 FPSE Home
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Introduction - Community Profile
Location and Background Much of the residential construction in the FPSE neighborhood was developed around the turn of the century and consists of a mix of single and multi-family buildings with scattered commercial and mixed-use properties. It was a thriving working class area with a local elementary school (Adams School), a commercial thoroughfare (Manchester Avenue) and a number of churches. As has been the fate of urban corridors throughout the U.S., the last three decades has seen a precipitous decline in population, housing stock and retail shops. U.S. Census data reported population losses approaching fifty percent, and dwelling unit losses of forty percent, during the period from 1970 to 1990. Data provided by Claritas, Inc., a demographic and marketing agency, estimated that total population of the FPSE neighborhood has declined approximately 10.7% or by 436 persons since 1990. They also estimate that the number of households has also declined by 436 or 31.9%. The population decline in FPSE is in line with the prediction that the overall City's population will decline between 15% and 20% by the year 2000.
Demographics
Table 1.2 Household and Family Statistics
Table 1.3 Household Income Distribution
The FPSE neighborhood falls in the 17th Ward of the St. Louis City. Joseph Roddy is the Democratic alderman who has served the neighborhood for over 11 years. The neighborhood has five improvement associations: Adams Grove Neighborhood Improvement, New Boyle Neighborhood Improvement, Adams Grove Block Unit, Gibson Heights Neighborhood Association and Ranken East Neighborhood Improvement. The neighborhood also has one overall council, the FPSE Community Council, which is made up of residents from all five improvement associations, business members, social service providers and clergy members.
The Plan to Achieve Core Results The HUD grant partners the WUMCRC and the neighborhood based FPSE Housing Corporation in an effort to address housing, security and quality of life issues in FPSE. The planning process of implementation, including the establishment of a Community Advisory Group and a number of subcommittees was underway when the revitalization efforts was fast forwarded with WUMC's decision to contract McCormack Baron & Associates to serve as program manager of the grant as of August of 1998. Infusion of additional pre-development funds and welcomed expertise accompanied this shift in the planning process. As a result of the entry of McCormack Baron & Associates, a Community Development Office was established as a collaborative between the FPSE Housing Corporation, WUMCRC and McCormack Baron. In August of 1998, the Community Development Office sponsored an outdoor tent event that stepped up on the ongoing development of the community driven strategic plan to revitalize the neighborhood. The plan includes both physical and human service developments in the FPSE neighborhood. The physical initiatives include, a neighborhood school, housing, commercial revitalization along Manchester, a community center, an assisted living facility, traffic control and home repair. The human service initiatives address long-standing needs in FPSE and are encompassed in the six core result defined by the State. The plan represents many hours of thoughtful work by neighborhood residents and stakeholders. Given the complexity of the proposed plan, we are including a Human Service Manager in the staffing needs. We see the position, not as an expert in any one area, but as a generalist who can see beyond a particular core issue to the overall vision, who can foster collaborations, monitor the progress and budgeting of each core program and assist in the resolution of issues/problems encountered in a program. In short, keep the programs moving towards their goals and reporting to the 40 member Community Council on both progress and obstacles along the way. The following sections contain a presentation of "Core Results" we eager to address in the next five years. The plan addresses both short term and long term goals for the community, with the understanding that plans evolve and ongoing evaluations will inform the need for change. More thoughtful work is obviously needed, but it is a start and be assured that we are ready to roll up our sleeves and meet the challenge of substance-it is, after all, our community that is at stake. The designation of FPSE as a Sustainable Neighborhood provides a unique opportunity to address community needs in a holistic, rather than piecemeal fashion.
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