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Purzycki launches neighborhood stabilization plan, some residents skeptical

Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki unveiled what he calls a neighborhood stabilization plan for West Center City Thursday.

Purzycki says he chose that area because of its close proximity to downtown and it already has strong community partners.

The plan calls for the demolition of vacant, unlivable properties and a re-allocation of city resources – including police and licenses and inspection staff – to enforce housing and other city codes.

According to city data, there are 153 registered vacancies. However, city officials say that number is probably higher. As of February 2017, over $1.8 million is owed to the city from 823 parcels. Over $770,000 of that debt comes from just 20 parcels.

Christian Willauer, recently appointed Executive Director of the Wilmington Neighborhood Conservancy Land Bank, says her group will partner with the city to acquire vacant or abandoned properties.

"And then we'll work with non-profit affordable developers and other developers who want to turn those properties into affordable homes or when it's a vacant lot, potentially a community garden," Willauer said.

Willauer says the group has raised money from foundations and others - and says they're working on a plan to allocate some resources to Wilmington's West Center City. However, there's no timeline or final strategy yet.

The only new financial investment announced Thursday was $1.3 million targeted to repair the William “Hicks” Anderson Community Center.

Wilmington City Councilman Nnamdi Chukwuocha says kids should remain at the center of the plan.

“What our children worry about today is being safe, being able to walk the streets, being able to come to this center and have some services that are gonna support them in their growth and development," Chukwuocha said. “So we’re gonna need you not to come in and make a quick investment or drop a dime, no. This is for the long haul. You wanna talk about the reputation in our city? We can change it right here. This is it. This is the community in which we can bring change."

Hicks Anderson was a second home to Chukwuocha, who grew up around the corner from the center and whose father the center is named after. Today it remains a safe place for kids like Corella Rainey’s son.

“One time he was scared to go home so I picked him up from here," Rainey said. "He was scared to go outside because there was a lot of retaliation and it was coming from this area, but in here he was safe.”

But her son is now in the hospital after he was shot in the stomach Wednesday, and she feels like the city has failed her and her family.

Our kids are the real community, and I’m thinking what about the heartbeat of the community? This is all about money," Rainey said. "What about the people?"

State DHSS officials have committed to using the center as a hub for better access to services like job training and food stamp programs, but there are no immediate plans to bring in those resources that remain decentralized across the city and state.

Rainey and Pastor Derrick Johnson worry the city’s plan with its strict code enforcement will ultimately lead to gentrification, pushing people out of the neighborhood.

“Many people are unable to pay parking tickets right now," Johnson said. "We should be looking at ways to lift the burden, which is one of the causes of the violence on the street – the economic condition of the people. So instead of coming up with ways to lift the stress of financial burden on the people, he’s [Purzycki's] creating another level of pressure.”

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