YoBOULEVARD 2014

New year, new goals for Intown gateway

By Collin Kelley INtown Editor

More than 300 people braved last month’s frigid weather to pack Fort Street United Methodist Church for the 2014 launch of Year of Boulevard. The multi-year initiative’s goal is to improve public safety, quality of life, and access to opportunities for children, families, and seniors along the Boulevard corridor.

Dist. 2 City Councilman Kwanza Hall, who created Year of Boulevard, said the fact that so many residents and supporters turned out for the launch in the freezing cold “says a lot about the commitment of the people in this community.”

“It was amazing to see so many people there,” Hall said. “Just huge. But we’re not resting on our laurels; we’re moving forward.”

Some of those laurels include the opening of a new off-leash dog park at Renaissance Park, summer camps attended by more than 600 children from the Boulevard area, an adult summer camp for seniors, street cleanups, entrepreneurship events for teens and much more.

Hall said he was excited to see that the Boulevard community was “advocating for itself” and stepping up to make the neighborhood a better place to live.

Looking ahead, Hall said work will continue to get a new building for low-income seniors in the Bedford Pine complex along Boulevard, a new playground for Hope-Hill Elementary School, more cleanup days, summer camps and a new focus on “food security.”

“We’re looking at food education, workforce development, a farmers market and food training to end hunger,” Hall said. “Food insecurity is one of the issues of poverty.”

Above: District 2 City Councilman Kwanza Hall created Year of Boulevard to help revitalize the “main street” of Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward neighborhood. Here he’s shown with Love Robinson of Operation P.E.A.C.E. and her brother at the 2014 Year of Boulevard kick-off event.

Left: Atlanta dance crew Remote Kontrol (you’ve seen them on So You Think You Can Dance, America’s Got Talent, Ellen and many more shows) performed at the YoBoulevard kick-off at Fort Street United Methodist Church last month.