‘Things are changing’: Fort Worth groups coordinate plans to revive Las Vegas Trail
Around 50 representatives from health care, housing, food and education nonprofits packed a conference room at the Rise Community Center Thursday to coordinate efforts to revitalize the Las Vegas Trail area in west Fort Worth.
The area, south of Interstate 30 and east of West Loop 820, is home to roughly 1% of Fort Worth’s population but accounts for 4% of violent crime, according to city statistics. The area’s median income of $32,299 is roughly half that of the city as a whole, and its 33% poverty rate is nearly triple the city’s rate.
A 2017 series by the Star-Telegram highlighted the area’s problems with gun violence, drug abuse and child sexual exploitation.
A November 2022 improvement plan from Philadelphia-based consulting firm Interface Studio highlighted the area’s needs around food, health care, and housing access.
The meeting was the beginning of the conversation for how community groups and businesses working in these fields can come together and help Las Vegas Trail, said Fort Worth city council member Michael Crain, whose district includes Las Vegas Trail.
The area saw a 22% drop in violent crime through the first nine months of 2021, compared to the same time period in 2019, and the city has invested $3.5 million through a neighborhood improvement program to add street lighting, security cameras and trash cans.
While no concrete actions were announced at the meeting, WestAid food pantry Executive Director William Pherigo said it was good to get everyone in a room to gain awareness of each group’s efforts.
The goal of the meeting was to bring people together and brainstorm ideas that lead to meaningful change, said Paige Charbonnet, executive director of the of the nonprofit LVTRise.
The group plans to meet quarterly, but Charbonnet said that won’t preclude organizations from working together in the interim.
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