Case Study: West End Berwick
Context
The West End of Berwick was once a thriving community and home to many workers at
the American Car and Foundry Company, which found great success from the mid-nineteenth to
the mid-twentieth century, coinciding with the booming coal industry. When rail cars were no
longer needed, and the economy shifted away from coal-based energy, the company was shut
down, and the service industry that supported those workers also began to crumble. As the
economy of the community started to collapse, so did the infrastructure and housing. Berwick
had little to offer in the way of jobs, so young working families stopped moving to the area, and
the population became much older. By 2009, most of the homes in West End Berwick, also
referred to as the LaSalle Street neighborhood, were owned by elderly families or absentee
landlords. Many of the rentals went to low-income individuals that often had less of a stake in
the community and failed to properly maintaining their property. Crime rates in Berwick
increased, and the 300-block became notorious around Berwick and the surrounding towns as
being drug-infested and unsafe. Other problems in the neighborhood included vandalization,
blighted properties, and loitering and drug activity at Sponsler Park, causing a lack of use among
residents.
The Beginning
In 2008, Paul Reichert was campaigning for state representative in the West End of
Berwick with Berwick Resident Lucille Whitmire. As they walked through the neighborhood,
Paul noticed, and many of the residents complained about, the blighted properties, crime, and
vacant homes in the area. Paul at the time sat on the board for the Federal Home Loan Bank of
Pittsburgh, which was introducing an initiative called the “Blueprint Community,” in which
municipalities could put together a team and apply for a grant to rehabilitate and redevelop
dilapidated neighborhoods. In an effort to revitalize this community and change outsider
misconceptions, Paul made the Borough of Berwick and the Columbia County Housing
Corporation (the non-profit branch of the Columbia County Housing Authority) aware of this
opportunity.
Upon applying for and receiving the redevelopment grant in 2008, a committee in
Berwick was established that consisted of a builder (the Columbia Country Housing
Corporation), a bank (Paul was the President of a local community bank), business people (Maria
Venzendy, a realtor), an elected or appointed official (Molly Sullivan, Borough Manager, and
Karen Karchner, a codes official) and people from the community (Lucille Whitmire), to adhere
to stipulations of the grant. The Columbia County Housing Authority also applied for, and
received, a grant through the Wachovia (now Wells Fargo) Regional Foundation. One of the
requirements of this grant was to assess progress, successes, and failures of the grant funding.
Therefore, the committee conducted two surveys, with the help of Bucknell and Bloomsburg
students and faculty, about Sponsler Park (its current usage, problems, and community hopes for
the future park) and about problems in the community more generally to use as a starting point
from which to assess progress after projects were completed. SEDA-COG also had established a
role in the Berwick community, and therefore offered their expertise in planning a new park. The
United Way also volunteered their efforts, as they had parallel efforts they were engaged with in
the community.
The Plan
After incorporating the results of the surveys, community meetings and focus groups
findings, the Blueprint Committee decided on four aspects to focus on for the project: Crime
Prevention, Beautification, Homeowner Rehabilitation Assistance, and Redevelopment. The
findings and opinions of the initiatives and people listed above also indicated that there was a
sense of neighborhood unity and friendship to build upon, so the project adopted the principle
that if a community renewal project was going to be successful, it would need to include
community leaders incorporating the opinions and desires of the people who live in the
community and have a stake in the community’s success.
Rich Kisner, Chairman of the Board Redevelopment and Housing Authority, hired Jay
Jarrett as the neighborhood manager of the four step project. For crime prevention, the plan was
to establish a “Crime Watch,” including increased police presence, but also including neighbors
keeping an eye on each others’ homes and not hesitating to contact the police if they are
concerned about suspicious activity. For beautification, the committee hoped to revamp Sponsler
Park’s appearance and functionality, insert light fixtures and hedges on the street, improve
sidewalks, and enforce codes to ensure people are taking pride in the appearance and
maintenance of their homes. For housing redevelopment the main objective was to tear down
some of the dilapidated and vacant homes and rebuild attractive homes that would draw young
families back into the neighborhood. The housing rehabilitation goals included providing free
inspection to bring homes up to code, increase energy efficiency, and improve home appearance
as long as residents agreed to not sell their homes for 5 years to encourage people to take pride in
their homes on a long-term basis.
