THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 18, 1994 TAG: 9411160153
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SERIES: The Grand Plan
SOURCE: BY IDA KAY JORDAN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 218 lines
A MAJOR EFFORT must be made to transform the area bounded by Effingham and County streets, London Boulevard and Elm Avenue, planner Ray Gindroz said.
``You must take a disorganized space and turn it into a neighborhood,'' he said.
Because all of the streets surrounding the area are important gateways to Olde Towne, downtown and the waterfront, he has emphasized the importance of focusing on this area as a key to all of the other parts of a grand plan for the city.
``You must transform Ida Barbour,'' he said.
He recommended ``thinning'' the development and putting in streets with a neighborhood pattern. He also suggested the addition of front porches and some fences that would give people a sense of responsibility for their homes.
``There's no front yard on this project (Ida Barbour),'' he said. He added that the people living there have no way ``to take control of their space.''
By developing for-sale housing in place of dilapidated rental property, the city could change the entire image of the area, he said.
Similar projects in other cities have worked because many people living in public housing were able to buy one of the new homes, Gindroz said.
Home ownership, he said, is the clue to rebuilding a neighborhood because people who own homes generally care about its environs.
In addition to the for-sale housing, the city should encourage more retail development on Elm Avenue, where some successful and substantial businesses have continued to operate over the years, he said.
The main local investment in the transformation of the area would be moving police headquarters and the public safety building to Chestnut Street in the middle of the blighted area, he said.
Although some midtown businesses would like to see the police department near MidCity, Gindroz believes the Chestnut site would be best for a permanent headquarters.
He explained that because of the large number of lawyers with offices downtown as well as other government entities that need access to the justice system, the Chestnut site would permit the city to move the department from the waterfront without disrupting those who use it.
``I think in the long run that would work better than moving it to MidCity,'' he said. ``However, the city might consider a temporary move or it might consider moving other city government functions to MidCity.''
Although the city plan includes Park View, West Park View and Shea Terrace as Northside, Gindroz also considered Park View in conjunction with the improvements for Effingham and Elm, the two major entrances into the historic district and the area that includes three hospitals, a nursing home and the Public Health Department.
He recommended private development of a marina and new housing at the foot of Elm Avenue, where the city owns access to Scotts Creek.
The north side of Park View could be enhanced, he said, if the Navy made better use of land around the edges of the Naval Hospital to create a relationship between the base and the neighborhood.
In addition, Gindroz suggests opening Crawford Parkway to Peninsula Avenue to create better access to Park View Elementary School, which houses a citywide Montessori program. He also suggested a streetscape program around the school.
Two large city-owned cemeteries, Oak Grove and Cedar Grove, should be viewed as assets to provide open space and green areas in the urban environment, Gindroz suggests. In addition, he says, the cemeteries have tremendous historical interest to the public.
``They need to be opened up, not hidden behind ugly fences,'' he said during one discussion. He suggests wrought iron and brick walls, which would leave the space visible and therefore safer.
``Many of these things can be done without spending a lot of money,'' he said.
Because the plan should be implemented in ``digestible bites,'' he said the city needs to look at doing some of the small parts that will not take a lot of public money. EFFINGHAM CORRIDOR (Including medical facilities and Park View)
ASSETS: Adjacent to Olde Towne with direct access from Interstate 264, Effingham Street is most recently a historic center of African-American commerce. It has been partially redeveloped with commercial, religious and cultural facilities. Its history makes it an important focus of community life and, therefore, the potential of celebrating Portsmouth's cultural diversity.
Efforts such as the proposed ``Galaxy'' project have attempted to build a new future based on this history.
Effingham is a major gateway into downtown and is the most direct route to the hospitals from I-264. It also is part of the access to Olde Towne from London Boulevard and High Street.
LIABILITIES: To the west of Effingham Street are large concentrations of low-income housing, which in turn are adjacent to under-used, vacant, and vandalized properties. This area is perceived to have a high incident of crime. The image of the area has had a bad effect on the Effingham Corridor, Olde Towne and downtown.
Since the Effingham, County and High corridors are important gateways into town, this area must be improved if any of the efforts in the adjacent area are to succeed.
RECOMMENDATIONS: This area is the key to turning around the city's negative image. It has potential as a mixed use retail/health/residential area.
Both for the quality of life in its residential area and in order to create an improved gateway into Olde Towne/downtown, a major redevelopment effort is needed in the area west of Effingham Street between London Boulevard and County Street.
The Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority should renovate, thin and rebuild the Ida Barbour housing complex and develop for-sale housing within the park and along County and High streets nearby. In many cities, home-ownership residential programs, particularly with a substantial number of single-family houses, have succeeded in being marketed and bringing stability to previously troubled areas.
Consider replacing London Plaza with a new mixed-use development that includes a supermarket and a variety of stores and residential development. Its configuration should create a positive image for the area west of Effingham Street.
Build the development in this area on the currently strong and expanding health facilities in this area. MIDTOWN CORRIDOR
ASSETS: The Midtown Corridor (London Boulevard to County Street) has excellent regional access from all directions. A remarkable number of medical facilities and other institutions are located along it from Maryview Medical Center to Portsmouth General Hospital.
The proposed new I.C. Norcom High School opens up the possibility of creating a civic and educational core in this area. The proximity of this area to the Scotts Creek inlets also offers the potential for bringing marina development down as far as London Boulevard.
LIABILITIES: The large number of deteriorated properties and the perceived high level of crime have combined to give this area (and, by association, Portsmouth) a negative image. The city's greatest challenges exist in this Midtown Corridor area.
RECOMMENDATIONS (as related to Effingham Corridor): Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority should continue acquisition of property between London Boulevard and County Street and begin a for-sale housing program with developers.
Encourage retail development along Elm Avenue between London and County.
Select Chestnut Street area as future permanent police headquarters and safety building.
Begin a streetscape program in the area. TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD
ASSETS: One of the city's great strengths is its collection of stable, affordable neighborhoods with a comfortable human scale. Many of them have waterfront access.
One of the main criteria corporations have for selecting locations for new facilities is the presence of such neighborhoods.
LIABILITIES: Access to these neighborhoods usually is through run-down deteriorated areas with perceived high crime rates. Again the best assets are hidden behind the worst problems. As a result, many of these neighborhoods are beginning to deteriorate. Even the historic neighborhoods, such as Park View, have a number of speculator-owned rental properties that tend to tarnish the area's image and quality of life.
RECOMMENDATIONS (as related to Park View): Open Cedar Grove and Oak Grove cemeteries, adding open space and greenery to the area and providing another historic place at the corner of London Boulevard and Effingham Street.
The planners also suggest opening Crawford Parkway, which now stops at Williams Street, one more block to Peninsula Avenue. This would eliminate a dead end by Park View Elementary School.
Elm Avenue through Park View would become a route to the waterfront. A marina on Scotts Creek and new housing at the foot of Elm Avenue should be owned by private developers.
Another improvement for the north end of Park View would involve the Portsmouth Naval Hospital in ``edge treatments'' to eliminate the ``chain link fence look'' of the hospital grounds.
Ultimately, the planners said, the city should work with the hospital to create a public walkway around Hospital Point to downtown.
The initiatives for Effingham are essential to improving the image and access to the North Coast Neighborhoods (formerly known as Northside - Park View, West Park View and Shea Terrace). A program to encourage new marine development, eliminate speculator-owned rental properties and develop new waterfront housing should be undertaken. MEMO: EDITOR'S NOTE
This article represents the second of a four-part series by staff
writer Ida Kay Jordan on the proposed 10-year master plan for the city
proposed by consultant Ray Gindroz.
Sunday's installment focused on Olde Towne and Downtown. Today's
installment focuses on the Effingham Corridor and Park View. The third
installment, on Scotts Creek Marina and Campus Civic Center, will be
included in the Sunday, Nov. 20 edition; and the final installment, on
Midtown, will be included in the Thursday, Nov. 24 edition.
In hopes of encouraging citizen debate, discussion, input and/or
participation before a decision is made, The Currents will request
comments through Infoline and letters to the editor upon completion of
the series.
In addition, The Currents is planning to reprint the installments in
a special section prior to the public hearings, tentatively scheduled
for later this month or in December.
For more information on the proposal or access to the entire report,
please contact Economic Development at 393-8804.
- Joseph P. Banks,
Portsmouth editor
ILLUSTRATION: On the Cover
Color artist's rendering
The Grand Plan
The city should transform the Effingham Corridor and Park View
areas.
File photo
The north side of Park View could be enhanced, Gindroz said, if the
Navy made better use of land around the edges of the Naval Hospital
to create a relationship between the base and the neighborhood.
Staff photo by MARK MITCHELL
The plan suggests replacing London Plaza with a new mixed-use
development that includes a supermarket and a variety of stores and
residential development.
File photo
Some rental properties in historic neighborhoods have not been kept
up.
by CNB