A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF WESTSIDE PARK
Part I of an Exploratory Study to Establish a Special Improvement
District on Springfield and South Orange Avenues, Newark, NJ
Report to the Corinthian Housing Development Corporation and New Community Corporation
May 11, 1998
Methodology
The purpose of the Newark survey research group is to study the designated target areas of both Springfield and Orange Avenue to determine what is needed in these areas in terms of services and improvements.
Our main tool for determining our conclusions is through a comprehensive merchant and physical survey which was tailored to business owners in the target area. The group met with the local merchants to gain their input on the merchant survey and tailored it accordingly. Once all agree upon this survey, it was finalized and the group will proceed to the next task which was surveying merchants along both commercial strips. This proved to be one of the most difficult tasks of the project.
The group spent three days canvassing the area administering the survey by walking the streets and going in each business. The survey questions were asked of either the owner or manager of the store. To complement the initial survey, we held two focus groups sharing some survey results with them and gaining additional insight they may have.
The first focus group was held with local merchants, the second was held with local CDCs and some stakeholders in the community. These focus groups were held separately and were helpful in drawing some conclusions about the area, which will be discussed later.
From the survey, the group will be able to identify the needs of the neighborhood. Some of the following are issues we want to make conclusions about from our survey:
- Is safety a deterrent to the consumer?
- What is the racial make-up of business owners?
- Is cleanliness an issue? Police Patrols? Drug trafficking?
- What is needed in the neighborhood as far as goods and services?
- What improvements are needed?
- Are merchants satisfied with municipal services or the area in general?
The main goal of the Newark merchant survey group is to identify any and all voids in the neighborhood. We will accomplish this with our surveying technique and be able to utilize some of the best practices from other SIDs (Volume 2) to determine what would fill the voids in Newark.
The physical survey consisted of data collection from the tax assessor's office in Newark's town hall. This information was compiled to determine how many property owners are located along each strip and how much money is being paid to the city in way of property tax. In addition, a physical survey was conducted along both strips where group members visited these target areas and compiled a list of the businesses, addresses and vacant lots. Demographic information was also a key element that was gathered and analyzed. All of this information is discussed in detail later in this volume.
The goal of the physical survey group was to identify what exists along each strip, how much is being paid in taxes and enter this information in a database that is available in the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy. Finally, all of this information was used to create GIS maps that are helpful in analyzing the area. All these GIS maps are located in the appendix.
