[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6482492,"mediaKeyId","5560058-4b9c8e5a804bbd3da2b51c44f9357b91","parentId",5560058,"title","Residents urge support for new arts space, YMCA facility and oppose College Lakes 7‑Eleven during public forum","audioSeconds",2410,"startMs",1940000,"endMs",4350000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5560058-4b9c8e5a804bbd3da2b51c44f9357b91&start=1940&end=4350","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5560058-4b9c8e5a804bbd3da2b51c44f9357b91/thumbnail_1940000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6482492/Fayetteville-City/Cumberland-County/North-Carolina/Residents-urge-support-for-new-arts-space-YMCA-facility-and-oppose-College-Lakes-7Eleven-during-public-forum","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6482492-fac4890e2af709f639a52610f18b8d04/orig.mp4?Expires=1771202348&Signature=LkCFwaywtcNSu4HCGppHjPS56T-EKMACN~yc28DBE5LuxV8Bsu8v4uVaSZcB58qAISrOzQQYJq-8Ha6afddSZYMFvRBgCGaV8AFiIQOpeuO4~dE8uzUe6XajN3Lk0vCb4ZNeIJx-Vw8QCbNP8eaj~xyXPQvlmMYmQ5kp2PzJCnajFNpArkTbdEgT0jSJlg6YuNqYoH-ogOUWw5r-hD4eJvmN8fAFBMa8iMxzZnImrzVBrXMC-yOOAwBA4W2x3pzzhTrnYm7oRqWpkDi-I8-Ug74wZtegnTesDlUkiKyqYG1vxqNIIWaNprP7pqdcA5D6SBpFMYupn8a3xegqHWcxOQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Fayetteville","date","2025-08-12T01:17:23Z","article","At the Aug. 11 Fayetteville City Council meeting, dozens of residents and nonprofit representatives used the meeting’s 30‑minute public forum to ask the council for funding, hearings and city help for local projects, including an arts center for BIPOC artists, a replacement YMCA facility and a public hearing on a proposed 7‑Eleven in the College Lakes neighborhood.

Carmela McKellar, president and CEO of Region 6 Project Inc., told the council the nonprofit’s newly renovated three‑floor arts center at 100 Hay Street has hosted more than 300 visitors since a soft opening in June and “in a city that is at least 60% BIPOC, there has never been a place dedicated to documenting, holding, representing, or celebrating BIPOC culture and art.” McKellar asked council members to “come see what we're doing, come alongside us” and consider support for the organization’s programming.

Several speakers urged the council to prioritize replacing or upgrading the local YMCA building. Dr. Dion Felice, a retired general surgeon and patient advocate, said the YMCA is “the largest nonprofit community service in America” and called a new facility a “catalyst” that would let the YMCA expand health and senior services. Justin Chase, speaking for the YMCA of the Sandhills, said the local building is leased from Fayetteville Technical Community College, is 55 years old and “failing,” with HVAC and structural problems that sometimes cancel classes. Reverend Bernard Hayes, a District 3 resident, said the YMCA’s community value includes youth swim instruction and intergenerational programming.

College Lakes residents asked the council to remove a rezoning request for a 7‑Eleven from the consent agenda and schedule a public hearing. Arlene Fields, a College Lakes resident of 26 years, asked the council to “remove this item from the consent agenda and to schedule a public hearing on the issue on Aug. 25,” saying many neighbors cannot take three hours to attend a meeting and deserve the opportunity to comment. Donna Johnson listed “health, negative health safety, and traffic concerns” and urged council members to “vote no on the rezoning of the 07/11 and give us our public hearing.” Mayor Pro Tem Jensen later moved to set the item for a public hearing and the council voted 9–1 to do so (see Actions).

Speakers also raised a range of other neighborhood concerns and requests:
- Bernard McCoy described outreach around the federal Inflation Reduction Act’s HEAR program and said about $208 million is “sitting in Raleigh” for distribution; he urged the city to prepare contractors and training so the money benefits Cumberland County residents.
- Keosha Brown, broker in charge at Town to Tenth Properties, urged incentives for developers to include affordable units, expanded down‑payment assistance and public‑private partnerships to make homeownership attainable after citing that median single‑family sale prices rose from about $155,000 (2021) to $239,000 (Aug. 2024).
- Eugenie Balogun said she was a victim of financial fraud and requested the city and Fayetteville Police Department reopen a case she says was reclassified as civil; a police representative agreed to speak with her after the meeting.
- Clifton Goodwin asked staff and the city attorney’s office to address an auto‑repair operation on a residential street.
- Catherine Goldblatt, representing neighborhoods between Haymount and Terry Sanford, asked the council to add Fort Bragg Road intersections to the city’s small‑area study for pedestrian improvements and to install temporary high‑visibility signage.

Several people also described local nonprofit work funded by microgrants: Tasco Lizzie, secretary for the Outlaw Horse Club, reported an outreach day that drew about 320 attendees and thanked the council for a microgrant. Other attendees asked how city microgrants can support restorative justice and youth programming at recreation centers; city staff said microgrants and the Office of Community Safety will try to support those activities.

Council responses and next steps: Council members acknowledged many of the requests, and staff offered follow‑ups. The council agreed to schedule the College Lakes rezoning for public hearing on Aug. 25 (vote 9–1). City staff said they would talk with the fraud victim and with residents who reported neighborhood code and traffic issues, and the Office of Community Safety discussed ongoing late‑night youth events and how the city will work with community leaders to make activations more locally accessible.

