By Keetra Bippus | AZ Big Media
After decades of disinvestment, a revitalization effort in Edison-Eastlake brings community initiatives and new housing units to the neighborhood located about one mile from downtown Phoenix.
In 2018, the City of Phoenix received $30 million for the Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant for its One Vision Plan in the Edison-Eastlake neighborhood, the first community in Arizona to do so.
The plan includes new housing units in place of obsolete ones, promotes safety and builds community. Public safety and leadership initiatives aim to transform the area while housing upgrades are needed as the neighborhood records some of the hottest temperatures in Phoenix every summer.
A resident of the area, Beverly Cattage, has lived in Edison-Eastlake for 5 years. She’s a member of the Resident Leadership Council, a part of the One Vision Plan. The council encourages residents to speak up about issues in their neighborhood and propose solutions.
“(The Resident Leadership Council) has helped us to speak up in leadership roles, for the community and for ourselves,” she said.