The city’s Economic and Community Development Department is set to host a public meeting on Nov. 14 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss updates regarding a recent application submitted for a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Choice Neighborhood Implementation Grant. This meeting will take place at Senior Center East, 917 Washington Drive.  

On Feb. 13, the city submitted a grant application to HUD that would implement a community-led plan centered on the redevelopment of Murchison Townhouses and Elliott Circle and aimed to replace 100% of the housing units in these developments with new mixed-income developments. This Choice Neighborhood Initiative focuses on three core goals: housing, people and neighborhoods.  

The Murchison neighborhood was selected for this initiative due to its tremendous opportunities and strategic location less than a mile from downtown Fayetteville, on the direct route to Fort Liberty. The neighborhood is the historic center of African American commerce in the city and is anchored by Fayetteville State University. The community has been designated as a Federal Opportunity Zone as well as a Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area. 

On May 1, HUD announced the city as a finalist, along with eight other municipalities.

City officials and staff welcomed a delegation from HUD for a site visit of the Murchison Road Corridor in June. The delegation visited Fayetteville State University, toured several Murchison Road neighborhoods, and heard from residents and city officials about plans to revitalize the corridor.  

In August, HUD notified the city that they were not awarded the implementation grant this cycle. HUD received 28 Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant applications and awarded only seven grants. 

“Although we were not awarded the grant this round, it was an honor to be selected as a finalist in our first attempt applying for this incredibly competitive grant,” Economic Community Development Director Chris Cauley said in a press release. “Our team met with HUD officials to gather feedback on our application and we’re ready to meet with residents to discuss next steps as we prepare to submit the application for the next cycle.” 

Residents in the Murchison community are encouraged to attend the meeting as an opportunity to hear about the application process, HUD’s insights and next steps.

Residents seeking more information can visit FayettevilleNC.gov/ECD.