What Can Be Done With Del Paso Heights?

The Del Paso Heights area of Sacramento is one of the poorest parts of the city. This week, the neighborhood is the subject of three days of study and public workshops.

People who work and live there are collaborating with a visiting team of architects who will develop a plan to improve the area.

Wayne Feiden is a planner from Massachusetts. He and half a dozen other architects from around the country are in Sacramento to design a plan that will bring Del Paso Heights economic development and revitalization.

"When you look at median income and you look at crime rate, you have a sense there are a lot of challenges here. But, when you go through neighborhoods, they are very strong, in-tact neighborhood - much stronger than I frankly would have thought they would have been from what I read about it. So, there's a lot of promise here."   

Allen Warren is the City Councilman for the area.
 
"We're looking for ideas and concepts to  really help jump-start the community and really pump some life back into the community, hopefully attract retailers, let people know that this community is the kind of a place that people can really raise their families."

Cesar Santoy, an architect from Chicago, says, "I see a lot of opportunity for both design standards, streetscape. There's also opportunity for incentives to encourage commercial developers to come and open shop along the boulevards."

The meetings and planning are funded by a grant from the American Institute of Architects to the City of Sacramento.

Former Sacramento Kings player Harold Pressley has family who live in the neighborhood.

"They're gonna revitalize this whole community. They're going to try to put some things in for the kids to feel safe, for the kids to have something to look forward to growing up -more jobs, better education, and just a better feel about themselves."

This is the second visit by the architects to Del Paso Heights.

They will announce their findings at a town hall meeting Friday night.