On Monday, March 7, 2011, over 100 people gathered at the Bloomfield Liedertafel to attend a community meeting for the Bloomfield Neighborhood Plan. The standing-room-only crowd included residents, business owners, homeowners, workers, representatives of community organization and local city government. The purpose of the meeting was to solicit input from Bloomfield stakeholders that would identify concerns, strengths and aspirations of the community.
This meeting represented the first major step in a six-month process initiated by the Bloomfield Development Corporation (BDC). Faced with the challenge of obtaining funding for projects in the community, the BDC, a non-profit community development corporation, reached out to funding partners from the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh (CDCP), Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development (PPND) and Fifth Third Bank to define a process that would better enable Bloomfield to compete for available funds. Executive Director Karla Owens explained that this process will lead to completing a five year vision for Bloomfield.
The presentation was prepared and led by Freddie Croce and myself, architects and planners with inter*ARCHITECTURE. Attendees had the opportunity to contribute their concerns and aspirations for the community by speaking to the group and completing a survey. Eleven enthusiastic audience members took the opportunity to address the group, ranging from a ten-year renter in the area, to a seven-year business owner and a lifelong resident. Collectively, they voiced a desire to clean up certain areas in the neighborhood and lauded the community’s strengths such as its diversity, strong history and central location amongst other issues.
Next steps include a series of three focus group meetings over the next two months on major topics that concern the community. These will be held in different locations in Bloomfield to reach out to as many people as possible. This will lead to the development of specific implementation ideas that will be included in the Neighborhood Plan. For more information, please contact the BDC offices at 412-681-8800.
Focus Group Meetings Outline and Schedule
Focus Group #1: “Playgrounds, Parks and Pool”
- Existing Parks and Facilities
- Parklets and Gardens
- Walking and Biking
- Reuse of Vacant Property
Monday, April 18, 2011, 6:30 PM
Del’s Restaurant
Focus Group #2: “Strengthening Community”
- Houses, Blocks and Streets
- Family-Friendly Neighborhood
- Senior Amenities
- Clean and Safe Streets
Tuesday, April 26, 2011, 6:00 PM
Shepherd Wellness Community Center
(Formerly Community Methodist Church)
4800 Sciota Street
Focus Group #3: “Thriving Business District”
- Storefronts and Sidewalks
- Neighborhood Businesses
- Bloomfield as Destination
- Gateways and Intersections
Monday, May 2, 2011, 6:00 PM
Alexander’s Italian Bistro
