Park DuValle began residential development in the late 19th century as a large community of African Americans settled there together after the Civil War. The neighborhood was considered by some to be part of Parkland until it began urban renewal developments in the 1940s. However, the real revitalization efforts did not begin until the mid-1990s, when the HUD created a new urbanism plan called the Park DuValle Revitalization within the HOPE VI program to fund better, more inclusive housing options. Urban Design Associates created a Master Plan that included traditional neighborhoods with a mixture of rental and home ownership opportunities for a wide range of income groups. It also factored in opportunities to create connections to nearby communities and allowed space for a new commercial center with shops and services for the residential neighborhoods. A $200 million grant was awarded in 1996 for the development of 125 acres in the neighborhood.