GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — Greensboro city leaders are focusing on five neighborhoods for reinvestment, including Glenwood Avenue.
“The intention is to bring city and community services together to better serve our neighborhood residents,” said Cynthia Blue, assistant director with Greensboro Housing and Development.
The Christ United Methodist Church on Glenwood Avenue has been serving people with faith and food for years.
It’s a location where people gather and always will.
Soon, new people will report here whoa re focused on housing rehabilitation, increasing home ownership and minor development in the area.
“I’m looking forward to that because it brings the value up in the neighborhood,” Marva Chrisholl said.
Chrisholl has been part of the Glenwood community for more than two decades. She’s watched the area transform and has a good sense of what is needed.
“It’ll be great if someone could come to the neighborhood and talk to people, get their opinions as far as people putting it together. I think that would be beneficial,” she said.
Marva wants her neighbors to have a say in who can live in the area, what homes should look like and when too much development is happening.
“So we’re going to be bringing enhanced capacity buildings to neighborhoods as well as housing services, homeownership services, development and minor infrastructure improvement,” Blue said.
She is leading the city of Greensboro’s Neighborhood Hub project.
“In the next six months, we should be here, and we’ll basically be on the first floor of the building. Currently, the servant center which is housed up the street is on the second floor,” she said.
Greensboro city leaders plan to use the old church building at 1417 Glenwood Avenue to create neighborhood-based services.
They will partner with nonprofits and neighborhood organizations.
“I think the church has been beneficial to the neighborhood,” Chrisholl said.
The new hub will only enhance what church leaders have offered their community.
“Christ Methodist church wants to maintain a presence here in the community. They have a strong heart as well as the other agencies who are already here in this community.
Events like the people’s market that goes on. We would like to see that type of stuff continue for them because it’s important to Glenwood,” Blue said.
The Glenwood neighborhood is one of five neighborhood reinvestment areas the City of Greensboro has identified in its housing plan.
The other areas include:
- King Forest
- Mill District
- Dudley Heights
- Random Woods
“With the Windsor Chavis complex that’s going to be built on East Gate City Boulevard with the library and other services combined and other sites in the city, that’s going to be able to make these services accessible. When our officers are on the third floor of city hall, it’s very difficult for people to come in and engage with us in the way people want us to,” Blue said.
There are three empty lots that sit adjacent to the church. It runs along Lexington Avenue. Right now, it’s used as a community space for food giveaways and other events.
“Come and engage with us. We’re really excited about the space the center offers to us here in the heart of the Glenwood community. We’re going to have people come in and become an active part of the engagement and developing plans for their neighborhood. It’s not us imposing a plan. It’s one they want to see in their neighborhood,” Blue said.
