public housing residents, the real estate and business communities, nearby residents, and elected officials.
- The city, the housing authority, and HUD approved the plan and selected a developer in 2003. The second phase of construction on Wabash Crossing, as the neighborhood is now known, was completed in early 2008, bringing the total of housing units in the development to just under 400.
"A proposed design for the near northside neighborhood focusing on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive as the heart of the redeveloped area is emerging from a series of workshops conducted by Goody, Clancy & Associates of Boston."
Decatur Herald & Review