January 11, 2021 | Volume 1, Issue 79 | FayettevilleNC.gov
Murchison Road Corridor Project wins $450,000 Federal Grant
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded a $450,000 grant to The City of Fayetteville and Fayetteville Metropolitan Housing Authority. The money will be used to create a revitalization plan for a section of the Murchison Road Corridor. Specifically, Murchison Road between Rowan Street and Pamalee Drive/Country Club Drive. The HUD Choice Neighborhood program awarded revitalization grants to 11 cities, including Fayetteville.
The grant will be used to develop a community-led plan to transform the area into a ‘Choice Neighborhood’. The plan will include blueprints to preserve and create new affordable and mixed-income housing. Project managers will also identify new opportunities for economic vitality. City leaders estimate it will take 2 years to complete the revitalization plan.
$150,000 of the grant can be used for an “early action project” at the site of the Murchison Townhouses at Rosemary Street. The early action project will be free internet and a little library on the property. The City’s Economic and Community Development Department will continue to collect feedback from residents on their preferences.
“We want to satisfy current residents of Murchison Road and welcome new business and educational opportunities in the area. Thank you to City staff members and the Fayetteville Metropolitan Housing Authority staff for completing this winning grant application. We also appreciate help from North Carolina’s elected officials. Together, we can create a Murchison Road that is cleaner, safer, and more appealing for those who live there, and for those who want to invest here,” Mayor Mitch Colvin said.
Winning the grant award is a step toward executing a large scale transformation of the Murchison Road Corridor. The City and Housing Authority will apply for a $30 million federal grant in the future.