On Saturday March 22, we invited the community to a visioning open house to dream about what could be created in the Five Points Alley. The community came out and we had a fantastic time!
The open house was held at the Dillard Building in an unfinished room. Students from UC’s Metro lab decorated and furnished the space and showcased the grittiness of the exposed brick walls and unfinished floor. This was a space full of potential, where ideas were free to form.
Along the brick walls were a series of panels, each with an overarching theme of what we can do in a community space: make, exchange, learn, connect and play. Each panel had pictures that fit the theme and a final block to write in original ideas. By the end of the day, each panel was bursting with ideas.
Perhaps the best part of the day was how the community came together. In this almost pop-up space, people of all sorts – varying backgrounds, race, class, life experiences – were talking, laughing, sharing ideas and sharing a meal together. Young couples, older, long time residents and elementary school kids were all enjoying a unique space, a sense of community and bbq sandwiches together. Saturday was a glimpse of what the Five Points Alley will be, and we couldn’t be more excited.
A huge thank you to Metrolab at UC and the students who worked so hard to create the space. Thank you to Eli’s BBQ for providing the food, Kroger for a generous donation of water, Jeff Brewster for opening up the Dillard Building to this event and to the Haile Foundation for sponsoring. And a special thank you to every community member who came out to give input and enjoy the space.