Title:
Naming Application - Third Ward Park to "James Dennis Rash Third Ward Neighborhood Park"
Summary
ACTION:
1. Acknowledge receipt of an application submitted on behalf of The Committee to Restore and Preserve Third Ward, Inc., and at the request of its Chair, Virginia Woolard, to name Third Ward Park, located at 1001 W. 4th Street Extension, the "James Dennis Rash Third Ward Neighborhood Park"
2. Schedule a public hearing on March 7, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. to receive public comment on the proposed naming of Third Ward Park to "James Dennis Rash Third Ward Neighborhood Park" and direct the Clerk to the Board to publish the notice of hearing as required
Staff Contact: Peter Cook, Park and Recreation
Presentation: No
BACKGROUND/JUSTIFICATION:
In 1978, under the leadership of Hugh McColl and Dennis Rash, NCNB (now Bank of America) formed the first U.S. bank-owned, community development corporation to promote the revitalization of inner-city residential neighborhoods. Dennis became its first President and served as such for the next 23 years.
In 1981, NCNB Community Development Corporation (CDC) became interested in the renewal of Third Ward, which was then a neighborhood of detached, single-family homes in the shadow of a scrapyard stretching from the railroad tracks to Cedar Street. The City had already acquired and cleared some of the Third Ward land and had initiated efforts to acquire the scrapyard land. Dennis envisioned the development of urban-scale townhouses on some of the City's vacant land, but was eager not to disturb the existing neighborhood or displace its residents. To that end, he created a nonprofit corporation for the neighborhood, The Committee to Restore and Preserve Third Ward, Inc. (with resident Mildred Baxter Davis as its president), which in turn formed a joint venture with NCNB CDC.
Dennis, who passed away on July 25, 2017, was a lifetime champion of urban neighborhoods, such as Third Ward and Fourth Ward in Charlotte. ...
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