Memo- Wilder Foundation Report on Blake Rd CorridorMemorandum
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council
CC: Rick Getschow, City Manager
From: Chief Craig A. Reid
Date: 04/03/2008
Re: Wilder Foundation Report on Blake Road Corridor
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In 2005 the Police Department noticed an increase in violent crime and drug activity in the Blake
Road Corridor. Observations of the area found that the population was not engaged with the city and
experienced a high rate of rental turnover. A large base of rental units in the corridor were home to
many immigrant groups. Large groups of school age children lacked recreational facilities or access
to positive programming.
A group of stakeholders was formed in the fall of 2005 to address the problems. The group
determined to institute some short-term measures to improve the area while looking at developing a
comprehensive study to identify long term strategies.
Sub groups from the stakeholders have worked to develop access to existing summer and after school
programs for children living in the corridor and engage residents in Neighborhood Watch along with
other activities to slow the rate of residential turnover. The Police Department worked with residents
along with outside agencies to increase police presence in the corridor, identify and arrest violent and
drug offenders. All of these short-term efforts have met with success in the last few years and efforts
are underway to have them continue.
In 2006 the stakeholders contracted with Wilder Research Foundation to conduct a comprehensive
study of the corridor and it's residents. Tsehai Wodajo, Hopkins Immigrant Outreach Specialist,
chaired the advisory collation that directed the study. Ms. Wodajo along with Wilder staff will join
me at the work session to discuss the final report before presenting the results to the stakeholders on
April 9
I have attached the Executive Summary from the final report. Wilder Staff will provide copies of the
full report at the work session.
Wilder
Research
Description of the assessment
Blake Road Corridor Assessment
Conclusions and recommendations
The Blake Road Corridor is a highly concentrated
neighborhood in Hopkins, Minnesota. This one mile
by one -half mile is bound by busy roadways and
contains approximately 1,350 housing units (primarily
rental), but relatively few services or community
facilities. In 2005, due to concerns about safety and
a lack of youth programming, the Hopkins Chief of
Police, the Hopkins School District, the Hennepin
County Strategic Initiative and Community Engagement
Department, and other partners began discussing
strategies to revitalize the community. Now known
as the Blake Road Corridor Stakeholders Collaborative,
the group includes a wide range of representatives,
including residents, business leaders, faith community
leaders, and school, city, and county staff.
In 2006, the Collaborative initiated a study to guide
their community revitalization efforts. The goals
of this assessment were to: (1) clarify community
members' concerns; (2) identify long -term solutions
that promote community livability, safety, growth, and
development; and (3) inform a plan to address issues,
engage stakeholders, and empower residents.
The assessment included multiple data collection
approaches, including:
• Interviews with 383 Corridor residents, conducted
in English, Spanish, and Somali.
• An online survey completed by 40 of 56 (71 %)
Collaborative members, including city employees,
school staff, youth program leaders, social
service employees, and others.
• A series of five focus groups conducted with a
total of 43 participants, including Somali and
Hispanic /Latino residents, renters, homeowners,
and business owners /landlords.
• A review of data submitted by the Hopkins
Police Department and School District.
• A review of other local and national community
revitalization efforts
Variation in perceptions
This summary highlights common themes and
recommendations based on the opinions of a diverse
array of community stakeholders. It is important to
note that there was not a single common perception of
the Corridor. In general, Collaborative members
expressed more concerns about the community than did
residents. For example, they were more likely to rate the
quality of life in the Corridor as "poor" or "very poor"
(81%, compared to 16 percent of the residents).
Within residents, there was also disagreement.
Residents who were White, owned their homes, or
lived in the community for a long time, tended to
rate their community more negatively than did other
residents. As the community moves forward with
planning, it will be important to recognize and address
these inconsistencies and to engage a diverse array
of partners representing different perspectives.
Community strengths
Schools. Despite the relatively poor performance of
Corridor students on standardized tests (compared to
students district- wide), community members and
parents generally rated Hopkins schools positively.
Eight in ten Collaborative members, and nine in ten
parents and youth, felt that the schools provide a
good educational experience, have high academic
expectations for students, and adequately serve
students of all cultural /racial backgrounds.
Police. Residents and Collaborative members had
positive perceptions of the Hopkins police. At least
nine in ten respondents felt that police responded
promptly and appropriately to incidents and
adequately served all residents. However, some
Collaborative members and residents (i.e., those who
were White and long -time residents) felt there was
not enough police presence in the Corridor.
Areas of concern
Crime and safety. Perceptions of crime and safety
were mixed. City data reflects a decrease in crime
since 2005, and most Collaborative members and
residents feel safe in the Corridor during the day. On
the other hand, at least half of the stakeholders (52%
of Collaborative members, 58% of residents) feel
that crime has gotten worse. Seventy -three percent
of the Collaborative members, and 33 percent of the
residents feel unsafe in the neighborhood at night.
Limited recreational programming. At least three -
quarters of the Collaborative members rated the
availability of after - school programs for teens and
recreational programs for young children as "poor"
or "very poor." Resident ratings were more positive,
with two- thirds expressing satisfaction with after -
school activities for teens and three - quarters satisfied
with programs for young children. Perhaps as a
result of limited activities, many individuals (94% of
Collaborative members, 60% of residents) expressed
concerns related to unsupervised or unoccupied youth.
Absence of an accessible, high - quality community
center or park. Almost all Collaborative members
(94 %) rated the availability of a community center as
"poor" or "very poor;" two - thirds rated the quality as
poor. Residents did not necessarily share these
concerns, with one - quarter identifying the quality and
availability of recreational facilities as a problem and
one -third identifying availability of a community
center as a problem. Relatively few residents (19 %-
30%) use existing parks or resource centers, most
often due to a lack of knowledge about them.
Limited screening and monitoring of renters. Rental
management issues were of concern. Collaborative
members and some residents felt that the lack of
thorough tenant screening, as well as absentee landlords
who failed to maintain their properties, were significant
problems in the Corridor.
Wilder
Research
www.wilderresearch,orq
451 Lexington Parkway North WILD
A OR
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55104
651- 280 -2700; FAX 651 - 280 -3700
Poor lighting and unsafe walking areas. Nine in ten
Collaborative members rated sidewalks as poor; almost
half rated street lighting as poor. Almost half of the
residents (44% to 46 %) also expressed concerns with
lighting and pedestrian safety. When asked for suggestions
for improving quality of life in the Corridor, residents
most often mentioned traffic management and lighting.
Limited access to social services. Approximately two -
thirds of the Collaborative members rated the availability
of social service agencies, health clinics, child care
services, and programs for the elderly as "poor" or
"very poor." Concerns about social services ranked
among residents' most prevalent concerns, though only
approximately one - quarter expressed dissatisfaction
with services.
Recommendations
• Create a group of external and internal stakeholders
to prioritize and guide revitalization efforts, either
as a continuation of the existing Collaborative or
as a new committee.
• Increase access to social services and recreation
programs, especially for teenagers, by:
➢ Conducting promotion and outreach activities
to increase use of existing services.
➢ Reducing access barriers, by providing
transportation to services outside of the Corridor
or co- locating services in community settings.
➢ Creating a community center to serve as a
hub for recreational and service programs
within the Corridor.
• Improve lighting and sidewalks to make areas
more pedestrian friendly.
• Increase landlord accountability for screening
and monitoring their tenants.
For more information
For more information about this report, contact Cheryl Holm- Hansen at
Wilder Research, 651 - 280 -2708.
Authors: Cheryl Holm- Hansen and Monica Idzelis
APRIL 2008