Southeast neighborhood gets sidewalks
5:02 p.m. Monday, August 4, 2008
Tenille Alexander wasn't too thrilled when they started doing construction right outside her house.
"It was a pain at first because I couldn't get into my driveway," she said. "And I was afraid about my daughter falling into the wooden parts."
But now that she's seen the progress they've made on the sidewalk near 19th and Massachusetts, she couldn't be more thrilled.
Tenille said, "It's a very awesome thing that the community has gotten together to get this done, mainly for the kids. And it looks better. It looks cleaner."
Her mother, Peggy Alexander, was born and raised in this neighborhood. Peggy says the neighborhood has been waiting a long time for these improvements. She says neighbors have tried to get sidewalks here since she was a child.
Peggy said, "To see the sidewalk, I was just shocked. I was like wow, finally sidewalks."
It has been a pet project of Wesley Marshall and other members of the Central Highland Park Neighborhood Improvement Association. They got the money from a federal grant, but the construction was done through the City of Topeka.
"We are very pleased with the City for having allowed us to do this and improve our community and provide safety for our children," Marshall said.
Now Peggy doesn't have to worry about her grandchildren and the other neighborhood kids having to walk in the streets.
Marshall says the plan saw some opposition. There were some constituents that who were afraid of getting coded for not removing snow on the sidewalk for those who were unable to do it. "
But Peggy says it's a big boost for the community.
"I'm glad they did. The community still sticks together. They've always stuck together. It's been a close-knit community. They're still doing a good job," she said.
The sidewalks will be continued from 19th Street to 21st Street on the east side so they lead to duplexes that were built as low income housing.
There is still a waiting list of more than 300 people.
The Pioneer Group hopes to add more low income housing on the south side of 21st.
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