A Manatee County commissioner is working hard to clean up the rundown areas of his district.

Commissioner Charles B. Smith says by creating a CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) it will pave the way for new growth.

Eessick Johnson has lived in the Washington Park area of Palmetto all his life. It's an area with crime, rundown homes and vacant land.

“It was very uncomfortable because you didn’t want to have your wife or children come home by themselves because of break-ins,” he said.
 
Essick remembers when his neighborhood had thriving stores that folks could walk to.
 
However, now there are no businesses. Empty lots or rundown buildings are now where grocery stores and restaurants once stood. Pastor Lawrence Livingston of the Eternity Temple says when the only grocery store in the area closed, it really hurt the community.
 
“When this came to a close, it was heartbreaking. This is one of the stores that really helped this community to stay intact,” he said.
 
Pastor Livingston says because there are no job opportunities within walking distance, the church loses its young members.
 
“The first thing they do is they leave and that’s disappointing. We would like to keep our young people.”
 
The neighborhood is in need of major TLC and it is now on Manatee County’s radar.
 
“When you have land like this just sitting here, it’s slum and blight and what it does is push drugs and narcotics into the surrounding communities,” Smith said as he pointed to vacant land that was once a popular restaurant.

Smith is making it his mission to put new life in the area. He is taking the steps to put a Community Redevelopment Agency in place that will bring in investors and help grow the area.
 
“We can get people interested to invest back into community. We rezone certain property for businesses where they will be in walking distance of the community,” he said.
 
Smith said building a CRA will take time and a commitment from other county commissioners. However, he has faith he will get the job done.
 
“I could see a business here. An incubator for the community.”
 
Essick hopes he is right and that Smith’s plan will work.
 
“I would like to see Washington Park be part of that inclusive neighborhood.”
 
In two weeks Smith will go with the County Administrator to assess the Washington Park and Memphis area. Once they have collected information, he will bring his CRA plan to the county commissioners to vote on.