Redevelopment is coming fast to the neighborhood around the new riverfront baseball stadium in Southeast, and not everyone is happy about it.

ABC 7/NewsChannel 8 reporter Sam Ford explored the neighborhood, looking for residents' reactions.

Sam observed new buildings are rising up from the dust of what was recently a neighborhood populated by industry and strip clubs. 

Many residents say they are pleased the development seems to have brought some relief from the crime that had plagued the neighborhood. Newcomers say they saw the boom coming and were able to cash in by buying homes to resell.

But the property boom has come at a cost for many longtime residents who face soaring property tax bills.

"It's gone from 8 or $9,000 to $83,000," said Brian Bailey, the co-director of Positive Nature, a group that helps at-risk youth.

"This was functioning as an open air drug market when we first move in in 2004," recalled the other Positive Nature co-director, Jennifer Murphy.

They worry their group will be pushed out of the neighborhood after all their hard work.

Other residents complain of broken promises. They say the city leveled a housing project and promised to build new homes. Now the area is a parking lot for the stadium.

"So for 64 nights during the summer -- without me knowing anything about it -- there's suddenly going to be all kinds of cars here," said neighbor Sandi Royster.

Email To A Friend