On February 15, 2002 the BIA launched the Old East London Village Commercial Corridor Transition and Revitalization Study.  Through this initiative they have extended their area of interest beyond Elizabeth Street to Egerton Street.  This study is a partnership initiative between Old East London Village BIA, The Professional Planners Institute Southwest Planner Action Team, and the London InterCommunity Health center.

This revitalization plan for the Old East Village is different from those that have gone before it.  There are likely many skeptics to this statement – those that would say that this plan, like previous others, will not yield results.  There are, however, major differences that give this plan a far greater opportunity to have real and positive effect.

Most significant among these differences is that this time a clear and identifiable “champion” is in place to implement this plan – an Executive Director and dedicated staff at the Old East Village BIA.  Up until now, the BIA has not hired full time staff.  There has been no one in place to activate recommendations, work with other parties to ensure that commitments are maintained, and “wake up each morning thinking, eating and breathing the mantra of Old East Village revitalization”.  This time such a champion exists.

Also different is that this plan has been developed to address the underlying problems that are facing the corridor – not just the symptoms of those problems.   This plan does not focus on physical improvements – it identifies and addresses the real issues that are affecting the Old East Village corridor.

This plan is strategic.  It develops a clear vision and a strategy that is aimed at achieving this vision.  Only then does it provide a means to take action towards this strategy.  It is a comprehensive plan which advocates incremental, achievable steps to become reality.  This plan “thinks big”, but advocates “steady, deliberate steps” toward revitalization.

There is, however, a key ingredient to success that is missing from this plan that can only be provided by the key stakeholders of this community – commitment.   It requires commitment from the residential community and commercial business and property owners.  This commitment must be real – not just rhetoric.   It will require budgeted funding, long term programming, a shift in business practices and a cultural change in the way the Old East Village is addressed by all stakeholders.   This plan needs such commitment to succeed.