Horton to lead UNA, Norman takes private position

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by Paul Schreiber|ret||ret||tab|

SBJ Reporter|ret||ret||tab|

pschreiber@sbj.net|ret||ret||tab|

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Downtown Springfield businessman Bob Horton is new executive director of the 2-year-old Urban Neighborhoods Alliance. UNA functions as both a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit and as a community development corporation under the Missouri Department of Economic Development. |ret||ret||tab|

Horton offically takes the baton June 1 from Mary Norman, who had directed the agency since August 2003. She leaves the position to work full-time as executive assistant to Tom Carlson at Carlson-Gardner Properties Inc. at 205 W. Walnut. |ret||ret||tab|

The UNA, Horton said, is neighborhood directed and executive director driven. The five distinct neighborhoods that make up the alliance Woodland Heights, Grant Beach, Mid-Town, Sherman Avenue and West Central are bounded by Kearney to the north, Grand Street to the south, Kansas Expressway to the west and National Avenue to the east.|ret||ret||tab|

Horton is the UNA office's sole staff. In addition to his input, UNA is guided by a 20-member board of directors largely comprising residents of the neighborhoods represented, Horton said. |ret||ret||tab|

Horton is the fourth executive director of UNA. Prior to Norman, Jack Pugh was at the helm, and the original executive director was Peggy Williamson.|ret||ret||tab|

The city has provided $50,000 to fund the executive director position and UNA's efforts to "encourage and promote neighborhood development of some of our most highly at-risk areas," said Brendan Griesemer, neighborhood conservation manager for the city. Essentially, the funds go to hire the director, maintain an office and coordinate activities, he said.|ret||ret||tab|

Citing the relationships she built with local and state government officials, the media, social service agencies and area businesses to help establish UNA's identity, Norman said her successor will take these advances and capitalize on them. "I think Bob is really well-suited to taking things to the next step," she said.|ret||ret||tab|

Horton is no stranger to the downtown area. As president of Mid-Town Neighborhood Association and former co-owner of Har-Bell Athletic Goods at 315 Park Central West, he has a longstanding familiarity with UNA area. Horton also is a past president of Urban Districts Alliance.|ret||ret||tab|

A quick drive through the alliance area reaffirmed for Horton the quality of living in these areas from three kids marketing drinks at a lemonaid stand to neighbors strolling and catching up on the day's events. |ret||ret||tab|

"It's something you point out, but you can't sell it; you just have to experience it," Horton said. "Urban lifestyle is something that is coming back." High on his agenda are increasing community empowerment, developing collaborative relationships and promoting homeownership, he said. |ret||ret||tab|

In addition to marshalling forces for neighborhood clean-ups or educating would-be home buyers on obtaining credit, Norman said the UNA is a "facilitative agency to bring together different resources to give people more information, more access." Identifying potential working partnerships between UNA and financial institutions, real estate agencies and general contractors has been one of her focuses, she said. |ret||ret||tab|

One such relationship resulted is a partnership between UNA and UMB Bank and the city. In the Sherman Avenue district, UMB Bank worked with UNA to provide loans at lower-than-market interest to purchase and refurbish two houses on Texas Avenue, Griesemer said. |ret||ret||tab|

The partnership with UMB did the gutting and rehab work, said Bill Owen, executive vice president of the south-central region for UMB. Then UMB's partnership with the city found the "first recipient of a down-payment closing-cost assistance grant" that functions as employer-assisted housing monies, he said. |ret||ret||tab|

Part of the restriction to obtaining these dollars is that the home had to be sold for owner-occupation and not sold to another investor, Owen said. Remodeling of the Texas Avenue properties was done by Ron Walker.|ret||ret||tab|

The area was rife with vacant houses and criminal activity, Griesemer said. Turning the houses into owner-occupied residences helped stabilize the area with permanent residents and reduced the high number of rental properties there. Additionally, the city cut back trees that shadowed the area and installed lighting to make the area more open to view. |ret||ret||tab|

Other UNA interests are its landlord training program, where it partners with city police officers in training lessors on screening applicants, Griesemer said. |ret||ret||tab|

Horton sees the employer-assisted housing programs offered by the city of Springfield and Drury University, helping employees secure center-city properties, as crucial to the area's development. |ret||ret||tab|

School districts often create similar programs to encourage teachers to live near their schools and students, Griesemer said, adding that Springfield R-XII, City Utilities, Greene County, Cox North and the Springfield News-Leader would be likely institutions where the program would work. |ret||ret||tab|

Integral to revitalizing the center city area is Jordan Valley Park, which has proximity to UNA neighborhoods, said Benjamin Alexander, project manager for JVP. |ret||ret||tab|

"I think the park itself becomes the magnet for all the urban neighborhoods. It becomes that front door, that lawn or that yard space for all the urban neighborhoods," Alexander said. |ret||ret||tab|

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