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Town of West Point Kirby Street Neighborhood Revitalization
Overview
The Kirby Street neighborhood in the Town of West Point is a historically African-American community located just south of downtown. The neighborhood is home to a predominately low- and moderate-income population. The residents had undersized water and sewer lines, an incomplete sidewalk system, and inadequately sized fire hydrants. Many of the older water lines and their connections also contained lead pipes, and the hydrants in the community did not meet current fire safety standards. Only 24% of the existing housing stock was in standard condition based on the age of the structures and the fixed incomes of the residents. The neighborhood is also very close to the Pamunkey River, thus suffering from poor drainage that created poor street conditions.
Approach
A comprehensive community revitalization project was developed and funded by CDBG funds in conjunction with American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) funds and local investment by the Town. The project started with a planning grant effort to engage the residents and stakeholders in developing a revitalization strategy for their neighborhood. The Town replaced public water and sewer lines, enhanced all the fire hyrants, and corrected the drainage issues. Along with VDOT, the Town also replaced damaged and missing sidewalk sections, while VDOT made street improvements. In total 22 houses were rehabilitated or substantially reconstructed and several vacant blighted structures removed.
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