Ensley Rising

You may have stories here and there about Ensley, most recently in The Birmingham News. On Sunday, there were two stories, one about city and private officials rethinking new uses for the old, abandoned Ensley Works. Today, it is an enormous industrial brownfield whose tall stacks once belched smoke from the millions of pounds of steel produced by thousands of workers in that community.

The other was on the community impact of brand-spanking new housing at Tuxedo Terrace, a HOPE VI development of the Birmingham Housing Authority. It replaced the old public housing community that the regulars called "The Brickyard." Like similar projects nationwide -- and like the one in Downtown Birmingham -- this new HOPE VI in Ensley is designed with the hope of resuscitating a dying community.

And, to be honest, Ensley is in need of resuscitation. The stats -- and the streets -- tell the story. Boarded up houses sit next to dilapidated housing on many blocks. Boarded up storefronts sit next to dilapidated storefronts in downtown Ensley. It's a relatively low-income community that has small, but hot pockets of criminal activity.

But there are other signs of life stirring in Ensley. By themselves, they are solitary steps toward improvement. But bundled together and done in unison, they are catalysts for real change in an area that's primed for growth -- if people work together to make it happen.

The Ensley Merchants believe that it is happening. They are hosting a meeting Thursday night to share Ensley's success stories. And they are inviting us to join them and others in making a difference.

Some other projects of hope that you may not know, but will learn more about include:

More new housing in Sandy Vista by the Bethel Ensley Action Task Force (BEAT);
A multi-million dollar push to restore and adapt Ensley's monolithic "10-Story Building" (the Ramsay-McCormack, the only other tall historic building in a downtown outside of Birmingham) for senior housing, a project guided by Main Street Birmingham;
Faith Chapel Christian Church is opening The Bethesda Life Center, part of its faith-based health outreach program to Ensley's under-served neighbors;
Heritage development and historic preservation activities at the old Nixon Building, another Main Street project, and other historic sites;;
A park, walking trails and potential future housing developments at a new park planned near Village Creek, spearheaded by tireless members of the Village Creek Society in Ensley, and guided by the City's Urban Planning division;
Major business investments by new merchants, principally lawyer Antonio Spurling, who has bought and renovated several buildings in downtown Ensley; and the newest Ensley merchant, David Bowers of TriBeCa, the fashion store that used to be located in the heart of Five Points South.

I was particularly fascinated by David, who moved his business from a prime Southside location to position himself for the economic boom he believes is coming to Ensley.

Antonio and his wife Marquitta caught the same vision years ago, birthed by the deep belief that they have been granted success so they could make a difference in the community where they grew up. He moved his law office to Ensley and managing other businesses and buildings to spur more growth and redevelopment.

Spurling is even courting the owner of Irondale's Whistle Stop Cafe to bring their signature fried green tomatoes to the old Ensley Grille restaurant, a popular neighborhood eatery that closed years ago.

Now that, my friends, is faith AND works in action!

And that's why David, and Marquitta and Antonio are my featured guests on tomorrow's Birmingham View Television. You can hear their stories for yourselves at 6:30 a.m. on My 68. But because you have been loyal followers and listeners, you can catch a sneak-peak of the interviews on Birmingham View's YouTube Channel. But if I do this for you, you MUST promise to get your friends to watch the TV show to help our ratings! (Thanks in advance!!)

You can watch the show in its entirety tomorrow online at www.birminghamview.com/bvtv.

And if you can make it, please come out to the Ensley Merchant's Community Forum this Thursday, March 25, from 6 pm to 8 pm at 1816 Avenue E, the Ensley Live Entertainment Loft (one of the Spurlings' establishments).

Yours truly will be the moderator for the evening as panelists talk about their projects. So, I look forward to seeing those of you who can make it.

The people behind these and other projects underway in Ensley are all working under the belief that they are supposed to be there, staying in their lanes, bringing their skills and talents to tackle their individual projects. But with us all moving in the same direction and working for the common uplift of that area, I'm sure Ensley will be a wonderfully revitalized community, well on the road to full recovery, within 10 to 15 years.

I can see it. Can you?

vickii