Jumpstarting Jacobsville

Contributed by: Wesley York

As most residents can attest, the story of Evansville has essentially become a tale of two cities.  The east side of Evansville, which is unofficially designated as the urban sprawl east of Green River Road, has been the focus of intense commercialization and urban development in recent years, while the west side (all neighborhoods and annexes west of Green River Road) has only just begun to find new legs. Thanks in part to initiatives undertaken by the city to rehabilitate and revitalize the once thriving downtown commercial district, projects such as: the construction of the Ford Center; the development and “repurposing” of the area known as Haynie’s Corner as an Arts District; and projects in the works such as: the addition of a new IU regional medical school campus on a six block site adjacent to the Ford Center; and the pending construction of a new convention hotel on Walnut Street; the downtown area has emerged from the throes of economic despair seemingly stronger than ever.  It is, indeed, an auspicious time to be living in the city of Evansville once again.  Following the great recession, the city has bounced back like a prize fighter on the ropes, and economic vitality is evident at almost every corner.  ALMOST every corner.  This prepositional phrase begs the question, “Have any particular neighborhoods been overlooked and left behind in the city’s precipitous economic progression?”

Located in the heart of north-central Evansville lies the community of Jacobsville; a neighborhood with deep, blue collar roots that has, for far too long, been plagued by poverty, vagrancy, and the elevated crime rates that accompany them.  In fact, in April of 2015 the Department of Justice described Jacobsville as an area of “physical and social disorder” and cited the causes as “economic deprivation, blight, urban decay, drug activity, low neighborhood cohesion, and a sense of helplessness among Jacobsville residents.”  The Department of Justice characterized Jacobsville as such in the overview of a community crime prevention program, in which it made a $600,000 grant to the ECHO Housing Authority for the program’s development.  Although the community accounts for just 5% of Evansville’s total population, 10% of all crimes in Evansville occur there; making it one of the highest crime rate areas, per capita, in the city according to census estimates.  One need only to venture north on Main Street from the Lloyd Expressway to see an area of Evansville that progress has seemingly forgotten…until now.

It appears as though a new dawn is on the horizon for the Jacobsville community.  With initiatives collaboratively enacted by The Department of Metropolitan Development alongside a handful of community led organizations and local businesses, the proposed revitalization of Jacobsville are only beginning to gain momentum.  The call for mobilization has not gone unheard, and the community has begun to step up to the plate.

In April of 2014, Deaconess Hospital donated a total of 17 parcels of land on Garfield Street to the Evansville Habitat for Humanity with the hope of spurring residential development.  Philanthropic actions, such as this generous donation, display the faith that local businesses have in the potential of the area and serve as an example for other generous benefactors to follow.  Additionally, in 2014 an initiative known as “The Quality of Life Plan” was launched by the ECHO Housing Authority.  Also known as “Jacobsville Join In,” this initiative was designed to promote resident engagement in planning for the future of the neighborhood and seeks to, “establish a way for residents and stakeholders to hold each other accountable through action plans with performance measures.”  This translates to more resident and stakeholder solidarity in deciding upon issues that directly impact the community.  Since its inception, Jacobsville Join In has been one of the forerunners in spearheading the grass roots movement to revitalize the neighborhood by developing a comprehensive vision and plan of action.  The ECHO Housing Authority (the parent organization to Jacobsville Join In) has also been a key player in community redevelopment thus far.  Not only can the ECHO Housing Authority be credited with providing housing for low income residents and military veterans in the neighborhood, but it also works in tandem with city officials and other non for profit organizations to implement an effective strategy of dealing with issues such as blight, and homelessness.

The second initiative, known as the “Jacobsville Redevelopment Area Plan,” was jointly enacted by the Jacobsville Area Community Coporation and The City of Evansville Redevelopment Commission to outline community economic priorities and pinpoint key areas of focus within the Jacobsville community that could potentially act as economic buoys to elevate the community as a whole.  As quoted, its official purpose is, “to create a vision to guide the growth, re-use, and sustainability of the community.”  The current focus of the initiative is on the Tax Increment Financing zone (TIF), which is centered upon North Main Street.  The proposed project plan would eliminate on street parking on the east side of North Main from Division Street to Maryland Street.  It would also add a protected bike path on the street’s east side, stretching the length of the full corridor from Division Street to Garvin Park.  New off street parking zones would also be designated to make up for the loss of on street parking.  The estimated cost of the project is $13 million, although some skeptics believe this estimate is too conservative.  However, in an economic impact study, the Lochmueller Group concluded that the project would boost property values in the area by $1.9 million; lead to a $1.7 million increase in consumer spending along the corridor; and increase Otters revenue by $450,000 over a six year time span.  Mired in its fair share of political criticism and controversy, the aforementioned initiative has been greeted with mixed optimism by city officials and community players alike.

As a consensus, the majority of the business owners/managers and community leaders that were interviewed for this article were in agreement that a change is desperately needed in Jacobsville, although opinions regarding what changes should be made to the physical layout vary greatly.  Some believe that the redesign of the streetscape on North Main would act more as a barrier to the economic prosperity of their business, than a benefit.  Others believe that the new corridor design would allow for more consumer traffic to the area and improve the overall economic health of the community.  However, the elimination of blight and job creation are two components of the proposals that all can agree would greatly improve the quality of living in Jacobsville.

Key actors are taking incremental steps to realize the vision put forth for the community and its residents, and unfortunately in the political realm, progress is sometimes a slow process.  However, as incremental as these “baby steps” might be, it’s clear that they are steps in the right direction, not only for the community of Jacobsville, but for the city of Evansville as a whole.  The two previously mentioned initiatives have clearly stated to the residents of Jacobsville that they will not be left behind on the road to economic recovery, and that there are dedicated community leaders and city officials willing to go to work for them to ensure that their community grows in lockstep with the greater metropolitan area.  Regardless, of the political infighting that may take place over budgetary issues, and the cautious optimism of local business owners and residents expressed about various proposals, it’s clear that the gears are finally in motion, and that a change for the better is coming to the Jacobsville area.