Covington’s West 30 neighborhood gets a master plan

The Northshore Community Foundation will provide up to $150,000 for a master plan for the West 30s neighborhood in Covington, an area adjacent to the city’s successful downtown. Last week, the foundation and the community group Friends of the West 30s chose Nashville-based Walker Collaborative to lead the planning process from an original list of 23 state and national firms. West 30s has long been dominated by unemployment, crime and blight and has been largely unaffected by the post-Katrina economic boom felt throughout the Northshore, says Foundation Director of Community Development Frank Saxton. However, its advantageous location between picturesque downtown and retail-rich Collins Boulevard gives the neighborhood rich potential. “It’s got a lot of things going for it. It’s on a grid, it’s walkable and it couldn’t be better situated,” Saxton says. Support comes from the foundation’s Hurricane Katrina Planning Assistance grants, which fund community development projects in St. Tammany, St. Helena, Tangipahoa and Washington parishes. Grants usually call for a match, but this time, Saxton says, the foundation will foot the bill for the year-long plan. “The concerns were so large, and we felt it was so important, that we wanted to put our name behind it,” he says. “We think it will become a sales piece, and will help unlock other sources of funding down the road.” — Maggie Heyn Richardson