West Port Arthur Analysis Book

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WEST PORT RTHURWEST PORT ARTHURONT XTCONTEXT


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Project Team: Greg Estes, Eimile Gavagan, Jules Gianakos, Jennifer King, Reid Mulligan, and Jay TaylorCommunity Design Resource CenterGerald D. Hines College of ArchitectureUniversity of Houston2010


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Introduction

Context

History

Demographics

Environment

CONTENTSWest Port Arthur: Context

05

07

17

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33

WPA


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WEST PORT ARTHURIntroduction

WPA

Over the course of the last year graduate students in the College of Architecture at the University of Houston, in partnership with the Colleges

Community Design Resource Center, have been studying the existing conditions in the West Port Arthur community as well as developing

potential future strategies for community development and change.

The comprehensive project began with an analysis of the demographics, existing conditions, and opportunities in the community to identify both

the community assets and constraints and as a means to develop broad-based design, community development and economic strategies that

support and augment the existing social and cultural strengths of the community and its citizens. The study compiles existing reports and data

and provides new information to provide a comprehensive document of current community conditions. This report highlights the key findings of

that study and is the foundation for the second report that highlights potential economic and community development strategies that build on

the communitys history, development, environment, demographics, context and the priorities of citizens.

This project is a partnership with the Community In-Power Development Association.


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CONTEXTWest Port Arthur

PORTARTHUR

LOCALPARKS

The City of Port Arthur is located in Southeast Texas, approximately ninety miles east of Houston. The city, near

the Louisiana border, is one part of the area referred to as the Golden Triangle, that also includes Beaumont

and Orange. The City of Port Arthur can be divided into three geographic zones that each have unique

characteristics, the zones are Downtown, East Port Arthur, and West Port Arthur. West Port Arthur, the subject

of this study, is the historic African-American area of the city, East Port Arthur is predominantly white, and the

abandoned and neglected core of the city, downtown, lies between these two areas.

West Port Arthur is located directly adjacent to two major refineries. Tanks provide a backdrop for a local park,

pipelines snake along the edges of the community, and the environmental risks of the adjacent industry are a

real concern. In addition, the West Port Arthur community lacks access to basic amenities, such as groceries,

pharmacies, and banking services. Poverty, low educational attainment, and unemployment are realities of

everyday life in West Port Arthur. Transportation options are limited in the community, and many residents

depend on family and friends or their own two feet for mobility.


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WESTSIDE

DOWNTOWN

EASTSIDE

PORT ARTHUR COMMUNITIES


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HOUSTON

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LOCALPARKS

REGIONALPARKS

PARKS

7THST

.

To a community, neighborhood parks serve a number of purposes.

Parks provide places to gather and uses to connect with one another,

as well as providing places to exercise, relax, and play games. Port

Arthur has a substantial amount of parks space, but much of it is out

of reach for West Port Arthur residents. The map above highlights the

parks in the study area.


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*

*

***

*

*

*

*

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Restaurants

Food Mart/grocery

Major Retail

Pharmacy

Lodging

AMENITIES

Access to basic amenities, such as a grocery store, pharmacy,

r an ng servces, s one ey to a ea t y communty. s map .

ustrates t e spar ty n access to as c amen t es etween est an

East Port Arthur, and clearly identifies the need for additional amenities

n t e west s e.


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HOUSTON

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WA

The West Port Arthur community has an abundance of churches. The

churches should be considered a resource for the area. The map

above illustrates all of the places of worship in the study area.


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FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY

39%

17%

35%

9%

65%OF PORT ARTHURS POPULATION

BELONGS TO A RELIGIOUS CONGREGATION

WHICH IS HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL

AVERAGE OF50%

9 OF THE 12FOUNDING CHURCHES ARE STILL

IN EXISTENCE

SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION

UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

CATHOLIC

OTHER

The City of Port Arthur, and the community of West Port Arthur, have a large

and strong faith-based community. There are twelve active churches that

have existed since Port Arthur was founded. There are over twenty different

congregations that meet weekly in West Port Arthur. Looking for ways to

bring the faith-based community together can help the community come

together.


