The Ivanhoe neighborhood is home to nearly 12,000 people, with African Americans the predominant ethnic group.  Household income ranges from $11,016 in census tract 52 (Troost to Woodland; 31^st Street to 35^th Street) to $32,273 in census tract 62 (Woodland to Prospect; 39^th Street to 43^rd Street).  Children under 17 comprise 32% of the population.

There are more than 5,000 housing units in the Ivanhoe neighborhood; fewer than half are owner occupied.  Owner occupancy ranges from a low of 26.6% in census tract 52 to a high of 53.9% in census tract 62.  Nineteen percent of the housing units are vacant, with the greatest concentration in census tract 64 (Troost to Woodland; 39^th Street to 43^rd Street).

The Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council has adopted a comprehensive strategic plan, which addresses the following strategic initiatives through four major committees:

Committees

Beautification

The Ivanhoe neighborhood occupies a strategic position in the central city.  The new Bruce R. Watkins Roadway passes through the center of Ivanhoe.  This will present multiple opportunities for development.  The Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council will work with City and State officials to ensure that the anticipated development takes place to the advantage of the neighborhood and its residents.

The Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council will provide leadership to Ivanhoe residents to produce a beautiful, livable community.  There will be two thrusts to this effort.  First, the organization will work to decrease the number of blighted and vacant lots in the neighborhood.  Second, Ivanhoe residents, in partnership with the Front Porch Alliance, will plant new gardens on these sites and undertake other beautification projects.  Young people will be integrally involved in all aspects of the beautification effort.

Beautification efforts will be implemented on a block-by-block basis, with Block Contacts organizing clean-up projects, gardens and reporting code violations.  Needs for curb and sidewalk repair will be identified and reported to the City of Kansas City’s Public Improvements Advisory Commission.  The Council will engage in partnerships with Kansas City Power and Light Company and the City to post decorative banners in the neighborhood.  The Council will enlist the cooperation of the Missouri Department of Conservation and Keep Kansas City Beautiful toward the planting of trees on public land.  A community awareness campaign will take place through schools, churches and block networks to combat litter.

A key element of the Beautification initiative will be an effort to encourage homeowners and landlords to maintain their properties.  The Council will recognize models of property maintenance in the Ivanhoe newsletter.  In addition, the Council will work with Codes and Zoning offices to effect improvements to blighted structures and to eliminate businesses operating outside current zoning.  Neighborhood leaders will seek to identify resources for minor home repair to assist residents that need it.

Crime and Safety

The objectives of Ivanhoe’s Crime and Safety initiative are to reduce crime and to instill a sense of satisfaction among residents that crime is under control.  Central to this effort will be the formation of partnerships with the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, the Jackson County Prosecutor’s office and with such organizations as MOVE-UP.  These partnerships will enable residents to communicate their concerns regarding crime and safety and to report illegal activities, such as drug houses.

The Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council realizes that families can play a key role in fighting crime.  The Council will work with organizations such as Caring Communities and the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence to provide information to parents and guardians about the warning signs of drug abuse, violent behavior and gang involvement.

A partnership with Legal Aid of Western Missouri will be formed to address issues surrounding liquor licenses.  The Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council will be active in reviewing all applications for new liquor licenses and for renewals.  The Council will file reports and provide testimony to the City as to the impact of liquor control policies in the neighborhood.

Family and Youth Development/Education

The objectives of the Family and Youth Development components of the strategic plan are to increase the number of programs and services available to young people, families and the elderly, and to improve school performance (grades and attendance).  The community organizing efforts of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation’s Building Blocks program will enhance the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council’s ability to assess the needs of the community for programs and services.  The Building Blocks program will also assist in the identification of Safe Houses on each block, where children can go in an emergency. 

Youth leadership will be a focus of the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council.  Partnerships with MOVE-UP, Project AIM and the Kauffman Foundation’s Youth Leadership Council will provide young people with the skills and motivation to plan activities and to involve their peers in neighborhood development.  Parent involvement in youth activities, including school activities, will be encouraged.  The Police Athletic League will be a key resource for youth sports.  Churches will be encouraged to expand their after-school programming.  The Council will contact local businesses to identify internship opportunities for young people.  Partnerships with schools will focus on reducing truancy.

Services of older adults will be addressed.  The Mid-America Regional Council’s Commission on Aging will be enlisted to help the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council increase outreach and expand congregate and home-based services for elderly and disabled residents.  The Commission on Aging, the Front Porch Alliance and the Foster Grandparents program will assist the Council in developing intergenerational activities.  Health care opportunities will be explored in partnership with Kansas City Free Health Clinic.

As the volume and variety of programs and services expand, it will be incumbent on the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council to ensure that neighborhood residents are aware of them.  With the assistance of the Front Porch Alliance, the Council will prepare and distribute information sheets that describe the services available in the neighborhood.

Economic Development/Housing/Jobs

The Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council will form strategic partnerships to increase the numbers of new and rehabbed houses, new businesses and capital improvements in the neighborhood.  The basis for this will be neighborhood focused Land Use Plan, to be developed by the Council’s Economic Development, Housing and Jobs Committee.

The Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council will work with the Kansas City Landmarks Commission to promote housing preservation and restoration in the community.  Community-based agencies, including Habitat for Humanity and local Community Development Corporations, will be contacted in an effort to identify incentives for new housing construction.  The Council will work with the Land Trust toward the purchase and use of vacant lots in the community.  Strategies for increasing home ownership will be explored.  The Kansas City Brownfield’s Initiative and the Environmental Protection Agency will be enlisted to examine and remove chemicals and contaminated soil and other products from identified sites in the neighborhood.

The Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council has identified key areas for business development.  High quality retail outlets, including grocery stores and gas stations are needed – the Council will form partnerships with the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City to identify opportunities to develop such enterprises.  Heart of America Family Services will be a partner in an effort to increase the volume and quality of childcare in the neighborhood.

As opportunities increase, transportation needs will increase as well.  The Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council will work with the Area Transportation Authority and Mid-America Regional Council to outline and promote comprehensive transportation services that support access to employment, childcare and family support services.  The needs of elderly and disabled residents will be addressed in this outline.

The capacity of the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council is based on its organizing structure.  The basic organizing unit is the block.  To date, the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council has identified 108 Block Contacts.  Through a partnership with the Kansas City Neighborhood Alliance, one-half of the Block Contacts have been trained.  The neighborhood itself is divided into four quadrants, with each quadrant’s leadership being responsible to the Block Contacts and, therefore, to each household in the neighborhood. 

The Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council has formed Strategic Partnerships with the Kansas City Police Department, Front Porch Alliance, Kansas City Power and Light Company, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, J.B. Nutter & Co. and local churches.  These organizations have made commitments to work with the Neighborhood Council in beautification, safety, minor home repair and youth development issues.

The Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council is a Missouri not-for-profit 501(c) (3) corporation.  It is governed by a 10-member Board of Directors, which meets monthly.  Standing committees address Beautification, Crime and Safety, Family and Youth Development/ Education, and Economic Development/Housing/Jobs.  Margaret J. May serves as Executive Director.

The Ivanhoe Neighborhood represents an investment opportunity that will pay dividends in the form of prosperity, safety and leadership.  The neighborhood has a challenging and energetic strategic plan, which addresses vital community issues.  Moreover, it has the structure and capacity to implement the plan and to document its effectiveness.  Finally, because of its unique geographic position, the accomplishments of the Ivanhoe neighborhood will be felt throughout the greater Kansas City area.