Efforts to revitalize Historic Westside gaining momentum

The Historic Westside has a rich history, but now attempts to revitalize the Las Vegas neighborhood are starting to pick up.

POLICIES.POLICIES.POLICIES.THE CITY ONLY ALLOWED.....THE CITY ONLY ALLOWED.....AFRICAN AMERICANS TO LIVE ANDOWN BUSINESSES....ON "THE WEST SIDE".NOW KNOWN AS HISTORIC "WEST-SIDE"...THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS LONG BEENLOOKED OVER FOR DEVELOPMENT.BUT 13 ACTION NEWS ANCHOR...JACKIE KOSTEK EXPLAINS..THERE'S NOW AMULTI-GENERATIONAL EFFORT..LONG-TIME NEIGHBORS ARE LOOKINGTO WRITE A NEW CHAPTER.THE HISTORIC WESTSIDE SPANSABOUT 450 ACRES, SPRAWLINGNORTH AND WEST OF THE I-15.DOTTED WITH VACANT LOTS ANDDILAPIDATED BUILDINGS NOW---IT'S A FAR CRY FROM THENEIGHBORHOOD'S HEY DAY IN THETHEY SAID, WE HAD THE STRAP ANDWE HAD THE STRIP." ON ANY GIVENNIGHT IN THE 40S AND 50S, THEWEST SIDE WAS BRIMMING WITHBLACK EXCELLENCE."THIS IS SAMMY DAVIS JR'S SILKSHIRT.I LIKE TO THINK HE WORE IT INTHIS HOUSE.IT WAS GREAT BECAUSE IT CAMEBACK THE SAME COLOR AS THEWALLS." IN SEGREGATED TIMES,SAMMY DAVIS JR., NAT KING COLEAND OTHER AFRICAN AMERICANARTISTS HEADLINED SHOWS ON THESTRIP BUT WEREN'T ALLOWED TOSTAY IN THE HOTELS, OR EVENWALK THROUGH THE FRONTDOOR OF THE CASINOS.DOOR OF THE CASINOS.AFTER PERFORMING, THEY'D CROSSTOWN TO THE WEST SIDE WHEREAFTER PERFORMING, THEY'D CROSSTOWN TO THE WEST SIDE WHERETHEY STAYED AT THE HARRISONHOUSE ON F STREET."STARS HAPPENED TO STAY IN THECOMMUNITY.IT CREATED AN ENERGY HERE THATWAS LIKE FAMILY, WHERE ORDINARYPEOPLE COULD ACTUALLY SEE THESTARS ON THE PORCH AND JUSTENJOYING THAT COMMUNITY." "DOWNTHIS HALLWAY, WE CALL THIS THESAMMY DAVIS JR.SUITE..." AS THE PRESIDENT OFTHE WARD 5 CHAMBER OFCOMMERCE, KATIE DUNCAN BOUGHTTHE HOUSE BACK IN 2009, WITHTHE GOAL OF RESTORING ANDREVITALIZING IT FOR PUBLIC USE."WHAT THIS HOUSE DOES IS ITALLOWS US TO TALK ABOUTSEGREGATION IN ANON-THREATENING ENVIRONMENT SOBY COMING TO HARRISON HOUSE, WECAN TALK ABOUT HOW WE GOT TOTHIS SPACE, THE CONDITIONSWE'RE IN TODAY AND OURINDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY FORERADICATING RACISM IN THEFUTURE." WITH ABOUT $120,000 INGRANT FUNDING, DUNCAN HASOVERHAULED THE ELECTRICAL ANDPLUMBING SYSTEMS AND STARTEDWORKING ON THE EXTERIOR ANDINTERIOR.BUT IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THEPROCESS, SHE REALIZED TO SEETHE DREAM COME TO LIFE, SHEWOULD NEED TO CUT THROUGH SOMERED TAPE."WE WORK TOWARD MAKING IT ALIBRARY, A MUSEUM AND WETHOUGHT, WOW IT WOULD BE GREATIF IT WERE A COFFEE LOUNGEBUT WHEN YOU CAN'T SERVE THEPUBLIC IN A PRIVATE RESIDENCE,SO WE WERE LOOKING TO GET THEHOUSE ZONED.AND WE REALIZED THERE WERE ALOT OF OTHER NEIGHBORS ANDRESIDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY WHOALSO HAD SIMILAR SITUATIONS ANDTHEY WANTED TO DO SOMETHINGDIFFERENT WITH THEIR HOMES ASWELL AND ALL OF US WERE GOINGFOR REZONING INDIVIDUALLY.AND WHEN WE WENT TO THE CITY,THEY SAID, WE'RE GOING TO BECOMING THROUGH YOURNEIGHBORHOOD AND LOOKING TOREZONE ANYWAY SO HOLD OFF ANDWE'LL DO IT AS A UNIT INSTEADPLANS FORMED AND ULTIMATELYSHELVED.BUT IN 2016, WITH ONGOING INPUTFROM NEIGHBORS IN THE AREA, THEHUNDRED PLAN WAS CREATED - AKIND OF MASTER PLAN