Low-Quality Hill

Salazar projects that the maintenance push will continue over the next two summers, and, before the tax abatements expire in 2009, the area will be refurbished for the next 20 years.

That's not much comfort for residents like Ford.

"I am amazed it's been allowed to get to this state," he says. "Don't mistake me, all of us here consider this a very nice area, but what we're very disturbed about is the property around us has been allowed to disintegrate."

Ford adds that he's been dismayed by media reports about a new project slated for the opposite side of downtown.

City officials are now working on a $340 million development called the East Village, which would put in as many as 1,200 residential units east of Ilus W. Davis Park. The city is in discussions with Dunn, Swope Community Builders and the Minneapolis-based Sherman Associates to finalize a $38 million tax-increment financing deal and 25-year property tax abatements.

But Ford says he felt no pride when he recently read a Kansas City Star story describing the East Village as "a Quality Hill-like development."

Instead, he says he fired off an e-mail to the article's author saying "I hope not."