In early 2011 the City Council and City Administration had a number of Work Sessions to discuss the need for a program specifically designed to address the City's over concentration of blighted structures. On May 31, 2011 the City Manager presented a detailed strategy requesting that funding be made available in the City's FY 2012 budget to begin the process. As a result of the City Manager's request, the City Council approved some funds for Blight Eradication in the FY 2012 budget that allowed us to conduct a detailed study and analysis of the neighborhood which has become known as the Monument-Berryman Redevelopment and Conservation Area (PDF). The Area is generally bounded by Monument, Lee, Berryman, and Colquhoun Streets and was chosen because of its proximity to the River District and, unfortunately, because of its large concentration of blighted and abandoned properties.