Continuing through Wells-Goodfellow, we pass by Stowe School, which closed in 2009 and is now for sale for $450,000. Built in 1967, I call this design, which appear throughout the northwest side, the last generation of schools before the dramatic decline in student population in the city.
After the schoolyard there is this lone, abandoned house, and then several blocks of nothing but vacant lots. Then four suburban style houses appear, seen below.
After Clara Avenue, there’s this house, and then more vacant lots.
There is so much land where the city has ceased to exist.
Most of the streets are oriented north-south through here, so there are only the sides of houses, but these two apartment buildings pop up just east of Belt Avenue.
Cote Brilliante Avenue doglegs at Arlington Avenue, and then there is a cluster of occupied one-story houses like I see all over the Greater Ville.
These are the type of houses that make the City so great–affordable homes that allow people of all incomes live in economically diverse neighborhoods. I love the one car garage inserted in the basement on the left below.
And larger houses sit comfortably next to their smaller neighbors.
But sadly, the abandoned houses are obvious.
We then reach Union Boulevard and take the first of our detours.
I’m fascinated there is no incentive to rehab some of these interesting homes. Love the brick. Happy to see the Wellston loop terminal being rebuilt.
Thx for your work.
I’d like to see the city take some of the Covid money and fund a massive Habitat for Humanity style rehab of 1000 houses in the city. $100M could rehab 1000 houses using volunteer labor. Or maybe 500 if you use contractors. But instead they are going to spend $1B on a 4 mile light rail.
I think that’s a great money. A friend in Davenport received a grant for brand new siding on her one-hundred year old Sears four-square house–two years ago. Other cities have already acted quickly and disbursed their ARPA funds to help their citizens.
An incentive would certainly help curb the exodus of people from these neighborhoods, while preserving the unique / diverse Architecture it provides.
Many of the abandoned homes pictured look to still be in great shape, so now is the time to act. The last thing we need is too see these neighborhoods rot, be demolished, sit vacant for decades, then either turn to sparsely located cookie cutter suburban style housing / or be re-zoned for commercial use.