Through a two-year, $500,000 grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, Neighborhood Allies will work in close coordination with Homewood business owners, the Homewood Collaborative, public and private sector partners and others to support the equitable revitalization of Homewood’s Business and Institutional Corridor.

“Corridors and gateways are important visual indicators of neighborhood value, so creating vibrancy and opportunity in arterial commercial corridors is one of our priority neighborhood level strategies. We are excited to leverage these new resources to invest in physical improvements, coordinated partnerships, and branding to support the transformation of N. Homewood Avenue into an economically vibrant commercial district. ”

-Presley Gillespie, Neighborhood Allies

In partnership with Homewood business owners, the Homewood Collaborative, public and private sector partners, we will catalyze opportunity by providing leadership, assembling a comprehensive set of targeted investments, technical support, shared professional real estate talent and other investment tools to re-invigorate and rebrand the North Homewood Avenue business district.

Neighborhood Allies will provide financial investments and technical support to activate priority projects along North Homewood Avenue that have been identified by the community. Immediate investments and interventions of the initiative to help spur equitable growth shall include:

• Investments to uplift the people and cultural identity of the neighborhood
• Support to existing entrepreneurs in Homewood
• Efforts to increase public and private investment in Homewood’s business corridor
• Resources to reduce vacancy and building code violations along the corridor
• Advancing projects aimed to attract investors and those interested in moving their business into the neighborhood
• Hiring a Business District Manager
• Identifying two vacant properties for redevelopment
• Hosting community events such as retail pop-ups, a food truck rally and public art installations
• Installing lighting and support building façade renovations
• Sharing positive stories about the culture, evolution of the neighborhood as well as the accomplishments and vision of the residents of Homewood

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank the Richard King Mellon Foundation for their support. We are so grateful to welcome back them as a program investor!