People
United for Sustainable Housing (PUSH) has confirmed its purchase of the old Club Utica
building at 527 W. Utica St.
PUSH
has been an integral part of the revitalization effort in the W. - AP Utica Street-Massachusetts Avenue area.
Plans for the Club
Utica building are not yet finalized. Currently, the organization is reaching out to
residents and local businesses to ascertain what the community would like the
building to be used for.
“Our
plans are rooted in the community’s desires,” said Jennifer Mecozzi, Director
of Community Organizing for PUSH.
The
people of PUSH have been going door-to-door taking surveys on residents’ opinions
on what sort of commercial space they would like to see in their neighborhood.
So far they have collected over 300 surveys.
A
community meeting was held on April 18, at 370 Massachusetts Ave., to further
discuss the options for the Club Utica building.
Amongst
the ideas that surfaced during the meeting were health clinics, senior centers,
temporary art installations and retail of any sort.
Business
owners and community activists were very keen on the idea of getting more
retail into the space.
“There
has to be a corner store within two blocks of every house,” said Kevin Gardner,
co-owner of Five Points Bakery, which is located across the street from Club
Utica.
PUSH
is still very much in the planning process and will be holding more meetings concerning
how to move forward with their commercial real estate. By Michael Hargrave and Shayna McKie
