NSP Bucks Should Stop on Pleasant Street

The problem with foreclosures and vacant properties hit the 300-400 block of North Pleasant Street, in the heart of the Harry S Truman National Historic Landmark District, long before the crisis hit the community and the nation. The photo above is 419 N. Pleasant taken almost 2 years ago and shows overgrown weeds and boarded up windows. Conditions today are worst. The property looked this way during Candidate Barack Obama’s pivotal campaign speech about “Patriotism” at the Memorial Building (only a block away) while the national press descended on our neighborhood. And we lost one empty building over three years ago from arson (subject of 11-27-09 Blog Post). Today there are actually 5 empty buildings on this block which include an empty historic church sanctuary with plywood covering stained glass windows and, yes, an empty school building (Palmer). But there is actually hope. The federal government has what they call the National Stabilization Program (NSP) where they provide money to local communities to purchase foreclosed properties for rehabilitation and resale. City Historic Preservation staff is currently proposing to use NSP funds for 419 N. Pleasant. This has actually been one of the best ideas to come from City Hall in a long time. No other property in town would give you more bang for your buck than this one. Millions of dollars are available and have been for a while. Other communities have been spending this money. What is the hold up in Independence? If this were a problem associated with the Event Center, it would be treated as an emergency and the city would go into debt to address it immediately. In this case, money is not short but leadership is. Someone needs to take the lead this spring to get the NSP funds invested in our historic neighborhoods. We cannot depend on the First Baptist Church, the School District, or the banking community for leadership on Pleasant Street. City Hall has to step up to the plate and treat issues in Old Town with the same urgency as their beloved projects in the Little Blue Valley.