Whittier

Whittier Resident Association members, worked with other neighborhood residents and City Parks to initiate neighborhood initiatives this past summer. Such initiatives included: hosting occasional family movie nights within their neighborhood parks; and implementing several park beautification projects in their neighborhood. The beautification efforts included: designing, planting, and maintaining several new flower beds within Meldrum, Whittier, and Heritage Parks this summer. A Noon Garden Gathering was held September 20, 2011, at Meldrum Park to celebrate the neighborhood’s green and beautiful accomplishments.

The Whittier neighborhood is geographically located north of 10th Street, east of the Burlington Northern railroad lines, south of the Burlington Northern railroad lines, and west of Conklin Avenue.

Schools have played an important aspect in the development of this neighborhood. Whittier Middle School underwent a $3 million capital improvement project expansion prior to the 2002–2003 school year.

Franklin Elementary School and Bancroft Elementary School were closed at the end of the 1997–98 school year. In the fall of 1998, students from the two schools were assigned to the new Terry Redlin Elementary School that was built on the old Bancroft School site. The Franklin School building was converted into an alternative high school and opened as Joe Foss School in the fall of 1998.

The South Dakota School for the Deaf has also been a principal public facility in the neighborhood. There are some concentrations of subsidized apartment buildings in the east area.

Housing conditions range from good to excellent with the south area east of Cliff Avenue in strongest shape. A concentration of commercial uses along Eighth Street from downtown to Cliff Avenue creates a barrier; most residences lie north of Eighth Street. The west side of Weber Avenue between Sixth Street and Falls Park Drive is a transitional area, which will likely see redevelopment activity.