Around Mount Vernon Park, an area bounded by Pettit Avenue, Paulding Road, South Anthony Boulevard and Hanna Street, there are probably 15 vacant lots, says Rena Bradley, of the Bridge of Grace Compassionate Ministries.
The lots aren’t in awful condition, Bradley says. Most are green. They just have no structures. The houses are gone.
What, she asked, if you could create a design studio for young people in the area? They could survey residents, schools and other organizations and ask them what they would like to see come of these lots. Then those same youth could come up with their own designs and even do their own work – with a little help from some experienced mentors. They could create community assets out the vacant lots.
It’s not a unique idea. People do stuff like this in other places. But projects like that cost money. So last year Bradley applied for a Knight Cities Challenge grant.
Hers was one of about 4,500 ideas that people submitted from around the country, hoping to win a grant from the Knight Foundation.
Well, on Monday, the foundation announced winners of those grants, and Bradley’s idea was awarded $95,434.
The notion is to start a design studio, called Tired-A-Lot at the Bridge of Grace on Gaywood Drive, and challenge young people to become researchers, architects, designers and builders.