Urban League expected to give recommendations on River Park on Monday

After months of meetings and interviews with residents, the Urban League of Greater Miami will reveal its recommendations for Naples’ River Park neighbor­hood on Monday evening.

The long awaited needs assess­ment will be presented by Oliver Gross, the Urban League vice president, at 6 p.m. at council chambers at 735 Eighth Street S. The meeting, which includes a public comment period, will be televised and also can be viewed any time on the Internet at: http://naples.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=4

Last month, Urban League offi­cials met with residents to de­termine what they desired for the area, the city’s traditionally black neighborhood. Residents wanted improvements in quality-of-life issues and complained of loud boom boxes, drug dealing, and crack bags left behind. They also cited deteriorating housing, pol­luted canals and the need for more police patrols.

The two-hour session, held at the River Park Community Cen­ter, followed three months and 40 interviews of focus groups, key leaders, adults and children by the Urban League, which Naples is paying up to $50,000 to tailor the needs assessment.

Residents, community leaders and about six city officials attend­ed the presentation, which out­lined concerns cited by residents during interviews. Residents then gathered into groups to address issues, such as housing, services, work force investment, youth de­velopment, parks and recreation.

River Park is the last portion of the Community Redevelopment Area to be addressed by city leaders and the only primarily residential CRA segment. Creat­ed in 1994, the CRA enables city officials to use tax money raised within the district to spruce up blighted neighborhoods.