ENVISIONINGA LIVABLE, WALKABLE, MODERNIZEDBUT CULTURALLY-RICH WEST SIDE."WHAT I WANTED TO DO IS NOT TOCOME IN AND CHANGE WHAT'S INTHERE BUT TO EXECUTE ON WHAT'SIN THERE BECAUSE IT'S COMMUNITYDRIVEN.NOW THE NEXT QUESTION IS, HOWDO YOU EXECUTE ON THE PLAN?"PUTTING THE HUNDRED PLAN INTOACTION IS PERSONAL FOR CITYCOUNCILMAN CEDRIC CREAR, WHOWAS BORN AND RAISED IN THENEIGHBORHOOD, HIS FATHER ONLYTHE SECOND BLACK DOCTOR IN THECITY.WHEN HE RAN FOR OFFICE, ONE OFHIS TOP PRIORITIES WAS BRINGINGDEVELOPMENT TO THE WEST SIDE."I SAY THAT WE'RE MOVING ATGOVERNMENT LIGHTNING SPEED.I'VE BEEN IN OFFICE FOR TWOYEARS AND HERE WE ARE SITTINGIN A BRAND NEW BUILDING ALREADYWITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND ITHINK THAT'S AMAZING." WE'RE ATTHE CORNER OF WASHINTON AVENUEAND D STREET AND THIS IS THEATTENTION RIGHT NOW.THE HISTORIC WESTSIDE SCHOOL ISTHE OLDEST REMAININGSCHOOLHOUSE IN LAS VEGAS ANDRECENTLY UNDERWENT A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR RESTORATIONPROJECT.THE BUILDING IS NOW HOME TOSEVERAL BUSINESSES.AND IF YOU WALK NORTH ALONG DSTREET, THERE'S A BRAND NEWBUILDING THAT WILL SOON HOUSEWORK FORCE TRAINING PROGRAMS.COUNCILMAN CREAR SAYS HE SEESTHIS STRETCH AS AN EDUCATIONHUB."WE'RE WORKING WITH THE COLLEGEOF SOUTHERN NEVADA TO FILL OUTTHAT PARCEL THAT'S HERE ANDWE'RE FINALIZING AN EDA GRANTTHAT WE THINK IS GOING TO COMEIN.THEY'RE GOING TO BUILD AFACILITY THAT WILL HAVECONSTRUCTION, MANUFACTURING ANDTRADES AS WELL." JUST NORTH OND STREET, COUNCILMAN CREARSAYS THE CITY RECENTLYPURCHASED THE LOT WHERE THEVACANT NEW JERUSALEM CHURCHSTANDS - THE IDEA...TO BUILD AMIXED-USE BUILDING WITH RETAILON THE GROUND FLOOR ANDMIXED-INCOME HOUSING ABOVE."MAKING SURE WE DON'T DISPLACETHE RESIDENTS THAT ARE IN THISCOMMUNITY.THE GOAL IS NOT TO KICK ANYBODYOUT.THE GOAL IS TO BRING EVERYONEALONG WITH US." WHILE THEDRAFTING OF THE HUNDRED PLANWAS LARGELY COMMUNITY DRIVEN,NOT EVERY MEMBER OF THECOMMUNITY IS WAITING ON THECITY TO SET THE PACE."WE ACTUALLY ARE WORKING ON ABUILDING RIGHT NOW ON JACKSON,407 JACKSON, THAT WE'RE MAKINGA COFFEE SHOP - TRADITIONALCOFFEE SHOP - ON THE BOTTOM ANDA ROOFTOP JUICE BAR." COURTNEYHAYWORD IS AN ARTIST ANDCORPORATION TO SPEARHEADPROJECTS, ATTRACT INVESTORS ANDMAKE SURE RESIDENTS ARE SEEN,HEARD AND HAVE AN OPPORTUNITYTO PARTICIPATE IN WHAT HE CALLSA POSITIVE KIND OFGENTRIFICATION."IF THEY NEED HELP DEVELOPINGTHEIR PROPERTY TO THE LIKINGOF THE PLAN THAT IS ALREADYIMPLEMENTED THEN THEY GET ANEDUCATION AND THEY GET A CHANCETO MAKE AN HONEST DECISION."LIKE MANY WHO GREW UP IN THENEIGHBORHOOD, HAYWORD DRAWSINSPIRATION FROM ITS HISTORY.HE ACTUALLY SPENT MUCH OF HISCHILDHOOD DANCING AND CREATINGIN THE SAME SPACE THE GREATSHAD, THE HARRISON HOUSE WAS HISGRANDFATHER'S IN THE 80'S.SO WHILE MANY LAS VEGANS MAYSEE THE HISTORIC WESTSIDE ASVACANT LOTS AND DILAPIDATEDBUILDINGS, THERE ARE POCKETS OFPASSION.AND THAT PASSION TRANSLATES"WE HAVE TO WORK TOWARDCREATING A HISTORIC DISTRICT SOWE CAN BRING BACK THOSE GLORYDAYS." JACKIE KOSTEK, 13 ACTIONNEWS."RE-ZONING" OF THE NEIGHBORHOODIS EXPECTED TO HAPPEN....SOMETIMEJACKIE KOSTEK, 13 ACTION NEWS.THIS FALL.MORE THAN...MORE THAN..."-53- THOUSAND" NEVADANS HAVE"-53- THOUSAND" NEVADANS HAVE