Methodologically, the committee and actors involved realized that getting people on
board with the project was going to necessitate a lot of one-on-one marketing and getting out into
the community to explain to people the intentions and benefits of the Blueprint Community
project. Residents need to understand how the project directly effects them, the quality of the
neighborhood they live in, and the property value of the home they live, in order for them to have
a stake in the project and want to invest time, energy, and support into the project. Getting longterm community residents involved is the key for sustainable commitment, investment, and
engagement in this project. Because of the strong role of the Christian Center and churches in the
community, the committee saw the support of these groups as necessary to give their message
credibility.
Results and Conclusions
The results have been overwhelmingly positive and perceptions within and outside the
community are beginning to change regarding the safety and desirability of living in the West
End neighborhood. Crime has been significantly reduced. While city-wide incidences of crime
are down 25 percent, the West End has seen a 37 percent reduction of crime in 3 years. Prior to
the “Crime Watch” initiative residents might turn a blind eye to vandalism, but now citizens have
been policing vandalism themselves, and the community has experience a huge increase in
citizens watching out for each other’s homes and wellbeing. The committee also got children
involved and aware of crime by hosting a “Take a Bite Out of Crime” poster contest at the
Orange Street School. Residents came out to help build new playground equipment, a gazebo,
and plant flowers for Sponsler Park, as part of the beautification component of the project. The
park has seen a huge jump in usage as a result of the improvements. With the Wachovia
Regional Foundation Grant, 27 homes have been inspected and rehabilitated in appearance,
energy efficiency, and meeting code standards, and three more will be completed as part of the
housing rehabilitation initiative.
The biggest project underway in terms of redevelopment is the Gateway Project, which
involves purchasing 5 homes to tear down and building four new homes (and two in the future)
at one of the only entrances into the community to change perceptions about the quality and
desirability of the West End Community from the moment outsiders enter the community. Two
homes that were infested with fleas and garbage on the 300-block (the most blighted
neighborhood) were put up for sale and bought below market value by the Columbia County
Housing Corporation and torn down with the labor of the Borough of Berwick. As the
beautification and redevelopment has begun to transform the neighborhood appearance, rent
prices have been going up, indicating the elevated desirability of the neighborhood. Other
community events have included an annual carnival in the park, a concert in the park for seniors,
a Halloween celebration, and a community mural painting activity.
A great rapport has developed among the Borough, the Police and Fire Department of
Berwick, the Housing Corporation, and the community. The Borough, Police, and Fire
Department have all volunteered their labor for various events and demolition/construction
projects, and the police chief has even handed out his personal cell phone number to residents in
case they need to get in contact with the police but do not want to call 911 as part of the “Crime
watch program.” The Christian Center and local churches have also played a huge role in
providing a space for the Committee to meet, providing support for the project and therefore
giving the project credibility in the neighborhood, and helping out at various events. The
Christian Center holds a weekly Monday night meal that draws a significant crowd and increases
unity and friendship in the community.
The Future
While significant strides have been made, more improvements must be made for the
community to make long-lasting change and reach its potential. The Columbia County Housing
Corporation will continue to apply for funding to knock down condemned and dilapidated homes
and build attractive and affordable homes to elevate the appearance of the community and to
bring more young, working families to the area. Housing redevelopment is also important in
terms of making splash, so that perceptions inside and outside the community begin to change
and recognize the West End neighborhood as a desirable place to live. The Blueprint Committee
has somewhat dissolved and individual actors involved with the project more generally have
changed, but the Columbia County Housing Authority and many community members are still
committed to beautification of the neighborhood and creating a sense of ownership and pride
among community members about the community they live in, a process which is already very
much underway. Part of this evolving process includes continuing to promote home-ownership,
which has a direct correlation to people being more invested and supportive of the community
they live in, as opposed to landlords who may not keep an eye on their properties and renters
who do not have as much of a stake in the success of the community as they are not necessarily
permanent members. Some people will continue to rent, so it is important to ensure that
landlords who continue to rent in the community are being attentive and managing their
properties, so the classic problems of neglect with renters are no longer issues. Also, as
beautification continues and housing prices go up, it is hoped that children will not sell their
parents properties, but instead stay in the community creating families that have a long-standing
connections to the community. The biggest task is to continue to change perceptions inside and
outside of the community to attract more people and increase housing prices, to bring economic
vitality and pride back to the community.