Renovation Pushes Black Businesses Out of the Fillmore

The Fillmore District has had a long rocky history. The roughly 70 years of urban renewal is visible in all parts of the neighborhood from the new apartments and stores to the older shops that have been around for years.
Over the past three months I’ve had lots of residents of the district bring up the redevelopment with both supporters and opposers of it.
Tony Taylor used to be a Fillmore District resident and left because he was tired of the neighborhood and he said the neighborhood has been through a “tumultuous renovation” with all the redevelopment in the past. He doesn’t support the redevelopment and speaks out against it. One thing that is noticeable is that African American businesses are decreasing in the neighborhood. Given that this was once a predominately African American neighborhood it is sad. African Americans are getting pushed out because they can’t afford the neighborhood. Most of the African American businesses are now places like hair and nail salons and barbers.
If you spend your time going through all the shops you’ll also find little clothing boutiques that have been there for years. I wrote about Jean Nobles Style in a earlier blog, and Carylon Alexander, a store employee, said the store has been on Fillmore Street for 22 years. The Fillmore St. Café has passed through several owners according to Munir Adem, but now it is entirely African American owned. There are many businesses that have not had the good fortune that the two above have had.
While walking around the neighborhood I can since things are changing as the neighborhood gets more renovation done and more people move into the neighborhood. Only time will tell what impact the decrease of African American owned businesses will have on the future of the Fillmore District.