Hailey Fuchs Photo
Greenberg announces reelection surrounded by city and state officials.
As he officially launched a bid for a third term as Wooster Square’s alder on a hot Sunday afternoon, Aaron Greenberg had some good news to report: Conte West Hills School’s pool will now open to the community for public swimming.
That brought a cheer from the 30 people in attendance, and reflected the neighborhood-level issues that Greenberg, like any alder, has focused on in his four years in office.
Greenberg a Democrat, made his formal reelection announcement for the Ward 8 seat at a potluck part in Lenzi Park. Board of Alders President Tyisha Walker, City Clerk (and former ward Alder) Michael Smart, State Rep. Roland Lemar, Board of Education member Edward Joyner, and Mayor Toni Harp were among those who showed up to support him. So far no challengers have filed papers to run against him.
Asked to name an experience that has taught him how to do the job, Greenberg cited the efforts he made last year along with community activists to support the conversion of the former C. Cowles & Company factory into an apartment complex. Despite their efforts, U‑Haul won the right instead to turn the Water Street-facing property into a storage facility. (Read about the project and residents’ reactions here).
Greenberg called it a learning experience.
Aaron Greenberg with fellow Alder Alphonse Paolillo and City Clerk Michael Smart.
“Politics can be frustrating,” Greenberg said. Nevertheless, he added that the neighborhood was “still a team” and that now discussions must move to ensuring that U‑Haul is a “good neighbor.”
Attendees praised Greenberg’s efforts to promote traffic-calming infrastructure to Olive Street. In 2015, 81-year-old Dolores Dogolo was struck and killed by a passing car. As the neighborhood recovered from this tragedy, residents united to advocate for greater safety measures. Resident Naomi Campbell called the Alderman “a dog with a bone” for his advocacy for better lighting and traffic-slowing infrastructre. (Read about the changes here).
Throughout his remarks, Greenberg stressed teamwork and neighborhood unit. When he described an accomplishment or challenge, he used the first person plural “we” as to underscore that his work was in conjunction with residents.
Ward 8 includes Wooster Square, Farnam Courts, and part of Fair Haven, meaning that the area is a cross section of many socioeconomic groups. Eric Feltham, a new resident of the area who knows Greenberg from involvement in Local 33, underscored the need to maintain the ward’s diversity by committing to affordable housing.
“it is important to have someone that acknowledges that this neighborhood is made up of a broader band of people,” said board President Walker, who used to live in the neibhborhood.
Attendees at the potluckpotluck.
In regard to the diversity of the neighborhood, Greenberg noted a common theme among all residents. He said that all of Ward 8 wants to feel safe, to have access to government services, and to feel proud of their city and where they live.
As renovations began on Farnam Courts public-housing development, Greenberg assured that all displaced residents found housing so that no one was evicted.
Gerard Schmitz, pastor of the local St. Michael’s Church, said that he hopes the alder focusses on budgeting in his next term after “so much cutback on the federal level” so that the government provides its constituents with basic social and physical services.
Schmitz worked with Greenberg to provide families in Farnam Courts with turkeys and hams for the holiday season. He said that Greenberg has “good knowledge of the city for someone from California.”
Campaign treasurer Charlie Murphy said he supports Greenberg for his commitment to transparency and communication. An active email list and newsletter ensures that hundreds of residents are aware of community meetings and neighborhood news. Greenberg has made himself available via phone, Facebook, and email.
But Greenberg did not gain trust from the community right away. When he first ran for the position after living in the city for only a year, residents were concerned about an outsider running for office, according to Mona Berman. But as he campaigned door to door, the residents of Ward 8 slowly accepted him, she said.
Some who attended the potluck were just meeting Greenberg. When asked why she supported the alder, Esther “Mimi” Torres said that she still has to learn more about his goals since this was her first encounter. She added that she is looking for an alder who will pay attention to the crime in the area.
Greenberg with constituents.
In terms of the future of city planning, Greenberg looks to the mistakes of the past, suggesting that “redevelopment tour the city apart” and caused State Street to become a “very divided chasm.” He said he plans to involve residents in the development that affects them. In his third term, Greenberg said, he plans to further the work to turn the street’s Ninth Square stretch into a “transitional” avenue between corporate and residential buildings. Last year, Greenberg spearheaded a planning study to link downtown and Wooster Square by transportation development.
A political science graduate student at Yale, Greenberg also chairs the Yale’s graduate student union Local 33, with which he recently concluded a two-week long hunger strike aimed to pushing the university to negotiate a first contract. When Michael Smart mentioned the recent fast Sunday night , the crowd cheered; the crowd included current and former members of the union.