Most of the city's minority population lives in this area, where 20 percent of the residents live below the poverty level. The South Westminster area was originally open rangeland inhabited by buffalo and antelope, and was first homesteaded in 1870. The Pilot targets the entire South Westminster area, which is approximately one square mile. The area comprises 262 separate commercial parcels including large shopping centers, small, independently owned retail and service enterprises, manufacturing and warehouse facilities, junkyards, salvage yards, and even an abandoned water and sewage treatment plant. These sites are all mingled together with residential properties.
Some areas contain debris piles, abandoned drums, and unmarked storage tanks.
The extent of the contamination resulting from these properties, and how they impact adjacent properties, is unknown. The Pilot plans to combine its site assessment information with previous assessment data to determine the full picture of environmental contamination. The city wants to return the historical area of South Westminster to its former prosperity and restore a sense of community pride. The area has large minority and low-income populations, and the city plans to work with these groups to identify and encourage entrepreneurial opportunities in the project area. The city established the Westminster Economic Development Authority to implement the city's urban renewal plan, and it has already made significant civic improvements in the area.