Fort Worth city staffers have chosen the Northside neighborhood to get a $2.9 million facelift, the city’s third neighborhood with special needs to get special attention.
Northside, located between downtown and the Stockyards, is an area of older homes where 28 percent of the people live at or below the poverty level.
"The idea is to increase the pride in the neighborhood, to increase home ownership, to make it more walkable, liveable,” said Mayor Betsy Price.
Stop Six was the first neighborhood to be selected for the unique program two years ago.
It used to be known for its problems. Crime. Poverty.
"I remember when they started fixing us up,” said Patrick Joubert who owns a barbecue restaurant in the neighborhood. “It's pretty amazing."
The money went to rebuild the streets, the sidewalks, and even add new streetlights.
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Dilapitaded houses were town down.
"I like it. I like it, I like it, I like it,” Joubert said. “I've seen the effort, I've seen the benefits of it."
Last year, the city spent the same money on another troubled neighborhood, Ash Crescent.
And now, it’s Northside’s turn.
City council member Carlos Flores grew up in Northside himself and still lives there.
"We're getting the city to finally make an investment here, a very good investment, to help stimulate the re-emergence of the neighborhood,” he said. “There are a lot of good factors here. But there are some indicators, such as crime, poverty, lack of public infrastructure, that we do want to address."
Back in Stop Six, the neighborhood seems to be on the upswing. New houses are being built. City permits for new construction are up 43 percent.
"It's not Highland Park but it's not a dump, not at all,” Joubert said. "My hope and wish for it is once they get done that they don't stop. You know, don't put it together and don't maintain it."
City leaders promise the commitment is long term, even as they find new neighborhoods to focus on.
