Elmira plan highlights importance of neighborhoods

If people in Elmira want to go to the Elbow Room for a burger, they probably don't say "Hey, let's go over to Arnot Common for lunch," but if Joe Caparulo has his way, some day they might.

Caparulo, board member of Community Arts of Elmira and author of an essay on using the arts to help revitalize the city — "Elmira's Creation Economy" — gave a public presentation Tuesday on the importance of neighborhoods.

Specifically, Caparulo believes there are several neglected areas of the city that could be given names and identities that would help them stand out and give them more energy.

For example, the area surrounding the Arnot Health campus, including the Elbow Room and other businesses, could become known as "Arnot Common." 

Caparulo likewise envisions a neighborhood along Clinton Street, including St. Patrick's Church and the future green space formerly occupied by Cappy's gift shop, could be known as "Flatiron Green."

The whole point is to create a series of identifiable neighborhoods that generate a sense of place and pride, Caparulo said.

"It's an attempt to elevate the importance of neighborhoods that don't ordinarily get a lot of attention," he said. "You have traditional districts, but along with that, we have added districts that people don't normally associate with neighborhoods or districts. Once that footprint is recognized, you can see how they connect."

Caparulo recalled how the Elmira of his youth seemed more interconnected than it is today, and that over time, once bustling neighborhoods grew quiet and desolate.

It's a trend he would like to see reversed.

"The fabric of the Elmira I was born into was faded and torn. The feeling that we belonged to a city, a district or a neighborhood had lost its power and significance," Caparulo said. "Elmira was adrift, without focus. It gradually dulled to a location of sour statistics. No longer a place of connection and community, Elmira became a city without a soul."

A first small step toward restoring that vitality is giving neighborhoods names and identities, and then building on that recognition to draw business and activity to those areas.

Caparulo conjured up potential names for several areas of the city. For example, "The Yard" would encompass a long stretch along railroad tracks that cut the community in half. 

That stretch could easily become a walkable area featuring botanical gardens and parks, Caparulo said.

Another barren stretch, the strip on the city's Eastside between Sullivan Street and Newtown Creek, could be named the "Green Belt" and could be utilized for urban farms and other uses that would make it more appealing, he said.

The neighborhood just north of downtown that encompasses the Community Arts building, Finn Academy, the former Jones Court Apartments and the Economic Opportunity Program headquarters would be known as "The Connection" under Caparulo's plan.

Once neighborhoods have established names and identities, it will be easier to focus on redevelopment of those areas, but it will take a concerted effort involving multiple agencies, Caparulo said.

That's why his plan would also establish some new groups that would bring various community entities together to guide the effort.

The Elmira Community Congress would establish leadership teams for each City Council district made up of council representatives and Chemung County legislators from those districts, along with residents from those areas.

The Elmira Resource Alliance would be a partnership of local industry, financial institutions, not-for-profit agencies and others that would establish guidelines and principles for strengthening and revitalizing the core assets of Elmira.

About two dozen people, including some community leaders, attended Tuesday's presentation.

Among them was Chemung County legislator Marty Chalk, whose district includes parts of the City of Elmira.

Chalk isn't sure how feasible every aspect of the plan is, but said it's a good start.

"What I liked about it was it was all positive. There's so much negativity around," Chalk said. "I liked the concept of various neighborhoods. It's like New York City with all its various districts. It’s just a different way of looking at things and takes us away from 17 percent tax hikes and shootings and gives you a different view of the City of Elmira.

"As an example, with the Civil War prison camp, people ask me 'Where is it?'" he said. "It's on Windsor Avenue, but if you say it’s in the 'Foster Pond District,' I really like that."

The most important aspect of the neighborhood plan is that it allows for an incremental approach and a series of small, manageable projects, Caparulo said.

That's in stark contrast to big flashy, make-or-break projects such as the First Arena, he said.

"The idea is small projects put into place and given a chance to succeed, and to tweak them if needed, and to avoid huge projects," Caparulo said. "A lot of big projects become non-community-based endeavors. This will involve small, community-funded projects. If it fails, nobody loses their shirt. If it works, then we can keep replicating it."

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Online

• The full document outlining Joe Caparulo's neighborhood vision for Elmira will be posted in the near future on the Community Arts of Elmira website. Caparulo's "Elmira's Creation Economy" essay is also posted on the website.
• For more information, go to communityartsofelmira.com.