By Carmen Rodríguez
Three metropolis administrations have come and gone within the final 12 years and Barrio Durangito stays in a state of oblivion. Everybody desires to know the plans for Duranguito now that funding an enviornment was rejected by voters final November. Both nobody is aware of, or nobody desires to say.
In January 2023, the expectations of barrio supporters ran excessive that the Metropolis Council would lastly transfer rapidly to reconstruct and restore the historic neighborhood. In spite of everything, on the yr’s first assembly, representatives took a daring and swift transfer to get rid of Duranguito as a location for the long-planned enviornment. Absolutely, it was anticipated, that motion can be adopted by a transparent proposal to revive the world.
Quickly after, barrio residents and supporters shaped a non-profit 501(c) (3) group, Challenge Regeneración, to help the neighborhood and promote its historic and cultural property. We additionally began elevating funds to contribute in direction of restoration. Largely from small donations, we’ve collected $38,000.
Later in 2023 Challenge Regeneración, in an effort to collaborate with metropolis officers, requested a possibility to share info with the Metropolis Council concerning vital neighborhood wants. The lengthy impending plans for an enviornment had prompted a lower in liveable residences, displacement of many households and depletion of providers and assets.
Mayor Oscar Leeser and a majority of council weren’t and deleted the presentation, saying it was dangerous timing, and the council was arduous at work addressing the difficulty. Clearly, addressing the difficulty meant optimizing financial growth on the expense of native historical past, heritage and barrio residents.
As if disrupting the lives of inhabitants hadn’t been sufficient, the lengthy delay to restore and rehabilitate the properties is a persevering with affront to our barrio communities.
A few months later, a discover appeared on a metropolis internet web page asserting a obscure course of for submitting letters of curiosity to buy the city-owned properties. The town made no different effort to inform potential traders, particular person consumers or the general public of the properties’ availability.
Though Challenge Regeneración responded, nothing else got here out of that course of. About 10 months later, a metropolis official acknowledged there had been too little response and the method was scrapped.
On the very finish of Leeser’s time period, metropolis officers introduced a brand new strategy and the council permitted the issuance of a request for {qualifications} for a grasp developer.
Thus, a brand new chapter begins with a brand new mayor and a brand new plan. Will the brand new administration take into consideration the considerations of residents, historians, preservationists and group voices? Will it have the capability to handle a venture in an open, clear and culturally related method?
Challenge Regeneración stays hopeful and dedicated to engaged on a simply resolution to this long-standing neglect of a historic neighborhood.
This commentary was submitted on behalf of the Challenge Regeneración board of administrators: David Romo, Marcos Muñoz, Romelia Mendoza, Beto Mestas, Larisa Veloz, Ingrid Leyva, Teresa Sotelo, Mónica García and Carmen Rodríguez.
