Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 11-3-15 Edition

Local
New Center Named In Honor Of Progress Village Pioneer
LES MILLER, JR. Hillsborough County Commissioner District 3
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
In 1959, the Progress Vil- lage Subdivision came into ex- istence. It was a community that allowed African Ameri- cans to purchase their own home.
Today, more than 50 years later, many of the original res- idents of the subdivision still live in the area. One of those is Mr. Emanuel P. Johnson, who continues to take pride in the community he helped to settle.
On Saturday, November 7th, at 2 p.m., the community will gather at 5855 S. 78th Street for the ribbon cutting ceremony for the newly con- structed Emanuel P. John- son Gymnasium and Community Center.
When he learned that the structure would be named in his honor, Mr. Johnson was humbled by the news. But he said, “I’m glad to get my flow- ers while I’m living.”
Mr. Johnson is a God- fearing man who quotes Bible scriptures and words of en-
EMANUEL P. JOHNSON ... Unofficial Mayor of Progress Village
couragement into his daily conversations. And, he always distinguishes himself by using his middle initial. “There are a lot of Emanuel Johnsons, but only one Emanuel P. Johnson,” he said.
A widower, Mr. Johnson celebrated his 94th birthday on October 14th with his family and friends.
Les Miller, Jr., Hillsbor- ough County Commissioner said, “When we asked the Progress Village Civic Associa- tion about a name for the new building, their answer was to name it in honor of Mr. Johnson.
“And I thought it was a fan- tastic idea. Mr. Johnson has provided a lot of services and worked tirelessly for the com- munity. He is known as the “Unofficial Mayor” of Progress Village. He is a World War II veteran and his dedication to the area has remained strong since he and his family moved into the community,” Com- missioner Miller said.
Ms. Linda Washington
is the president of the Progress Village Civic Association.
City Of Tampa, Housing Authority Present West Tampa Redevelopment Plan
This is a scene of some of those in attendance.
City of Tampa CRA Chair, Yolie Capin, attended the meet- ing and listened closely to the presentation.
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
On Tuesday, October 23rd at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreation Center in West Tampa, City of Tampa staff members and Tampa Hous- ing Authority staff members presented their development plan for North Boulevard Homes and the West Tampa community.
It took two years to con- ceive the plan that will in- volved a complete reconfiguration of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreational Complex, and the current footprint of North Boulevard Homes.
Tampa Housing Author- ity’s C.O.O., Leroy Moore, told those in attendance that the plan for the redevelop- ment of North Boulevard Homes will include changes that will include infrastruc- ture and the creation of a commercial/retail area.
“When it comes to North Boulevard Homes, our plan is to adopt the one-for-one re- placement plan where we re- place all of the 842 units that will be demolished equally, and add more mixed income and market rate units.
“We decided to not do any project south of Main Street
because of the close proximity to the interstate. Instead, we will be looking to put com- mercial and retail units on that property. We also will have 360 senior housing units as part of the project.”
Moore said the plan with the project is to have market rate housing and subsidized units designed to be identical.
What got the attention of those in attendance more than any other project were the city’s plans for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreation Complex.
It was revealed that initial plans were to either demolish or move the existing building and combine it with a planned 25,000-square-foot new center.
The new plan also calls for the current gymnasium and new center to be accessed from Rome Avenue, and the current pool to be enlarged and moved north of its cur- rent location, and be con- structed next to the gymnasium.
James Ransom, who has been instrumental in the development of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreation complex since the early 1990s, said he’s excited about the aggressive plan, but there are some things he wants as- surances on.
“I think what we’ve been
shown in the drawings is great for the area, but I also feel no mention has been made of the plans for this area that were developed al- most 20 years ago.
“I worked with a group of people who spent millions of dollars on the gymnasium and pool, and in the end we still didn’t get everything we asked for.”
One thing Ransom has been adamant about is the plan for the current Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreation Center building.
“I don’t want to see this structure moved. I believe the infrastructure plans can be developed to wind the road- way around the current build- ing. I don’t see how that will interfere with the project at all, and at the same time will preserve a building that should have a historic desig- nation.”
Ransom said he plans to meet more with Housing Au- thority and city officials as the plan moves forward, and it may be necessary to have more public meetings to go over the plans to make sure there is inclusion.
“Whatever this redevelop- ment plan calls for, I want to make sure that jobs are cre- ated along with opportunities for the people in this commu- nity.
“I want to see African Americans working on the projects, benefitting from the projects once they’re com- pleted, and be at the head of the table for all of the plan- ning.”
Moore said in moving forward with their develop- ment plans, it should be un- derstood that there have been 33 grant applications filed so far this year by other cities, and currently Tampa isn’t ranked in the top 10.
It was also revealed that the West Tampa redevelop- ment plan will extend west to Armenia and will include parks and a lot of infrastruc- ture changes.
FYI
Howard W. Blake 1971 Graduates Planning 45th Reunion Event
The last graduating class before desegregation is planning their 45th reunion.
Howard W. Blake High School and G. S. Middleton High School were the only two predominantly African Americans high schools in Hillsborough County during the 1970-1971 school year, and as part of the desegregation plan, both schools were converted to junior high schools during the 1971-1972 school year.
It’s important that all 1971 graduates of Blake High School attend a series of meetings being scheduled for this major re- union. Efforts are underway to reach out to graduates no longer living in Tampa, and also to the family members of classmates no longer with us.
Spearheading the reunion effort is Yvonne Glasgow, and she and her staff will be sending out letters and flyers with con- tact information in the next couple of weeks.
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