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HOUSTON

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VACANT LAND

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WA

Throughout Port Arthur there are large tracts of land that have been

abandoned. In the center of the West Port Arthur community, between

Carver Terrace to the north and the former Lincoln High School to

the south, is a former tank farm. The tanks have been removed but

the environmental condition of the site is unknown. The map above

illustrates the large tracts of vacant land.


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Babe Didrickson was born, she was

later to become a multiple Olympic

medal winner. She is one of the foundersof the LPGA and became its leader for

several years on and off the links.

1895

1896Port Arthur Channel andDock Co. established.

1901After The Spindle Top Boom in

Beaumont, Texaco and Gulf builtmajor refineries in Port Arthur.

Population reaches 900

residents.

1906Port Arthur becomes an official port of entry.

1911

1897

Port Arthur has 860residents.

Began cutting canal.

Category 1 hurricane kills

13people and leaves Port

Arthur homes in shambles.

1899Port Arthur becomes a port.

Pleasure Island and Pier areconstructed from the deposits of the

dredge of the Port Arthur Canal.

Arthur E. Stillwell buys land forthe City of Port Arthur and began

platting land.

Stillwell wanted Port Arthur to

be the southern terminus for his

Kansas City Southern Railroad.

1900

John W. Gates builds a rice mill and rice becomes a majorexport of Port Arthur.

A number of hotels are built around downtown andon Procter Street.

Procter Street is the Main Street through downtown PortArthur, and becomes the scene of many parades, nightlifeand family fun.

1904

John W. Gatesbecomes chief financial

backer of Port Arthur.

1908

Sabine-Neches

Canal is deepenedand extended to

Beaumont and

Orange.

1909Port Arthur becomes the 12thlargest port in UnitedStates in value of exports.

Port Arthur College is established, a business and

radio school.The college became Port Arthur Collegiate Institute in

1911, when the school was presented to the Board ofEducation of the Methodist Episcopal Church North, a

forerunner of the present United Methodis t Temple.

The church operated the growing campus until1918, when it was turned over to a non-profit Texas

corporation.

Population of 7,663residents.


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TIMELINE1895 -1948

1913Pleasure Pier dance hall and rollercoaster are built. Pleasure Pier

becomes a family attraction for PortArthur residents.

1914

Port Arthur is the 2nd

largest oil-refining point inthe nation.

1915A major flood hits Port

Arthur.

1922

Abraham Lincoln High School and Thomas Jefferson

High School for whites were established. With rivalingmascots of Bumblebees and Yellow Jackets.

1930St. Marys Hospital was

constructed. Transferring the

patients of Mary Gates Hospital,named after the late wife of John

W. Gates, to the new St. Marysfacilities.

1931

The Neches River Rainbow Bridgeis completed crossing over the

Neches River on State Highway 87,

the bridge is still one of the tallestbridges in the South.

1932A city-manager-commission

system is implementedreplacing the mayor-council

government.

1940

Port Arthurs black population increases.

White flight begins to impact the city.

Many white residents move to neighboring towns

such as Port Acres, Nederland, Port Neches, andGroves.

African-Americans settle on the West sidebecasue of segregation.

1943Janis Joplin is born in Port Arthur.

Later she would become one of themost recognized singers from the city.

NFL coach, Jimmy Johnson, was also born

this year. Johnson was the head coach forthe Dallas Cowboys when they won the Super

Bowl in consecutive years 1992 & 1993.

1948

Unionization.The Congress of Industrial

Organizations Oil Workers Internationalhad around 8,000Port Arthur

members.

Various craft unions of the AmericanFederation of Labor had around5,000

members.


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1950

Port Arthur was home to

5refineries that employed

approximately 12,000workerswhose salaries accounted for

50% of the money spent in PortArthur.

Carver Terrace, a hous ingunit, was built on the West side

to house low-income African-

Americans.

1960

Gulf Gate Bridge was built over the Sabine-

Neches waterway to connect Port Arthur toPleasure Island and connect to Louisiana. The

bridge was later re-named the Martin Luther King,Jr. Bridge.

