Southside Village, a neighborhood born out of segregation-caused necessity and home to many prominent figures throughout history, received recognition as Chandler’s first ever Historic Conservation District. The community-driven effort to have the neighborhood recognized was approved by Chandler City Council on July 14.
The home of Arizona’s first Black mayor, Chandler’s first Hispanic mayor and the nationally recognized boxer Zora Folley, Southside Village received the title of Historic Conservation District as a celebration of the neighborhood’s ties to the city of Chandler’s history.
“From this community we’ve birthed mayors, attorneys, teachers, childcare providers,” Elaine Woods, longtime resident and a leader in the effort to create historic conservation designations, said. “These people dealt with segregation and prior to that, slavery, and the people who came out of this community contributed to the development and thriving nature of the city of Chandler.”
