A perfect example is a gas station that CRA has owned since 2017 that has been left boarded up with graffiti all over it. This is located at 1700 Dr Martin Luther King Jr. However, on that same street, $400+k homes are built and continue to be built in and around that area. Yet, CRA continues to collect TIF from homeowners. Gentrification is surely happening. The renovations to Fricker Center and Hollice T Williams “Stormwater” Park, are not coincidences.
Across many historically Black neighborhoods in Pensacola, the pattern of “maintained blight”, has quietly shaped redevelopment for decades. Maintained blight refers to the selective neglect of public and private properties in order to justify future redevelopment efforts. It creates an image of decline that allows officials and developers to argue that an area is failing and in need of outside investments.
Major corridors such as Jordan Street show how this process unfolds. Homes and yards on back streets often remain well-kept, but the main corridor, visible to commuters and city officials, reflects years of inconsistent maintenance, vacant properties, and boarded homes. The result is a carefully framed perception of blight, even when many residents continue to take pride in their properties and neighborhoods.
Continue reading “Maintained Blight: How Neglect Fuels Redevelopment Narratives…”
