Press Release | Office of the Mayor | Westland Neighborhood Community Center Wins National Award

For Immediate Release | Official Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

36300 Warren Road | Westland, Michigan | 48185

Office 734.467.3200 | Fax 724.721.2310

WWW.CITYOFWESTLAND.COM

Westland Neighborhood Community Center Wins National Award

Westland, MI - The National Community Development Association (NCDA) will recognize Westland as a winner of the 2015 Audrey Nelson Community Development Acheivement Award on January 22 during the 2016 Winter Conference for the Jefferson Barns Community Vitality Center project in the Norwayne community. Westland is one of 16 award winners nation-wide.

In 1987, NCDA established the Audrey Nelson Community Development Achievement Award to recognize exemplary uses of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program and the partnerships between local governments and non-profit organizations to assist low- and moderate-income persons. The award has been expanded in recent years to include projects funded with the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program, Neighborhood Stabilization Program, and other funding sources.

Westland opened the newly renovated Jefferson Barns Community Vitality Center in July of 2015 in what was formerly a vacant elementary school. Closed since 2010, the school was built during World War II to educate the children of parents working as part of the Arsenal for Democracy war effort. Renting the building from the Wayne-Westland Community Schools for $1 per year, renovations were made possible when the City received a loan from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that will be repaid over 15 years from Community Development Block Grant funds.

The school, while maintaining the charm and appearance of the former elementary school it once was, underwent renovations that included moving a wood gymnasium floor from the City's closed Melvin G. Bailey Recreation Center to the JBCVC. New tenants to the Community Center include the Housing & Community Development Department, Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency, Nankin Transit and the Norwayne Boxing Gym. The center also contains a library and community space. Safe Step / Beginning Step Communities will lease the Dorsey Center. Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous will continue to meet at the Dorsey Center. Community rooms are available for rentals for public and private events. The Westland Police Department will have an office at the Center for community police officers and events.

Constructed in 1942, the Norwayne neighborhood is Westland's oldest subdivision. It was added to the National Registry of Historic places in July of 2013. Erected during World War II for the workers at the Willow Run Bomber Plant and during its peak was home to over 20,000 residents. By the 1980s Norwayne's housing stock started to decline and it was apparent that the area was in need of restoration. Mayor Wild, who has served as Westland's Mayor since 2007, has made the revitalization of the historic Norwayne district one of his administration's top priorities. With the cooperation of City Council, the City has taken an active role in the stabilization of the neighborhood, using federal dollars through qualifying programs, and has encouraged investment in the neighborhood through renovation grants. Funds have also been used for road improvements and infrastructure repairs.

"I was born in Norwayne;" commented Mayor William R. Wild. "This was an exciting project for me to see this former school building undergo a rebirth to the Jefferson Barns Community Vitality Center that will be the hub of community activity in the Norwayne neighborhood;" he continued. "We are honored to accept the Audrey Nelson Community Development Achievement award on behalf of the city;" he concluded.

"It is a wonderful opportunity to work on this project with so many dedicated people and organizations," commented Community Development Director Joanne Campbell. "Almost every week another group is calling to schedule a new class or activity. This is a significant impact on the revitalization of the Norwayne community."

Mayor William R. Wild along with Community Development Director Joanne Cambell will travel to Washington DC to accept the award on January 22.

For more information, contact Aubrey Berman, Administrative Secretary,
at (734) 467-3200.

Westland, Michigan is the state's 10th largest municipality, with a population of over 84,000 people who exhibit a great deal of pride in their All-American City. Westland has a thriving business community along with beautiful residential areas. The citizens enjoy a wide array of amenities and a quality of life that is second to none.

In 2014, Westland was rated as one of 24/7 Wall Street's America's Best 50 Cities to Live, offering residents and visitors an ideal blend of single-family affordable homes, apartments and condominiums, great schools, and access to numerous outdoor activities. Public safety is delivered by full-service, professional law enforcement and firefighting personnel. Westland Police Department, whose motto is protect and serve, provides emergency dispatch services to four cities and over 100,000 residents; the Western Wayne Fire Association firefighters collaboratively serving the Cities of Wayne and Westland are licensed paramedics who responded to over 13,000 calls for service last year, about 85% being medical based. They never forget their mission of preserving life and property.

Westland is well-known as the premier destination for shopping and dining in Wayne County with hundreds of shops and restaurants anchored by the Westland Shopping Center, one of the country's original four regional malls.

Infinite opportunities are available in Westland for the recreation aficionado including, more that 40 parks and 1,500 acres of trails, a 9-hole golf course, hockey arena, athletic fields, playscapes, a Farmers and Artisans Market and more. One of Michigan's most environmentally friendly cities, Westland has a progressive curbside recycling program with one of the highest participation rates in the nation and the City is raising the bar for cultural experiences with the placement of public art throughout the City.

The City is served by two public school districts; Wayne-Westland Community Schools serving 12,000 youth was recently named one of the Best School in Michigan by WXYZ-TV and is the proud recipient of 14 Golden Apple and two Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards. Livonia Public Schools, educating nearly 15,000 students, is proud of their MEAP/MME scores that exceed state averages and the District has also earned Golden Apple and Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards.

Westland's philosophy is that government should embrace good business principles. Providing oversight over the City's operating budget of $60 million dollars, Westland is the only community in Wayne County with a 3-year balanced budget and an approximately 10 percent budget surplus.

The City provides competitive incentives for those who are interested in investing in Westland, making it one of the hottest investment markets in the region. Our Fast-Track to Business Team, which consists of key decision makers who work diligently on a development plan will "cut the red tape" and expedite the approval process for new business development.