Our History
The Barrio Neighborhood was established in 1889. Mexican workers were brought to the US, legally, by the Santa Fe Railroad to work on the railroad tracks. This neighborhood was developed to house the railroad workers and their families. It covers approximately 950 acres or 1.5 miles in Potter County and is a mix of residential and commercial properties.
The two primary subdivisions are the Mirror Edition and the Glenwood Edition. The Mirror edition runs from west to east from the BNSF Railroad to Ross/Osage Street and from Southeast 3rd Street to Southeast 16th Street. 98% of the Sanborn neighborhood was platted as Mirror Unit 1 in 1889.
The Glenwood 1 Unit neighborhood division was platted in 1907 and currently runs from Southeast 16th Street to Southeast 29th Street between Garfield and Ross/Osage Street. There are five main corridors: 10th Avenue, 3rd Avenue, Arthur Street, 27th Avenue, and Ross/Osage Street.
Early residents moved into the Sanborn and Glenwood neighborhoods where they and their families lived, worked, shopped, worshipped, and spent time together. Culture, family, faith, traditions, and pride are important characteristics to describe these families. They were resourceful and started new businesses that Hispanic families could enter and attend.
The Barrio neighborhood is multigenerational. According to Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), 4,615 people live in 1,476 households where the average household size is 3.09 and the median age is 27.9. 48% percent of families own their homes. The Barrio has grown to include 216 thriving businesses.
Meet the Board:
In March 2017, local residents, community members, and the City of Amarillo planning department employees worked together for thirteen months to brainstorm, discuss, and prepare a written neighborhood revitalization plan. This plan was approved by the City Council in 2018. The Barrio Neighborhood Planning Committee (BNPC) became a board in January 2019 and a non-profit organization in February 2020. The purpose of the board is to implement the Barrio neighborhood plan and there are 13 board members.
Teresa Kenedy
President - At Large
Raul David Rosas
Vice-President - At Large & Former Resident
Rebecca Hansen
Secretary - Educational
Angela Garcia
Board of Directors - Treasurer, Resident, and Property Owner
John Betancourt
Board of Directors - Educational
David Martinez
Board of Directors - Educational
R.J. Soleyjacks
Board of Directors - Educational
Laurie Roybal
Board of Directors - At Large
Nicole Gotcher
Board of Directors - At Large
Quintin Marquez
Board of Directors - At Large
Edith DiTommaso
Board of Directors - At Large
Ashley Sapien
Board of Directors - At Large