Pat Mueller
Pat Mueller is the owner of Heritage West Properties in the Martin Drive neighborhood and is very knowledgable of the surrounding area. Mueller has lived in the area since 1986 after seeing the promise and inner beauty of the buildings and surrounding neighborhood. She has a strong focus on revitalizing the neighborhood and hopes to do so by influencing the use of space, whether it be in parks, vacant lots, or existing buildings. Mueller advertises homes to possible tenants and fights to bring prosperous businesses into the community.
In 2002, Mueller bought a crumbling corner store in order to set up her office. She thought the building was a detriment to the community. It was in disrepair, and the phone booth outside was linked to crime. She fully renovated it, replacing much of the interior and exterior. Fixing this store up created a desirable place to run a small business and a hub for new activities. Mueller says that positive thinking is what is needed to make changes in the neighborhood. She says negative thinking is a very temporary bonding agent in the community, while positive thinking creates increasingly stronger ties. There are many misconceptions about the area surrounding Vliet Street. Mueller thinks getting over these misconceptions is key to revitalizing the area. She hopes to get people and businesses to move in by changing the way people think about the neighborhood. Pat Mueller, interviewed by Jared Schmitz, James Wall and Di Tang, June 2015 |
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