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Westport Community Partnerships got its start in March of 2008 when
the Westport Waterfront Development Project and Turner Development
Group engaged
Bonnie Crockett to develop and
implement a community activist, revitalization and improvement plan,
and there is already a feeling of change in the air. There have been
neighborhood trash clean-ups, greening classes and tree plantings, new
trash cans installed, a street naming contest held at the local school,
playground renovations and improvements, and more. The Clean Team has
begun its daily work, changing the appearance of the neighborhood. One hundred new tree pits were prepared and are being planted. And the
matching facade grant program is available to help give Westport a
facelift. The neighbors are feeling it too – pulling together to form a
new neighborhood association, a new business association, organizing a Spring Fair and turning out in a crowd to walk as Citizens
on Patrol. Each neighborhood
success opens the door to more opportunities, and the strategy for
revitalization continues to evolve and grow.
The implementation of the Westport Community Partnerships strategy for revitalization, along with the availability of private funds and the likely potential for public funding, presents a unique opportunity for the neighbors of Westport to dramatically improve the quality of their life and lift up their neighborhood as the Westport Waterfront is developed.
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Westport Community Partnerships partners with neighborhood associations, business associations, nonprofit organizations, city agencies, developers and other stakeholders to help build strong productive relationships and help make
Westport a cleaner, greener and safer place to live, work and raise a family.
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Through these relationships Westport Community Partnerships brings community programs to
Westport families, including cleaning and greening programs, workforce development programs, property improvement programs, crime reduction programs, and more. |
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The effort is powered by community outreach and organization to ensure that residents benefit from the opportunities presented and are fully engaged in the improvement of their environment. |
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Turner Development Group, spearheaded by Patrick Turner, is motivated by one core idea: the best vision of a city's future cannot ignore its past. Firmly committed to improving the urban landscape, Turner Development specializes in creating imaginative, economically viable purposes for the older buildings and neighborhoods that give every city its unique character.
Turner Development's reputation for success with even the most challenging and unusual projects stems from an agile, creative approach to architectural and planning issues. But perhaps Turner's most important asset is its ability to build relationships that are vital to the success of any project: partnering with communities, listening to neighbors' concerns, and building public confidence. Patrick Turner’s investment in and commitment to the community is clear with his decision to create the Westport Community Partnerships program. |
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Bonnie Crockett, an attorney and
Baltimore native, discovered her love of community activism in 1998 when she served a two-year term as President of her neighborhood association. In 2000, she joined forces with the local business association to bring the
Main Street business revitalization program to the Federal Hill business district. Then in 2001, Bonnie put her law practice on the back burner, and accepted the position of Executive Director of
Federal Hill Main Street.
During Bonnie’s tenure as Executive Director, outstanding progress was made in business development, retail promotion, public and private space improvements, historic preservation, beautification, and outreach to community and tourists. Collaborative efforts with business owners, community leaders, city agencies and elected officials addressed urban issues of trash, crime, aggressive panhandling, parking, live entertainment, changing demographic and business trends, and more. In March 2009, the Federal Hill Main Street program was accorded the highest honor awarded to Main Street programs when it was named one of the five Greatest American Main Street programs in the United States.
After eight years, the opening of 84 new businesses in Federal Hill, and the completion of a long-term project, (the historic rehab of the old Public Comfort Station on
Cross Street), Bonnie was ready to move on. And in February of 2008, excited by the challenge of developing and implementing a community revitalization program, Bonnie accepted the position of Director of Community Partnerships for the Westport Waterfront Development project. |
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