Fayetteville has big plans for Murchison Road. Now it's seeking $50 million to make it happen

Lamar Rapu, 29, has lived on the Murchison Road corridor his whole life.

He said that while he's glad the city is taking the initiative to invest in the historically Black neighborhood, he hopes that doesn't mean longtime residents will become displaced.

“As long as it's not too much gentrification, it’s good,” he said.

The Murchison Choice Neighborhood Plan, which was finalized in March, relied on residents, anchor institutions, nonprofit leaders and business owners to develop a plan centered on improving affordable housing, quality of life and the cultural identity of the corridor.

The two-year project was funded by $450,000 in federal money awarded to the city and the Fayetteville Metropolitan Housing Authority in late 2020.

Now, the city is applying for a $50 million grant to make the plan a reality, city Economic and Community Development Director Chris Cauley said.

Competition for the Choice Neighborhood Implementation Grant is fierce, Cauley said. Nearly twice as many planning grants have been awarded as implementation grants in the 10 years since the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development launched the Choice Neighborhood program, according to the website.

Awardees typically invest in the target community and apply for the funds for years before getting the grant, Cauley said, and that’s what the city will do if it is not awarded an implementation grant this year.

The application is due in December, and he said he's not sure when the grantees will be announced.

Here’s a look at what the city plans to accomplish, given the $50 million grant.

What’s included in the Murchison Choice Neighborhood Project Plan?

Rebuilding affordable housing

The plan is centered around tearing down and rebuilding two public housing sites as mixed-income developments.

Murchison Townhouses on Rosemary Street, a 60-unit development built in 1970, would be replaced by a mixed-income development with 78 walk-up apartments, 24 townhouses and eight duplex units with 3,000 square feet of communal spaces like playgrounds, gardens and parks, throughout the property.

Elliot Properties on Elliot Circle, a 110-unit barracks-style apartment complex, would be rebuilt as 152 walk-up apartments, 40 senior apartments, 35 townhouses, 18 duplex units and 7,000 square feet of amenities.

In addition, the plan identifies about 70 vacant sites near Elliot Properties that could be developed into single-family homes.

Improving neighborhood amenities

The plan also includes upgrades to four key areas in the Murchison corridor:

• In the northern gateway to the corridor, the plan suggests developing commercial buildings at lots on Pamalee Drive and at Rosemary Drive and Murchison Road; replacing the former Walmart with a new grocery store; establishing a walking path to Westarea Elementary School; and adding single-family homes on Waddell Drive.

• Near the intersection of Jasper Street and Murchison Road, the plan recommends new pedestrian crosswalks; commercial development on vacant lots on University Avenue; medical offices along Temple Avenue; single-family homes between University and Temple avenues; and a bike trail south of Pennsylvania Avenue.

• Just west of Fayetteville State University’s campus, the plan recommends an off-campus student center; the development of businesses that cater to students and faculty in the vacant lots along College Street; multifamily housing and park space west of Coley Drive; and new crosswalks at Coley Drive and near College Street.

• In the southern gateway to the corridor, just south of Martin Luther King Drive, the plan recommends mixed-income housing and offices at a city-owned property on Bruner Street; public art along Murchison Road; new signs and artwork at the Martin Luther King Drive overpass to welcome people into the neighborhood; and trails that connect recreation areas to Cross Creek and a proposed community center.

Related: Fayetteville's Murchison Road community center could offer 'crucial' services for youth

Adding resources for residents

The plan includes a number of initiatives aimed at increasing resident access to community resources, such as:

• Increasing the number and capacity of nearby early childhood learning centers and childcare facilities to ensure that every child is ready for kindergarten, and parents can go to work or school.

• A youth community center with such services for school-age children and teenagers as year-round tutoring and enrichment in topics like career exploration, arts, civic engagement, fitness and financial literacy.

• Expansions of the science and math programs and increased promotion of military and college options at E.E. Smith High School.

• Connecting residents with health insurance, medical services, mental health counseling and access to fresh, healthy food.

• A community-based approach to public safety with improved policing and neighborhood watch initiatives.

What has been done already?

Some of the projects in the early action stage of the Murchison Choice Neighborhood Plan have already been established, including granting free Wi-Fi to Murchison Townhouses residents and providing desktops to families with school-age children; instituting a community garden on Stackpole Drive; installing 19 Little Free Libraries throughout the neighborhood; and creating a coloring book honoring the everyday heroes of the community.

'So much potential': Murchison Road businesses get a boost from city grant

What are people saying?

Demetria Murphy, 44, said she grew up along Murchison Road and now lives downtown. As a social worker, substance abuse counselor and community activist, she said she would rather see the city invest in nonprofits that have long led initiatives to improve the neighborhood.

Some of the organizations Murphy is involved in, she said, like Greater Life of Fayetteville and R.O.O.T.S. Mentoring are underfunded. Nonprofit leaders and volunteers often come out of pocket to make an impact, she said.

“You have all these people that are pouring into the community, and we don’t get the support that we need,” Murphy said.

Taylor Shook writes about food, dining and culture for The Fayetteville Observer. She can be reached at tshook@gannett.com, on Twitter, or Facebook.   

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville seeks $50M federal grant to transform Murchison Road