Population hits an all time high of 69,000

residents.

1966Port Arthur Levee System

begins construction.

1973

Port Arthur was integrated. Wealthy

African Americans move out of theWest side of town and into other areas

throughout the region.

1974Port Arthur College and Lamar

University merge to become

Lamar University Center at PortArthur.

1975Lamar University Center at Port

Arthur opens with 200 students.

1978

Port Arthur annexes Sabine Pass, an important site inTexas history.

1979Tropical Storm Claudette

dumped 40 inches of rain onPort Arthur streets.

1984

Port Arthur Levee System is completed after18 years of construction.

1985

Port Arthur Refinery was

streamlined and crude oil productionreduced dramatically when oil prices

dropped.

1957Two tornadoes rip through Port Arthurkilling one person, injuring 82and

causing millions in damages.Hurricane Audrey hits just east of Port

Arthur with 150mph winds, and leaves17,000residents homeless.


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1986 Hurricane hits with 80mph winds killing 3 people. Moderate wind damage is sustained.

1989

Saudi Refining, Inc.

purchased 50% of Port ArthurRefinery as part of a joint

venture with Texaco known as

Star Enterprise.

1995 Denny Larson of GlobalCommunity Monitor, a non-profit

out of San Francisco, trains

residents to do rudimentary airmonitoring.

1998

Motiva Enterprises LLC was created by ajoint venture with Star Enterprise and Shell

Oil Co.

2000 Community In-Power and Development Association(CIDA) is founded by Hilton Kelley. A non-profit

organization that empowers residents of low-incomePort Arthur communities to take action against the

neighboring chemical manufacturers, refineries and

incinerators to keep them from polluting the air, landand water.

2002

Shell buys out Texaco-Chevrons interest in

Motiva. Port Arthur Refinery is operated asMotiva and jointly owned by Shell and Saudi

refining. The Environmental Integrity Project issues a

report that in the first seven months of2002heavy industrial facilities surrounding Port Arthur

released almost 725tons of toxins into the air.

These toxins include: Xylene, Toulene, Hexane,Benzene, Sulfur Dioxide, and Hydrogen Sulfide;

all of which cause major health problems rangingfrom memory loss, kidney failure, numbness,

Leukemia, Asthma, and more.

2007 Hurricane Humberto comes through killing 1person and

leaving 120,000without power.

2008

Tropical Storm Edouard and Hurricane

Ike hit Port Arthur in the same year,

both causing major wind damage andflooding. Storm surge

was 11ft.

2010A towboat pushing two barges collides with

an 800 fttanker carrying 462,000 gallons of

light crude oil causing the worst Texas oil spillin more than 15 years. Port Arthur residents

were forced to evacuate their homes forseveral hours while officials tested the air

quality after the collision. Motiva $3.5billionexpansion proposed completion.

A group of UH graduate students and

professor come to West Port Arthur to beginplanning a better future.

2005

Hurricane Rita hits the Procter

Street seawall and damagesmany downtown businesses.

Port Arthur sustained major wind

damage and some flooding. Winds reached 116mph.

TIMELINE1950 - 2010


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1897

Downtowns First Jail

1899

1900

1902 1907

1915Procter StreetSabine Hotel

Downtown Post Office

Hardware Store

Downtown Pool

Victory Parade

Crystal Saloon

Fourth of July Parade


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1920

1930

1940

1945

1947

1950

1917Flood Procter Street

Downtown Procter St.

Winter Snow

Downtown Nightlife

Downtown Port Arthur

Town Parade

Victory Parade

Procter Street

Procter Street

HISTORIC DOWNTOWN1895 -1948


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DEMOGRAPHICS

The City of Port Arthur has experienced dramatic demographic change over the last five decades. The population of the city peaked in 1960 at 69,000

and has continued to decline since. The 2000 Census recorded approximately 57,500 people in the city, a loss of over eight percent of the total. The

West Port Arthur neighborhood has also experienced significant population loss. It is clear that the population of Port Arthur is shifting, moving east and

north away from heavy industry. In addition, ethnicity in the city is changing, similar to cities across the United States Port Arthurs Hispanic and Asian

populations are rising, the White population is declining, and the African-American population is growing slightly. Poverty and unemployment are also high

in Port Arthur, but are a more daunting challenge for West Port Arthur where nearly half of residents struggle to survive on incomes below the poverty level.

