COLORADO SPRINGS — A comprehensive neighborhood improvement plan aims to transform one of the city's most underserved areas by addressing key development challenges and community needs.
The plan, dubbed Southeast Strong, works to address key issues affecting development in the region. These include unsafe pedestrian travel, uneven grocery store access, a high volume of fast food eating options, and more.
"I think that we'll see a lot more engagement and people stepping up, which brings hope, which brings vibrancy, and which will continue to build our community," says Heather McBroom of Thrive Networks.
The region was recently impacted by the closures of a Safeway grocery store and three pharmacies. The plan aims to address the lack of healthcare access in an area with significant health disparities.
"We have some of the highest health disparity rates, so heart disease, hypertension," says Joyce Salazar of Rise Southeast. "I live in the community. I now work in the community. This plan keeps us in front of the departments as we start to think about building or rebuilding in the community.”
The initiative addresses longstanding challenges in the Southeast area, which houses approximately 70,000 residents.
"We have a lot of vacancies. We have a lot of crime. And so how can we work together as a community with our partners to make sure that we can start to make those areas vibrant again?" says McBroom.
"The growth seems to happen up north and is now happening northeast, and that's great for our city, but for 70,000 residents, that's not great," adds Salazar.
The plan has the full backing of the region's councilwoman, Kimberly Gold.
"The targeted approach to how we do economic development in the Southeast, I am a super fan of," Gold said.
The comprehensive strategy includes new diverse housing options, strategies to support small businesses and attract major retailers, and plans to establish Native American and Hispanic cultural centers.
The plan is set to be reviewed for approval by the city council in February.
"We put a lot of work into it as a community, and again spent several years developing this, so this plan for a lot of us is like the baby, right? If it means a lot to the community, it means a lot to us," says McBroom.
Gold welcomed input from fellow council members during the review process.
"I welcome the constructive criticism from my city councilors," she said.
Southeast Strong represents the first of 12 individualized neighborhood improvement plans to be presented by the city, creating a template for city-wide change.