SPECIAL EDITION WHAT'S • HAPPENING Free Copy OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE HIGH POINT MODEL CITY COMMISSION March 31,1972 Plan For Use Of NDP Funds Depends On Citizens' Choice The city of High Point has been promised a $750,000 project to improve one of its most blighted neighborhoods, the Southside. The money will be in the form of a Neigh borhood Development Plan — NDP — adminis tered by the High Point Redevelopment Com mission beginning this summer. High Point is one of only a few cities in North Carolina which was approved NDP funds by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A lengthy application is now being drawn up to be submitted to HUD by May 1. Before final plans are made, however, residents them selves must decide how they think the $750,- 000 can best be spent in rebuilding Southside. Model Cities, which has a strong link with citizens in the Southside — one of five neigh- Whats and Hows of NDP What is NDP? A federal program called the Neighborhood Development Plan. What can it do for Southside? NDP can finance rebuilding projects such as street pavement, better housing, stream clearance, or bigger water mains. How much will there be for Southside’s NDP? $750,000 for the first year. If the project is carried out successfully that year, the city can expect at least an equal amount of money for each of the three following years. When will this money be available? July 1, 1972. How can Southside residents get involved in the planning of NDP? Residents can work with Model Cities, the Redevelopment Commission, Planning Department and City Hall in preparing the plan. To voice the needs of the neighborhood, persons may call members of the Resident Review Committee, Citizen Participation (885-0817), or the Model Cities of fice (885-9081) to get involved in the decision-making. borhoods in the Model Cities target area — is assuring the city government that citizens par ticipate in the decision-making. Numerous meetings have been held, and will be con tinued until the NDP application is in. Also working with Model Cities in drawing up a plan for the use of the grant are the Redevelopment Commission, the city manager, the planning department. Central Relocation Agency, and a planning consultant firm. A key group in this all-important planning stage is a citizen group called the Resident Review Committee, elected to represent the neighborhood in deciding exactly how this money will be spent. When the citizens have made their choice, the consultant firm will write the application. Then it must be approved first by the resident committee, followed by the Planning and Zon ing Commission, the Redevelopment Commis sion, the Model City Commission, City Council, and finally the federal government. Then work can begin in Southside. City Hall will oversee the operations of the Redevelopment Commission in Southside, as it does the work in other renewal projects in Harrison and East Central. Officials hope that the Southside NDP re habilitation project can begin at the same time at which the Model Cities’ Multi-Purpose Service Center is started. Though the funding or planning of the two projects are unrelated, they both are aimed at rebuilding a long- neglected area. The pictures here and on the back page were made in the Southside neighborhood of the Model Cities target area. It is along some of these dirt streets that $750,000 from the federal Neighborhood Development Plan will be spent for improvements. The man at the top is walking down Gordy Place. The dog and his pen are located off Cassell Street while the picture of houses at left was taken from Martin Street.