Local Media Reports on the Development of the New Friendship Court Advisory Committee

As Piedmont Housing Alliance welcomes back their design team for the redevelopment of Friendship Court this week, they also welcomed their new fourteen-member advisory committee into the pre-development process.

Today’s Daily Progress article highlights the new members of the advisory committee, seven of whom are Friendship Court residents with the balance being made up of city officials and other experts in the industry.  The goal of the committee, which will start meeting on a monthly basis with the design team, will be to provide guidance to Piedmont Housing in two primary areas: physical revitalization and community life.

“Piedmont Housing Alliance will engage residents, neighbors and community partners in an inclusive and respectful process. Our goal is to develop a mixed-income, mixed-use community that is welcoming to all,” said Frank Grosch, CEO of the housing alliance.

NBC29 also reported on the new advisory committee being formed and quoted Piedmont Housing Alliance’s CEO, Frank Grosch: “This is really all about equity and the design and development of Friendship Court. It brings together world class architects and planners with the real experts in Friendship Court and that is the people who live there,” said Grosch.

CBS19 news was also present during the first joint meeting of the advisory committee and the design team in which the process of sharing information and expertise to build bridges to the community to help create equity in the design and development of the new Friendship Court.

The design team will be holding open office hours at the community center on Tuesday, February 9, from 1:00-4:00 pm and also on Wednesday, February 10, from 2:00-5:00 pm for anyone interested in sharing their thoughts or concerns about the redevelopment process.

For more information, please contact Community Organizer, Claudette Grant at 434-295-9794 or e-mail cgrant@piedmonthousing.org.