Diane Prokop of the Northeast Times this week brings us an interview with Kevin Dow, the newly appointed deputy director for the city’s Office of Neighborhood and Business Services. So what does this have to do with Frankford. Well, read the entire story here and you will find out.
Ever wonder how the city evolved into what it is today. Believe it or not but somebody actually planned it that way. OK not every single brick but the broad strokes. Looking back, some of it worked and some didn’t but there was a plan.
Dow will work to bring that same ease of service to community organizations as they move forward with plans for their neighborhoods.
“Plan and develop from the same blueprint. The idea is to bring it all together with a strategic approach and engage neighborhoods in the same type of process,” Dow said.
Frankford residents have heard all about plans for their neighborhood’s comeback and don’t necessarily want to hear about another.
Previously the vice president of community affairs for the northern region of Wachovia Bank, the Fairmount resident has worked with more than 300 organizations, including the Frankford and Kensington CDCs, as well as Impact services and Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement, giving him a bit of understanding about the history of the many Frankford plans.
“There just needs to be one plan,” Dow said. “Having several plans doesn’t allow for coordinated action. With all going after the same resources, you dilute those resources to prevent having any significant impact.”
That’s a claim also heard by many in Frankford’s large non-profit pool.
The latest plan for Frankford is the Transportation and Community Development Initiative (TCDI). The project assessed the potential for commercial revitalization around the Frankford Avenue transportation corridor. Dow believes that its key components (which can be found at http://www.philaplanning.org/plans/tod.html) can be incorporated in an overall community plan.
Frankford is a transportatation hub and that gives us a unique niche in the city. The plan referenced above is designed to take advantage of that niche. What we need is leadership to finalize a plan and leadership to ensure that it is implemented.
Don’t focus on what Frankford is not today. Look at what Frankford can be tomorrow. it’s the final game of the World Series, “you gotta believe”.
Frankford will be great again one day. I agree that we need one unified plan and one captain of the ship. From all that I’ve seen and know …..it is obvious that Frankford CDC could never be that captain.