Can 14th Street West be saved? Here's why those involved with the project say it can

First impressions can make or break an opinion of a city and 14th Street West, as an important gateway into downtown Bradenton, hasn't always left a positive perception.

But officials say the gateway is changing for the better with new development, more interest in vacant sites and a police force intent on knocking out crime in the area.

As a result, city officials are looking for additional funding for a major beautification effort.

Streetscaping projects aren't cheap — the city expects to spend about $5.6 million on the downtown streetscaping project.

However, since 14th Street West is emphasized as a multimodal roadway by the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization, it is eligible for funding.

Sarasota has been gobbling up those MPO dollars over the past couple of years. Planning and Community Development Director Catherine Hartley said it's time Bradenton, "Puts our heads together and come up with a vision and start asking for that money to do a streetscape project."

The mood on the street

That kind of project could tip the scales for a street that has long had a bad reputation despite some positive changes. The owner of the Little Food Market on 14th Street West opted not to give her name, but said the street is getting better.

"The perception has been hard to overcome," she said. "People still think the area is unsafe, but there is never any issues during the day. Better lighting would help because customers need to know they are safe at night."

She admits she won't open the store until daybreak and closes before sunset.

Marla Kiss has been at Bantam's Barber and Style shop, 2209 14th St. W., for 23 years. She knows how 14th Street used to be.

"There used to be an opening in the plaza and there was a drug house right behind me," she said. "It was like a drive-thru hooker store. People would drive into the parking lot and the hookers would come out and get in their cars or the drug dealers would come out and make the delivery."

Kiss said people still feel like it's a bad area, but it's not anymore, she added.

"It used to be really rough," she said. "Because of that, I think people still don't feel safe. Those kinds of things aren't happening anymore."

She credits the Bradenton Police Department for turning it around.

"I still see it sometimes, but not nearly as much," Kiss said. "Overall, from my perspective being here during those rough years, it's improved a lot."

Kiss, as well, won't open while it's dark and closes before sunset.

The good, the bad and the ugly

Good things are happening on 14th Street West, officials say. The recent opening of the Grand Palms 55-plus senior housing complex in the 1700 block is a quality redevelopment product, according to officials.

Up the road in Manatee County's portion of 14th Street in the 3600 block, Fastsigns of Bradenton is under construction. The owners decided to relocate to an "up-and-coming" area from their current location on Cortez Road.

In the 1300 block, the Bradenton Veterinary Clinic completed a major renovation of its facilities and grounds, as did SUNZ Insurance in the 600 block.

The Humane Society of Manatee County also completed improvements and the medical marijuana company Trulieve renovated a long-vacant two-story office building in the 1100 block. The company celebrated its grand opening in September.

In 2015, the city expanded the Village of the Arts boundaries to include 14th Street to give gateway businesses more freedom to make improvements to their facilities. Many are doing just that.

While the Salvation Army plays an important role to the community, debates over the years have focused on whether 14th Street's perception can change with a homeless hub at the door of the city's gateway. Salvation Army leadership has changed a policy that now allows the homeless within property grounds, which has helped to alleviate nearby visible hangout spots.

And then there is the collection of motels in the area, which tend to cater to unwanted activities. There is also the ongoing mystery of why the developer of the $9 million Comfort Cove senior care facility in the 3500 block suddenly abandoned the project when it was near completion.

Fighting crime on 14th Street

A few months ago, BPD conducted a targeted operation on 14th Street that netted multiple arrests. Assistant Chief Paul McWade, at the time, said crime statistics were down, but noted the prostitutes and drug dealers were getting, "More brazen than ever. Not that there's more of them, just that they are getting bolder in their presence."

The sting took several drug dealers off the streets with the city's SWAT team conducting multiple drug raids.

The Bradenton Herald conducted a three-year comparison of crime stats from 2015-17 in the 14th Street area. From 2015-16, there was about a 37 percent increase in overall crime. In 2015, there were 295 offenses; in 2016 there were 404. From 2016 to 2017, there was a 4.5 percent drop in offenses.

Records show that BPD only made six prostitution arrests during the three-year period, but that doesn't take into account Manatee County Sheriff's Office operations, which show at least four prostitution arrests from January to March and tend to do more prostitution stings.

In BPD's zone, drug charges accounted for the highest arrests with 67 in 2015, spiking to 118 in 2016 in the midst of the opioid epidemic. The numbers dropped to 103 in 2017.

Thefts were also high with 76 in 2015, 85 in 2016 and 80 in 2017. Simple assault/battery arrests are on the rise with 47 arrests in 2015, 54 in 2016 and 70 in 2017.

It's not just about arrests. Police Chief Melanie Bevan said her department has started a diversionary program for men and women involved in prostitution, with a human trafficking emphasis being the focus of a program that is underway in only one of two counties in Florida.

Bevan said BPD, "Is taking the lead on this and we are training all law enforcement officers in the county."

Kiss said BPD's community policing programs are making a difference. Officials report that there is more development interest on 14th Street than before. Business owners are seeing that potential, as does the city, which is pursuing additional funding to make the gateway more presentable.

Development spurs development and officials say there is more exciting news coming that will continue to change the 14th Street atmosphere.

"There is a lot of optimism out here," Kiss said.

This story was originally published June 8, 2018 at 1:19 PM with the headline "Can 14th Street West be saved? Here's why those involved with the project say it can."