“Back in the day,” as many are fond of saying, the West End was a beehive of community development activity. In 1970, both the West 7th Street Association for Neighborhood Development and the West 7th Community Center (sponsored by the Ramsey County Citizens Committee for Economic Opportunity) were formed. Over the next two years the West 7th Neighborhood Center was formed, and the West 7th/Fort Road Federation was created as a unifying force for the diverse organizations in the community to move toward a shared vision and the common purpose of a better neighborhood in which to live.

In September 1972 the Community Reporter served as the joint publication of the Street Association, the Community Center and the Neighborhood Center with a new format — one that formed the model for all the issues to come.

In those days there were enough issues, needs and dreams to keep all these organizations and their mostly volunteer members busy. In reacting to vast challenges such as “urban renewal” and freeway construction,community economic development and internal conflict, there were countless meetings, discussions, arguments and neighborhood events that shared the value: “We should be a part of making the decisions that affect our lives.”

The most successful communities devote some time to envisioning their future and imagining ways to cross the gap between present reality and desired outcomes.

A “visionary” looks at an empty lot, weedy and full of litter, and sees a community park full of trees and green space, families and children playing or relaxing, and lots of social interaction.

The visionary looks at a rundown area full of “problem properties,” and sees a neighborhood with street life, mutual support and an increasingly beautiful environment.

The visionary looks at community members who need better housing, healthcare, employment and other resources, and joins with others to improve community organizations and attract new human and financial resources.

So the first requirement for visioning is looking — looking at how things really are now, and then questioning how we can imagine the changes we want and how we might help to bring them about.

In the West End, many individuals and groups have initiated such processes over the past four to five decades. As a result we have many resources and neighborhood qualities that we would not have had otherwise.

But we are in the same position now as those who worked on saving Irvine Park or creating the Community Center and the Federation many decades ago. There are many areas of the West End that could develop into rich resources, welcoming neighborhoods, beautiful streetscapes and parklands, with the vision, energy and guidance of the people who will be most affected — those of us who live and work here.

The Community Reporter is one of the resources created and sustained by the community, and we offer the opportunity to begin a new visioning process in the hopes that this meeting is the first of many.

Please plan to attend and participate. Think about our key questions: What do we imagine for the West End? What do we want it to be? How can we bring it about? RSVP to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or leave a message at 651-665-0068.