Gilmer

Gilmer Neighborhood Plan

The Gilmer plan is unique to the City's other neighborhood plans in that it is both the master plan for the Northwest Neighborhood Environmental Organization (NNEO) and a City Council-adopted neighborhood plan that will guide the future direction of the Gilmer neighborhood. NNEO was formed in 1980 by Florine Thornhill and other residents of the neighborhood. The organization has since grown to become one of the City's most sucessful community development corporations (CDC), receiving several local, state and national awards.

The plan was drafted by NNEO with the technical assistance of Hill Studio. Hill Studio submitted a draft of the plan to City staff in 2002. Staff reviewed the plan with Hill Studio and it was adopted by City Council on February 16, 2004. The plan outlines future development projects and goals of NNEO, and includes land use and design guidelines.

The Gilmer neighborhood is bounded by the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks to the south, Moorman Avenue to the north, 5th Street to the east, and 14th Street to the west. It originally was reserved for whites, but has been a predominantly African-American community for over the last 40 years. It was sparsely developed until the 1920s when new subdivisions spurred the building of single-family homes that created the neighborhood. Gradually, industrial development grew on Shenandoah and Centre Avenues along the railroad tracks, and much of the single-family houses were left vacant and blighted. NNEO has had a considerable impact on the housing stock of the neighborhood, rehabilitating older structures while maintaining their historic character. The Gilmer Neighborhood Plan will provide direction for NNEO and the City to continue improving the quality of life in the Gilmer Neighborhood.

Download the entire Gilmer Neighborhood Plan (41.4 MB, is too large for most dial-up modems to attempt to download.)

To download individual chapters of the plan click on the links below:
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: History
Chapter 3: Process
Chapter 4: Existing Conditions Inventory
Chapter 5: Summary of Survey Findings and Goals
Chapter 6: Final Concept Plan
Chapter 7: Land Development Policies and Actions
Chapter 8: Landscape and Architectural Guidelines
Appendix A: Survey Findings
Appendix B: Architectural Prototype Catalog
Appendix C: Neighborhood Work Plan
Appendix D: Documents Used During NNEO Review