KINGSWAY WEST (52)
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LOCATION
This neighborhood is defined by Union Boulevard on the Northwest, Dr. Martin Luther King Drive on the Southwest, Natural Bridge Avenue on the Northeast, and North Kingshighway on the Southeast,. Kingsway West is bordered by the Kingsway East, Academy, Wells/Goodfellow, and Mark Twain/I-70 Industrial neighborhoods.

HISTORY
This area exists within an historic section known as Arlington, which takes its name from John W. Burd’s Arlington Grove subdivision of 1868. A memorable disaster in the history of the Arlington area occurred in October 1916, when the Christian Brothers College building was destroyed by a fire, one of the worst in the City’s history, taking 10 lives. Industrial activity in the area owes its development to the construction of the Terminal Railroad belt line about 1900. The convenience of rail access, combined with plenty of adjacent vacant land, resulted in the establishment of many industrial plants in the area.

CHARACTERISTICS
Kingsway West is composed of several different sections, each with its own name and unique characteristics. The Academy neighborhood has a mix of large single-family homes, as well as two- and four-family structures. Kings Heights is a newer development of condominiums and attached townhomes in a private setting. Norwood Square is an area experiencing new residential construction. Businesses and other commercial uses cluster along Natural Bridge, Union, and Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevards along their stretch through the neighborhood.

Approximately 85 percent of the area is residential, home to a diverse class structure. The King Heights Condominiums and Norwood Court are examples of two long-standing residential constructions that remain occupied and maintained in good condition. There are, however, a number of abandoned properties throughout the neighborhood. Some have been condemned and await demolition; others merely require attention by new homeowners.

INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS
The Kingsway Housing Corporation is active in the Kingsway West neighborhood.

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Planning should be in line with that for the Kingsway East residential and commercial areas. Development and rehabilitation funds could be crucially important to the preservation of the neighborhood’s continued stability.