Fort Worth Plans $2.8 Million Facelift For Troubled Neighborhood

A Fort Worth neighborhood near Texas Wesleyan University is poised to get a $2.8 million facelift.

City leaders have chosen the area for improvements over the next year.

The neighborhood, called Ash Crescent, is one of the poorest in the city. Violent crime is three times the city average.

Ash Crescent is one of the streets that passes through the one-half square mile area.

“It’s a lovely place for me,” said Lee Thomas, who runs a tobacco shop on Riverside Drive. “It’s where I grew up.”

Thomas, like many of his neighbors, sees not only blight – but also hope.

"The governing system in our city needs to always keep the little people in mind,” he said.

The area is just southwest of Highway 287 and Rosedale Street and is home to 1,700 people. Half live in poverty.

"I think it has a lot of potential,” said truck driver Sheri Bramley, who rented a house in the area a few months ago. "This could be a nice place. There's really nice people on this street."

Now, city leaders have chosen this neighborhood for improvement.

"The idea here is to help bring up the neighborhood pride,” said Mayor Betsy Price. “This is not a handout. This is a hand up."

Price said the city plans to put in new streetlights, sidewalks and security cameras, increase police patrols, and clean up the streets.

Last year, the city focused on the nearby Stop Six neighborhood.

“Anecdotally, the businesses there, the neighbors there, are telling us they're really beginning to see a difference,” the mayor said.

In Ash Crescent, the city commitment is as welcome as it is surprising.

"It's a beautiful thing when the city thinks to come down here and do such a thing,” Thomas said.

Money for the project comes from the city’s share of property taxes.

A city committee will be briefed on the plan Tuesday and a final City Council vote is set for later this month.