Community Meeting #1

On July 10, community residents and other stakeholders met at Metropolitan Community Church with Woodlawn United partners to discuss the creation of a redevelopment plan and district to support efforts to revitalize the area. South Woodlawn Neighborhood President Arnold King and Sally Mackin (Woodlawn Foundation) hosted the meeting.

Meeting attendees, including City Councilors Johnathan Austin and Valerie Abbott, discussed the benefits of creating a redevelopment district and what areas should be included. Jason Fondren, senior planner from KPS Group, facilitated the discussion. The meeting concluded in a consensus that the initial redevelopment district be conservative in size---large enough to include those areas where Woodlawn United partners currently have investments planned---but allow for the district to be expanded over time as needed.

A Redevelopment Plan, required as part of the creation of the Redevelopment District, could cover much more of the community and establish a holistic strategy to improve Woodlawn. Having a plan that covers a broader area assures that plan policies and strategies would already be in place to support future investment in the expanded district.