By utilizing “Rosewood Bucks,” neighborhood residents were able to prioritize various strategic initiatives within an Open House format. This prioritization helped the planning team to organize and identify “People” and “Neighborhood” projects for the Draft Plan.

Rosewood Courts residents have been actively engaged in exploring options for the future of Rosewood Courts. At several meetings, residents were asked to identify issues with their current units and the property.  Unit size, lack of dryer hookups, inadequate electrical service, inability to hang pictures on walls, steep concrete interior stairways, issues with mold and mildew, the lack of an on-site management office, sparse and limited resident parking and poor site accessibility were among the plethora of issues identified. These are consistent with the deficiencies identified by HACA in its physical needs assessments. Activities used to gather resident preferences and insights include the following:

• Bus Tour: In May 2013, 25 Rosewood Courts residents attended a bus tour of a number of affordable housing developments in Austin to acquaint them with the types of amenities possible at a redeveloped Rosewood Courts. Residents visited and took digital pictures of the following properties: La Vista de Guadalupe, Lyons Gardens and M Station in East Austin; Wildflower Terrace in Central Austin in the Mueller Development; Bent Tree in West Austin and Park at Summers Grove in North Austin. The bus tour allowed residents to see what other affordable housing properties look like, what populations they serve, amenities they offer, where they are located, and to begin thinking about the types of elements that they would like to see at Rosewood Courts.
• Amenity Preference Survey: Based on the amenities identified as desirable by bus tour participants, and other housing development types and amenities identified by the planning team, a meeting for Rosewood Courts residents was convened to discuss what the tour participants had observed and how desired design elements could be incorporated into design alternatives for Rosewood Courts. Residents indicated design preferences through a keypad polling exercise. Among the desired on-site amenities were childcare facilities, open space and play areas, laundry facilities, parking, and improved unit functionality and accessibility of units.

Click Here to Download Resident Preference Results (700 k)

Click here to download the Ellis Heights Neighborhood Data Book (18 mb)

The Ellis Heights Neighborhood Data Book was a compilation of all available background data for the Ellis Heights neighborhood. This information was used to support issue identification and quantification and established baseline metrics for evaluating project implementation and tracking performance. The data book also serves as a resource for grant applications designed to secure funding for projects included in our Plan. This document constituted the core of our neighborhood-level comprehensive needs assessment to inform development of the Ellis Heights Choice Neighborhoods Transformation Plan.

tRosewood Courts enhancements reflect the historic and cultural significance of the site, while accommodating the needs of current and future residents. The new Rosewood Courts is a microcosm of the mixed-income, mixed use character of the Rosewood neighborhood.

We have the opportunity to create a unified, desirable neighborhood, with a unique identity with better connections to the greater Rockford community – physically, economically and culturally. Through a program of focused investment and improvement, the Ellis Heights neighborhood can become a linchpin between the west side and greater Rockford, bringing these disparate parts of the city together.  Our vision, developed by neighborhood residents as we engaged in planning is as follows:

All too often neighborhoods become known by headlines, statistics and obstacles… no longer.  From today forward we believe in creativity, in opportunity, in power, in motivation, in ourselves.  From today forward, we will promote, discover, believe and mix it up! Ellis Heights will be a desirable place to live!  It will be creative, safe, affordable, clean and pleasant. There will be strong homeownership, with respectful and responsible neighbors looking out for the welfare of others. It will be a community where children are nurtured, families can grow, and seniors can enjoy their years. It will embrace the creativity of its residents and build a strong local arts economy in addition to homes for more traditional business enterprises. Ellis Heights will be a responsible community with active leadership and strong institutions.