The 2000 Census reported that the median household income for the census tracts that comprise West Port Arthur is only $13,000, or one-third of the

median household income in the State of Texas.


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POPULATIONGrowth and Decline

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

20

25TEXAS (+22.8% )

HOUSTON (+19.8%)

U.S. (+13.2%)

PORT ARTHUR (-1.6%)

DETROIT (-7.5%)

W. PORT ARTHUR (-9.4%)POPULATIONCHANGE:19

90TO2000(%)

POPULATION GROWTHCITY FOUNDATION

POPULATION DECLINECITY FOUNDATION

19201900 1910 1930 19501940 1960 19801970 1990 20102000

0

70

10

20

30

40

50

60

PO

RTARTHURPOPULATON(THOUSANDS)

+130%

+16%

-14% -3%

From the late 19th century to the early 1930s Port Arthurs population quickly

increased as the city was laying its foundation, especially during the 1920s

when the oil refineries were established. The population growth levelledoff during the Great Depression in the 1930s and then began increasing

again between 1940-1960 as new residents came to the city in search of

opportunity and employment. The population peaked at 69,000 in 1960.

After 1960 the Citys population began to decline. Between 1980 and 1990

the population declined by 7.7%, and between 1990 and 2000 3.2%.

Population loss has been the most drastic in the West Port Arthur area, an

area that accounts for only 7% of the citys total population, but 40% of the

population decline. The impact of this population loss is evident throughout

the city and the community of West Port Arthur.


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ETHNICITYChanging Demographics

WHITE BLACK ASIAN

HISPANIC

WHITE ASIAN

HISPANIC

BLACK

BLACKWHITE

PORT ARTHUR - 1990

PORT ARTHUR - 2000

WEST PORT ARTHUR - 2000

128%

31%

WHITE POPULATION

HISPANIC POPULATION

DIVERSE CITY SEGREGATED

COMMUNITIES

Over the last decade the City of Port Arthur has experienced signifcant

demographic change. From 1990 to 2000 the white population has

decreased by 31%, the Hispanic population has increased by 128%, andthe African-American population has grown slightly. The ongoing shift in the

demographics of the city, combined with the substantial population loss, has

led to segregated communities without access to basic amenities. So, while

Port Arthur overall is a diverse city, communities like West Port Arthur are

segregated, with nearly a 95% African American population.


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HOUSING TENURERenters or Owners?

62%

2

,000

4

,000

6

,000

8

,000

1

0,000

1

2,000

1

4,000

1

6,000

0

38%

OWNER OCCUPIED

RENTER OCCUPIED

14,515

13,574

8,260

7,811

VACANT 2,879

2000 CENSUS

1990 CENSUS

12%

esidents own their own

omes, and 45% rent.

Ownoccup e un s

Rentoccup e un s

acant

Since 1990, the amount of individuals owning their homes in all of Port

Arthur has declined. In 2000 62% of Port Arthur residents owned their ownhomes, a number substantially smaller than the U.S. average of 68%. In

West Port Arthur, however, only 55% of residents own their own homes, and

45% rent. Nearly 12% of all residential properties in Port Arthur are vacant.


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EDUCATIONGraduation Rates

US

TEXAS

PORT ARTHUR

W PORT ARTHUR

100%

50%

90%

80%

70%

60%

40%

30%

20%

10%

MALE

FEMALE

PERCENT OF THE POPULATION OVER THE AGE OF 25 THAT

GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL

More than 30% of residents in Port Arthur have not received a high school diploma, this is lower than the average graduation rate in the United States and

the State of Texas. In West Port Arthur educational attainment is directly related to gender. For example, while only 16% of males in West Port Arthur dono have a high school diploma, more than double that number, or 39% of females, did not graduate from high school. This disparity points to the need

for educational programs and other services targeted directly at the young, school age females in the community.


