DAVENPORT, Iowa—
A once-troubled Davenport neighborhood is coming together to celebrate its accomplishments on Saturday. Goose Creek Heights knows all too well about drugs, crime and violence. But after a pro-active approach by Davenport Police and concerned residents, there's a great feeling about the future.Goose Creek Park is erasing bad memories.
"You didn't come down here," said Cathy Longoria, who moved into the neighborhood in 1988. "You were scared to death to come down here years ago."
For Longoria, who became active with the development of a neighborhood association, it's a work in progress. There's a splash park on the way, fresh landscaping, talk of a community center and different attitudes.
"It's a new era," she said.
But escaping the past hasn't been easy. In 2003, a man was murdered in broad daylight during a drug deal gone bad. Youngsters waiting for the school bus saw it all.
"They had to run for their lives," she remembered. "It was just horrifying."
The neighborhood seemed to hit rock bottom with that shooting seven years ago. But through the turmoil, it marked a transformation. A turnaround that continues today.
It didn't happen overnight. But gradually landlords started working with homeowners. The 160 units at Summer Ridge Apartments represent some of the biggest changes.
"When I realized I was working in a place that I wouldn't bring my own grandchildren, I thought, what kind of life is this for these children?" said Property Manager Vicky Kopf.
The complex hooked up security cameras and started using police screenings. It cut down on crime and emergency calls.
"It's now a place where people want to live," said Paul Forkeotes, who owns Summer Ridge Apartments. "People are taking pride in Goose Creek Heights."
There were setbacks along the way. But street fights, like one particularly vivid scuffle that got caught on tape in 2005, began to vanish. Residents took back their neighborhood.
"There's nothing really to worry about," said Brittney Williams, who moved into the neighborhood two years ago. "My kids can be at day care and play outside in the yard. I don't have any worries when I'm at work."
Saturday in the park, it will be a time to celebrate this major change. It will take place from Noon until 4 p.m., featurning food, fun and family activities.
"Giving them time to do all the work, what it takes to transform the neighborhood, it's all them," said Davenport Alderman Mike Matson.
For a longtime resident like Longoria, the transformation is still amazing.
"Everything has just turned around," she said. "Night and day. You just can't describe the difference from then to now."
On Saturday, everybody else can see for themselves.
