West Side Grows Together builds on first 10 years of resident-driven collaboration to provide update to the West Side Revitalization Plan
Sarah Lester, President & CEO of Cornerstone West CDC, presents during the Economic Development Focus Group at Books & Bagels. Photo by Gabrielle Lantieri.
West Side Grows Together invites you to the West Side Plan Update & Community Meal on Tuesday, December 5th from 5:30-7:30pm at St. Paul’s Church at 1010 W Fourth Street. Enter between Jackson and Van Buren Streets. The event is free and open to the public and will also have info on local events and resources. Children are welcome and a hot meal will be provided from several local businesses. Attendees can register for the Community Meal at westsidegrows.org/planupdate.
At the West Side Plan Update & Community Meal, 100+ people will fill a community room at St. Paul’s Church to reflect on the first 10+ years of the West Side Revitalization Plan and review recommendations for revitalization work for the next decade. West Side Grows Together is a place-based community-driven collaborative effort which focuses on the neighborhoods stretching from Pennsylvania Ave. to Lancaster Ave. and I-95 to the railroad tracks west of Bancroft Parkway.
Back in 2011 and 2012, the residents, organizations, institutions and businesses of Wilmington's West Side decided that the only way to bring about the future they wanted for their neighborhoods was to create a common vision and work together to make that vision a reality. And, over the past 10 years, they have worked hard to direct additional resources and attention to West Side neighborhoods. Specifically in the West Side Revitalization Plan’s core pillar areas of Economic Development, Housing, Parks & Open Spaces, Community-Building, and Youth Opportunities.
Tuesday's event will build on the original West Side Revitalization Plan, and upon the recent community engagement survey of 288 residents throughout the West Side about their needs and perceptions of the community, the 5 focus groups hosted across the core pillar areas of the West Side Plan, and strategic input from the 30 resident-driven Steering Committee members who have actively led West Side Grows Together. These efforts bring the total number of people involved in developing the Plan and the Update to the Plan to over 1500 people. All of this feedback will contribute to the draft of the Updated West Side Revitalization Plan that will be shared on Tuesday night.
Dr. Henry Smith is a resident of the West Side and was the founding President of the West Side Grows Together Steering Committee. He reflected on the achievements of the effort, "There is an African proverb that says, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone; If you want to go far, go with others.’ West Side Grows Together has exemplified this proverb in the work that it has accomplished over the past decade. Literally, dozens of organizations and hundreds of individuals who call West Side home, have been active participants in establishing a legacy around the pillars of the West Side Plan. The effort and the outcome of those efforts have been exemplary and we look forward to improving on those efforts over the next decade."
A few examples of West Side Grows Together projects over the years, driven by residents and community leaders in the West Side, include: the Community Playground Design Project (Connell St, 4th & Rodney, Father Tucker, Cool Spring & Tilton Parks), United Neighbors murals across I-95, Lights On Wilmington Strong, the annual MLK Clean Up, Peace March & Celebration, West Side Grows Community Gardens, Cool Spring Farmers Market, Wilmington Strong Fund and Innovation Fund for small businesses, various development projects including those led by Steering Committee Members Woodlawn Trustees (the Flats), Be Ready CDC (Solomon’s Court), and the Latin American Community Center (Early Childhood Education Center), and many more.
Looking ahead, the President of Be Ready CDC, and current Vice President of the West Side Grows Together Steering Committee, Emmanuel DeShields said, “The next 10 years will create more areas of inclusion, enhanced energy, and commitment. It will create an increased willingness to advocate, to stand, speak for, and represent those that cannot. Surely, this collaboration is connecting neighborhoods, rebuilding parks and playgrounds, supporting local businesses, quilting diverse cultures, repairing homes and building affordable housing, but more importantly, it is weaving a bonded thread that is strengthening and empowering the spirit of a people. After all, it is neighbors that make a neighborhood and they are the real impetus for its revitalization.”
The Community Meal will provide opportunity for residents to prioritize needs and goals for improvements to the West Side, facilitated by Interface Studios. All materials will be available in English & Spanish and interpreters will be available. This will not be the last opportunity for community members to get involved. The West Side Plan Update effort will continue to collect feedback prior to sharing the final version in early 2024. Details will be posted on westsidegrows.org/planupdate.
“The West Side Revitalization Plan is a guide, and can and should be adjusted based on continuous feedback from our neighbors and partners. Updating the Plan is one step, working with our Steering Committee, partners, and neighbors to implement the Plan will be a big focus of our work in 2024 and beyond,” added Sarah Lester, President & CEO of Cornerstone West CDC, which has served as the backbone and fiscal agent for West Side Grows Together since its inception.
The Steering Committee for West Side Grows Together includes representatives from the following organizations: 5th District Neighborhood Planning Council, 7th District Neighborhood Planning Council, Be Ready CDC, Cool Spring/Tilton Neighborhood Association, Cornerstone West CDC, Dominican Cafe, Peter Spencer Family Life Foundation, Delaware Center for Horticulture, Hilltop Lutheran Neighborhood Center, Latin American Community Center, Mother African Union Church, Ms. Joy’s Hair Boutique, Nemours, St. Anthony's of Padua Parish, St. Francis Hospital, St. Paul's Church, West End Neighborhood House, Westside Community Action Coalition, Westside Family Healthcare, Westside Neighborhood Coalition, Woodlawn Library, Woodlawn Trustees, and WSFS.