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INCOMEHousehold Income & Poverty Rates

MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME

$50,000

$40,000

$30,000

$20,000

$10,000

WEST

PORTARTHUR

UNITEDSTATES

TEXAS

PORTARTHUR

PERCENTAGE OF POULATION FALLING BELOW THE POVERTY LINE*UNITED STATES 12%

TEXAS 15%

PORT ARTHUR 25%

WEST PORT ARTHUR 46%

These graphs tell a sad, yet not completely surprising story. With our visit

to West Port Arthur we were aware that poverty was pervasive within the

community. However, the numbers we collected from the 2000 Census

were still severe and staggering, despite our expectations. Approximately

half of West Port Arthurs population falls below the poverty line. The

median household income is approximately $13,000, one-third the

average median income in the state of Texas.


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TRANSPORTATIONHow do the People get Around?

UNITED STATES

PORT ARTHUR

TEXAS

WEST PORT ARTHUR

CAR, TRUCK, OR VAN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION WALKED WORK AT HOME OTHER


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ENVIRONMENT

As the home of major refineries Port Arthur has a number of environmental issues that have the potential to impact the health and well-being of residents.

According to the American Lung Associations State of the Air Report (2007) of the more than 3,000 counties in the United States, Jefferson County

ranks fifth for releases of carcinogens, eighth for releases of neurotoxins, and eighth for the releases of general toxins. The city also ranks first in the State

of Texas for chemical releases. The Huntsman, Motiva, and Chevron refineries are all within approximately a mile of the West Port Arthur community. While

the prevailing breezes distribute many air pollutants north of the neighborhood, the proximity to these major plants is a cause of concern for residents. For

example, the accepted risk level for diesel soot cancer is one in one million, in Jefferson County the rate of this cancer is 865 times the accepted risk

level. In addition, there are many potential brownfield sites scattered throughout the city and in West Port Arthur. These sites also pose a potential health

risk to residents, especially children. Working with industry there is the potential to find ways to mitigate the hazards and risks of living in close proximity

to refineries.


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Jefferson County vs. All US Counties

The are 3,141counties and county equivalentsin the United States.

Jefferson County Ranks:

5THfor releases of carcinogensinto the air & water

8THfor releases of brain-damagingneurotoxicants into the air & water.

8THfor releases developmenttoxicants into the air & water

8THfor releases of reproductivetoxicants into the air & water

29THfor releases of respiratorytoxicants into the air & water

1STin Texas for chemical releases

The risk is 865 TIMESgreater than EPAsacceptable cancer level of 1 IN 1 MILLION.

Source: American Lung Association 2007 State of the Air Report (Jefferson County)

On April 14, 2003, Motiva Refinery emitted107,692 LBSofhexane in only 18 MINUTES. Totaling 54%of the annualhexane emissions for routine operations.

The average lifetime diesel soot cancer risk for a resident of

Jefferson County is1 IN 1,157which is approximatelyevery 250THPERSONin the county.


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OUSTON

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PUBLICHO

USING

NON HIGH VOLATILE LIQUID

HIGH VOLATILE LIQUID

GAS TRANSMISSION

CRUDE TRANSMISSION

PIPELINESWhat is the City Breathing?


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HIGH

MEDIUM

LOW

WEST SIDE

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

HUNTSMAN

**

ASTHMA

BRONCHITIS

SINUS

URI

HUNTSMAN EMISSIONSWhat is the City Breathing?


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HIGH

MEDIUM

LOW**

ASTHMA

BRONCHITIS

SINUS

URI

*

*

**

*WEST SIDE

MOTIVA

MOTIVA EMISSIONSWhat is the City Breathing?


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HIGH

MEDIUM

LOW

*

*WEST SIDE

CHEVRON

**

ASTHMA

BRONCHITIS

SINUS

URI

*

**

CHEVRON EMISSIONSWhat is the City Breathing?


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Documents

West Port Arthur Analysis Book