 May 8, 2012 - Employees of Knoxville's Community Development Corporation served as facilitators for a workshop-style discussion to identify key resources and agencies in the Five Points community at Walter P. Taylor Boys and Girls Club on May 3. About 50 residents and stakeholders participated in the Five Points Forum that focused on education; health and safety; and employment resources. The discussion highlighted agencies and resources already available in the community. The session also revealed needs not currently being met and brainstormed possible solutions for these problems.
Former Knoxville mayor and 6th district city councilman Daniel Brown introduced the session. Brown attended Eastport Elementary School, Vine Middle School and Austin High School in the Five Points neighborhood and is also the city councilman for the district. "The city of Knoxville and KCDC are committed to bringing change to Five Points," Brown said. "There is great potential here, but we all need to come to the table and work together if we are going to impact this neighborhood." Attendees of the meeting were divided into five discussion groups to identify key resources available to Five Points residents and brainstorm ways to meet immediate needs. Major challenges revealed in the meeting included transportation to health care and education, a lack of parental involvement and difficulty in finding employment. In addition to brainstorming solutions to these problems, the forum increased awareness for resources and agencies already in the community, such as after-school programs, church-based aid, adult education programs, health clinics, food pantries and job training. In coming months, KCDC will continue to facilitate public meetings and workshops to engage residents, community stakeholders and the public in the Five Points redevelopment process. The next meeting will be held in July. KCDC is the housing authority and redevelopment agency for Knoxville. Since 1936, KCDC has been dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for the citizens of Knoxville. For more information, visit http://www.kcdc.org. |
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The City of Knoxville and the Knoxville Community Development Corporation (KCDC) will hold a wall breaking for the Lonsdale Recreation Center expansion at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 28 at the Lonsdale Recreation Center located at 2700 Stonewall St.
Mayor Madeline Rogero will lead the wall-breaking event at Lonsdale Recreation Center for a 2,500-square-foot addition to the community building.
The $522,000 project will include a new multi-purpose room, new restrooms, new office, new HVAC, new windows and new flooring for the facility.
KCDC has contributed $150,000 toward the addition, with the City covering the rest of the project costs.
Lonsdale Recreation Center is situated within Lonsdale Park and on the same block as Lonsdale Elementary School.
KCDC will hold a Public Meeting on the proposed Fulton Bellows Redevelopment Area at 6 p.m. on Monday, February 20 in the KCDC Office building at 901 North Broadway.
The developers of the University Commons site will discuss their plans for a retail center in the proposed redevelopment area.
A part of the presentation will be related to traffic impacts in the area.
Knoxville's Community Development Corporation (KCDC) will open the doors to its new housing complex for seniors, the Residences at Eastport, for potential residents and the public Sept. 23 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
During the open house, potential residents, community leaders and the general public will receive guided tours of a model unit. KCDC employees will be available onsite to provide leasing information, answer questions and help seniors with the application process. Refreshments will be provided.
Parking is limited, but shuttles will run every 15 minutes from two locations. Residents and disabled guests will be picked up from the Walter P. Taylor leasing office on McConnell Street, and other community members will be shuttled from the Harvest Plaza parking lot at 2410 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue.
The Residences at Eastport is an affordable 85-unit development. Twenty-five of the units are housed in the former Eastport Elementary school building. The building retains the façade of the historic school, which is believed to be the first African American school in the Five Points neighborhood. The property is the newest apartment complex for seniors, age 62 and older, in the area.
"The Residences at Eastport are specially designed to accommodate the needs of our aging population in a comfortable community-style living environment," Alvin Nance, executive director and CEO of KCDC, said. "We are excited to unveil our newest housing complex, the initial step towards our goal of the revitalization of the Five Points area."
Upon completion, the complex will attain a LEED for Homes certification for its cost-efficiency and energy savings, furthering KCDC's mission of improving and transforming neighborhoods to promote sustainability and self-sufficiency.
KCDC is the housing authority and redevelopment agency for Knoxville. Since 1936, KCDC has been dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for the citizens of Knoxville. For more information, visit www.kcdc.org.
