What about income? I suspect that's a greater factor in a market analysis.
Cara Letofsky
Seward
Gregory Luce wrote:
001701c1f9f3$9529d380$0de1e93f@oemcomputer">Cara Letofksky wrote:OF COURSE DEMOGRAPHICS FACTORED INTO KOWALSKI'S DECISION! And as Tom B.
pointed out, the demographics aren't good right now. In fact, one of
the consultants that Whittier, Stevens Square and Loring Park hired to
help come up with a marketing strategy to attract developers to Nicollet
Avenue's development opportunities, said, 'the number of supportive
housing facilities in this area makes it appear that it is treated with
LESS CIVIC DISREGARD than other areas of town' (not an exact quote).
and Tom Berthiaume wrote:Of course demographics play a role in the siting and success of
groceries
and other businesses, and the demographics for this area are
daunting. The
infamous Lydia House project site is 1/2 block from the store that is
closing. Currently, within 1/4 mile of Lydia House, 28% of the
residential
population is disabled and in special housing that requires on-site
supervision.
A geek's response: Ok, let's look at the demographics. The corner of
Franklin and Nicollet represents the four various corners of four census
tracts: tracts 68, 1056, 1057, and 1069. Basically, Nicollet and Franklin
are the dividing spokes between all four tracts, with Lyndale the
westernmost boundary and 35W the easternmost boundary. Tract 1056 contains
all of Loring Heights and a portion of Loring Park and is the tract where
the current GJ's is located, where Lydia House is going to be located, and
is the location of 9 of the 18 supportive housing facilities identified by
Lydia House opponents. Tract 1056 has 3,851 people with the following
general demographics:
477 people (or about 13%) living in 388 owner-occupied units
3,191 people (or about 83%) living in 2,465 renter-occupied units
142 people (or about 4%) living in 'group quarters'
The Census classifies all people not living in hous eholds as living in group
quarters. There are two types of group quarters: institutional (for example,
correctional facilities, nursing homes, and mental hospitals) and
non-institutional (for example, college dormitories, military barracks,
group homes, missions, and shelters).
Across Nicollet Avenue from the current GJ's is Tract 1057, which is
essentially Stevens Square. It has 2,877 people with the following general
demographics:
155 people (or about 5%) living in 106 owner-occupied units
2,660 people (or about 92%) living in 1,829 renter-occupied units
62 people (or about 2%) living in 'group quarters' (see the definition
above)
Taking all four census tracts together reveals the following general
demographics:
14,312 people
1,337 people (about 9%) living in 816 owner-occupied units
12,139 people (about 85%) living in 7,762 renter-occupied units
836 people (about 6%) living in 'group quarters'
By ne arly five times any of the other three census tracts, tract 1069 (where
the Institute of Arts is located) has most of the folks living in 'group
quarters,' or 536 out of 836 people in such housing. The folks opposed to
Lydia House identify one facility in Census Tract 1069 that is within 1/4
mile of Lydia House.
So, I have two responses: First, I don't see the numbers that Mr.
Berthiaume and others cite. Twenty-eight percent of all folks in these
tracts would be 4,007 people. Even just taking census tract 1056 (where
one-half of all the identified facilities are located) would mean that 1,078
of 3,851 people are, in Mr. Berthiaume's words, "disabled and in special
housing that requires on-site supervision." In all, I don't see the
"hyper-concentration" given the actual population demographics and I
specifically don't see the numbers that Mr. Berthiaume cites, particularly
given the numbers of folks in group quarters revealed by the 2000 census.
Second, it's scary to see marketing consultants defining a problem and
essentially deciding who may or may not be welcome in a neighborhood.
Obviously, these neighborhoods want to attract development, but development
for whom and for what? For homeowners, who make up about 10% of the
neighborhoods? For renters, who make up about 85% of the neighborhoods?
For those who already live there, which includes poor folks, disabled folks,
and folks in supportive and/or transitional housing? Or, is the meaning
behind the fancy marketing studies this: we need to get rid of some folks in
order to make this place more livable for the folks that will replace them?
Gregory Luce
Project 504/Minneapolis (North Phillips)
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