Washington Heights/ 95th Street July 2016 Planning Priorities Report Table of Contents Section 1: Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 3 Planning Priorities Report ........................................................................................................................ 3 The planning process ............................................................................................................................ 3 Section 2: Regional Context .................................................................................................................... 5 Regional Setting.......................................................................................................................................... 5 History of Washington Heights ............................................................................................................... 7 Washington Heights/95th Street and GO TO 2040 ............................................................................... 11 Section 3: Capacity Building and Community Engagement ........................................................... 12 Community engagement activities ........................................................................................................ 12 Key themes ................................................................................................................................................ 13 Strengths .................................................................................................................................................... 13 Location ............................................................................................................................................... 13 Religious and social institutions ......................................................................................................... 13 Senior quality of life ............................................................................................................................ 13 Vested residents .................................................................................................................................. 13 Challenges ................................................................................................................................................. 14 Capacity gaps ...................................................................................................................................... 14 Church and community relations ....................................................................................................... 14 Lack of businesses ............................................................................................................................... 14 Recreation and open space .................................................................................................................. 14 Youth programming and engagement ................................................................................................ 14 Community Engagement and Capacity Recommendations .............................................................. 15 Section 4: Land Use ................................................................................................................................. 16 Key Findings ............................................................................................................................................. 16 Land Use Composition ............................................................................................................................ 17 Commercial ......................................................................................................................................... 19 Industrial ............................................................................................................................................ 19 Institutional ........................................................................................................................................ 19 Open Space ......................................................................................................................................... 19 Residential .......................................................................................................................................... 19 Transportation/Utilities...................................................................................................................... 20 Land Use Recommendations .................................................................................................................. 20 Section 5: Population and Housing ..................................................................................................... 21 Key Findings ............................................................................................................................................. 21 Demographic Profile ................................................................................................................................ 21 Housing Characteristics .......................................................................................................................... 26 Housing Conditions and Prices of the 95th Street Corridor ................................................................ 28 Population and Housing Recommendations ....................................................................................... 30 Section 6: Economic Development ...................................................................................................... 32 Key Findings ............................................................................................................................................. 32 1 Washington Heights/95th Street Planning Priorities Report Retail and Office Market Analysis ......................................................................................................... 33 Market Study Area Demographics ..................................................................................................... 34 Characteristics of the 95th Street Corridor .......................................................................................... 34 Area Employment of the 95th Street Corridor ..................................................................................... 39 Retail Competition and Retail Gap ..................................................................................................... 41 Economic Development Recommendations ...................................................................................... 42 Section 7: Health and Education .......................................................................................................... 45 Public Health and Local Planning ......................................................................................................... 45 Health Recommendations ....................................................................................................................... 46 Education Recommendations ................................................................................................................. 50 Section 8: Transportation and Mobility .............................................................................................. 52 Key Findings ............................................................................................................................................. 52 Roadway Conditions ............................................................................................................................... 53 Road Network and Traffic................................................................................................................... 53 Capital Improvement Projects ............................................................................................................ 54 Pedestrian and Bicycle Circulation ........................................................................................................ 54 Transit Access ........................................................................................................................................... 55 Transportation and Mobility Recommendations ................................................................................ 59 Section 9: Next Steps/Prioritization of Recommendations ............................................................. 60 Immediate Recommendations ............................................................................................................. 61 Short-term Recommendations ............................................................................................................ 62 Mid-term Recommendations .............................................................................................................. 63 2 Washington Heights/95th Street Planning Priorities Report Section 1: Introduction The Endeleo Institute, a not-for-profit affiliate of Trinity United Church of Christ, applied to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) under its Local Technical Assistance (LTA) program seeking support to develop a planning priorities report for the 95th Street corridor and surrounding neighborhood area. With the launch of two major development projects along 95th Street, the Endeleo Institute identified