Title
Honoring and Recognizing the 25th Anniversary of the Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corporation.
Body
WHEREAS, After decades of being a vibrant commercial corridor bustling with commerce and charm, the 7100 block of Ogontz Avenue began to decline in the early 1970s and by 1981, Ogontz Plaza, the centerpiece of this once mighty block had become a vacant, graffiti-scarred eyesore and the Ogontz Hall apartment building was plagued with undesirable conditions and many other properties on Ogontz and 72nd Avenues were also vacant and dilapidated; and
WHEREAS, In 1983, neighborhood residents, lead by State Representative Dwight Evans, banded together to devise a solution to the Ogontz Avenue problem and created the Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corporation ("OARC") as their solution to this problem; and
WHEREAS, After its inception, OARC worked with elected officials, government agencies, banks, local universities, and various organizations and institutions, and formed partnerships with private developers to complete and renovate the Ogontz Plaza (completed in 1987), the Ogontz Hall (completed in 1992), and Ogontz III (completed in 1995), helping to restore this commercial corridor to the vibrant, bustling avenue of its past glory; and
WHEREAS, More recently, OARC has continued its efforts by expanding its scope and taking a holistic approach toward making West Oak Lane, a community of choice and this approach includes dozens of programs, initiatives, and development projects in the areas of housing development, home improvement, education, business and economic development, workforce development, arts and cultural event planning, open space greening, grassroots community planning, and tourism development; and
WHEREAS, OARC has been responsible for the development of dozens of housing units, several of the marquee business institutions of West Oak Lane, and the overall improvement in the quality of l...
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