Why it matters: Speakers tied small, local requests — better arts space, a functioning YMCA, pedestrian safety, affordable housing tools — to broader concerns about equity, youth opportunity and neighborhood livability. The council’s scheduling of a public hearing and staff commitments to follow up create formal opportunities for those concerns to be addressed in upcoming meetings.

\"In less than 2 months of our soft open on June 19... We have welcomed over 300 people into the space,\" Carmela McKellar said. \"Because Region 6 exist, those words should never be spoken again.\"","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Fayetteville City Council Meeting - August 11, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At the Aug. 11 Fayetteville City Council meeting, dozens of residents and nonprofit representatives used the meeting’s 30‑minute public forum to ask the council for funding, hearings and city help for local projects, including an arts center for BIPOC artists, a replacement YMCA facility and a public hearing on a proposed 7‑Eleven in the College Lakes neighborhood.","taxTitle","Fayetteville City, Cumberland County, North Carolina","taxId",3862,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6482488,"City presents FY25 strategic report showing declines in violent crime and housing progress; council accepts update",2321,4675000,6996000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5560058-4b9c8e5a804bbd3da2b51c44f9357b91&start=4675&end=6996","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5560058-4b9c8e5a804bbd3da2b51c44f9357b91/thumbnail_4675000.jpg","/articles/6482488/Fayetteville-City/Cumberland-County/North-Carolina/City-presents-FY25-strategic-report-showing-declines-in-violent-crime-and-housing-progress-council-accepts-update","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6482488-589eddd79a6a7df4e476badbfa3eca00/orig.mp4?Expires=1771202348&Signature=HJaa3CBwto4l1vn0yOSwINMnLMKs~KVuEHVUgJR6~6jE-nEJcH5axriQBICTGPc3OiFSmBBNYenzkp2oGpDFpOB9SWl0bWjYEFl8QaZsBLDgecNjqIg2x-rqev8PR-QSVzEEL9GAOdzU8j1n~a6MMbBDsdHSEkpIy89uD3OGn7LkbGhDle1GLwYmAPQXmXr6Qg3DNYz0D3huiUtMIh8gPTgZADvn9CO-pLLH-AmAxTkUeMFR4lTzBtLKcOzWtQA4Ao5OJXw3EHqNeAQe5OwE3t3abTQx3kdvXnpMHH-vZMoP5JEnCdarLUbR52PxmcphEfItdWUU2voEXYj8UK~Fkw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff presented the fiscal‑year 2025 year‑end strategic update to the Fayetteville City Council on Aug. 11, saying the city met or exceeded multiple targets in violence reduction, housing development, youth engagement and economic programs. After the presentation, council voted to accept the report and requested continued quarterly updates.

Chris Lowry and Andrew Brayboy of the city’s Strategic Planning & Accountability team told the council the city adopted five strategic priorities for FY25: violence reduction and mental‑health response; affordable housing and revitalization; youth engagement; maximizing value of city‑owned properties; and city branding and communications. The presenters said departments aligned resources and partnerships and reported measurable outcomes across those priorities.

Key highlights cited in the presentation included:
- A 14% decrease in reported incidents of violent crime compared with the baseline, surpassing the year target of a 9% reduction.
- Police and partner agencies completed 67 collaborative community initiatives for the year, topping a target of 60 initiatives.
- The city’s mental‑health liaison connected 261 individuals to services in FY25, exceeding a goal of 200.
- Conditional awards were issued for city‑owned single‑family lots for affordable housing and legal contracts for property transfer were finalized, enabling projects to proceed.
- City code and development services removed 72 dangerous or blighted structures using $131,000 in combined funding and only 8.3% of the general‑fund demolition budget.
- Economic development investments supported creation of 45 new local jobs (nine times the target) and retention of 136 jobs (six times the target).
- Marketing and communications work produced about 1.17 million website visits and roughly 72,903 social‑media audience members for the year.

Presenters said several youth and recreation milestones were completed, including the opening of a Way 2 Real youth engagement center on Murchison Road and completion of a music studio at the Orange Street School. Parks and Recreation slightly missed a registered‑athletics target but overall participation across athletic and non‑athletic programs exceeded the annual goal by nearly 2,000 participants.

Council discussion focused on measuring resident perceptions and program impacts. Council member Thompson asked whether late‑night youth events and microgrant activities were reflected in the FY25 metrics; Office of Community Safety staff said two events had occurred and a third was planned for the upcoming Friday, with the FY26 reporting year to capture those outcomes. Council members asked for clarity on survey baselines; staff said the FY25 resident survey established a post‑COVID baseline and another survey is scheduled before year’s end to measure progress.

Council member Benavente moved to accept the FY25 strategic update; the motion was seconded by Council member Banks McLaughlin and carried. Staff said they will present a Q1 FY26 update in October and that small‑group briefings on items such as a gun‑violence study, ShotSpotter analysis and Safe Streets for All draft report are scheduled.","Fayetteville staff told the City Council on Aug. 11 that fiscal‑year 2025 strategic priorities produced measurable gains in violence reduction, housing and economic development; council voted to accept the FY25 year‑end update and directed staff to provide quarterly follow‑ups.","actionData","errors"]

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Residents urge support for new arts space, YMCA facility and oppose College Lakes 7‑Eleven during public forum

City presents FY25 strategic report showing declines in violent crime and housing progress; council accepts update