BATON ROUGE, LA — April 26, 2019 — In recognition of National Community Development Week, Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome announced the award of $135,000 in community development dollars to six local community organizations. Each organization will be tasked with carrying out housing rehabilitation and neighborhood façade improvement projects in designated community improvement areas of the parish.

The award was made in conjunction with the East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority.

The selected organizations and neighborhoods are:

• Scotlandville - Scotlandville Community Development Corporation
• Melrose East - Melrose East Community Association/Red Stick Arts
• Old South Baton Rouge - South Baton Rouge Civic Association
• Glen Oaks/Zion City - Baton Rouge, Zion City, and Glen Oaks Community Development Corporation
• Northdale/Choctaw - Mid City Redevelopment Alliance and The Walls Project (joint award)

“Over the past five years, our community has invested more than $20 million dollars in community development funds to provide viability to our housing stock, resilient infrastructure, public services, and economic vitality,” said Mayor Broome. “I’m pleased to continue working with these great organizations to put these dollars to good use and make marked improvements in our community.”

Projects are scheduled to begin this summer and are anticipated to take six months to complete.

“The Community Improvement Project grant initiative is the first of our efforts to support the Community Improvement Plans the EBRRA completed in 2011, and the hardworking citizens and neighborhood groups that participated in developing those plans,” said Redevelopment Authority CEO Chris Tyson. “The EBRRA simply cannot fulfill its mission, nor can the city effectively redevelop our dis-invested areas, without well-resourced and well-connected neighborhood-level organizations. We look forward to helping to increase the capacity of our community development corporations and all who labor to elevate the issues of our neighborhoods.”

Mayor Broome proclaimed this week, April 22 - 26, as National Community Development Week in Baton Rouge, in conjunction with the national effort.