The oldest African-American community in Columbia, the historic five-block Waverly Neighborhood once thrived with affluent doctors, teachers, lawyers and entrepreneurs.
By the 1990s, however, the neighborhood’s houses and businesses were largely abandoned, and criminals and vagrants had taken over many structures. In 1998, 20 of the neighborhoods’ 26 businesses were boarded up. Only 10 percent of the homes were owner-occupied. The area averaged five violent crimes per month.
By 2009, thanks to the City of Columbia’s decade-long revitalization effort, the Waverly Neighborhood is vibrant once more. Crime has substantially decreased (about 80 percent), 14 properties have been restored, home and property values (and tax revenues) are up dramatically, and businesses are again booming in the area, creating thousands of jobs.
Perhaps more importantly, however, community involvement and neighborhood pride have been re-established, as residents now regularly pack neighborhood association meetings.
To restore the Waverly Neighborhood, the city faced a daunting task. The comprehensive revitalization plan called for a simultaneous, two-front approach involving (1) reducing crime, increasing police presence and improving community police relations, and (2) reclaiming and restoring abandoned lots and structures.
The success of each of these priorities – attacking crime and eradicating blight – was dependent upon the other. Both were accomplished, and the Waverly Neighborhood has been returned to its original prominence.
To tackle crime, the Columbia Police Department established an on-site police unit in an abandoned home in the neighborhood. Uniformed officers live on the top floor, while the bottom floor serves as a gathering place for neighborhood association meetings.
The Waverly Neighborhood Association formed a Crime Committee, which worked with the police. As a result of these efforts, the police received more reports of crime in the area and were able to be more proactive.
On the property restoration front, the Columbia Housing Development Corporation and a nonprofit affordable housing organization, with help from First Citizens Bank, began reclaiming properties and transforming them into viable homes and businesses. This effort helped encourage existing residents to improve their own lots and property.
Additionally, local business workers were involved in the revitalization of many properties; several churches expanded and improved their facilities. In addition, Allen University refurbished many of its buildings, built new dorms and turned an abandoned shopping center into a student life center.
The city’s revitalization of the Waverly Neighborhood is an example of how a sustained public-private partnership and a proactive approach can succeed and translate into long-term prosperity for a city and its residents.