Resident urges city to repurpose boarded house on Pine Street as daycare to help neighborhood children

Alexis Moore, a Pine Street resident, urged the Board of Aldermen to consider repurposing a boarded and vandalized home at 36 Pine Street as a children’s daycare or community center to serve families in a neighborhood she described as heavily affected by drug activity and concentrated poverty. Moore said the Third Block of Pine Street has been a persistent site of drug dealing and loitering, with used needles and late‑night activity. She said the boarded house is owned by an owner identified only as Allen and that the city has repeatedly seen properties deteriorate until municipal intervention is required. Moore proposed refurbishing the property “cheaply” so it could provide supervised childcare during the day and allow single parents to pursue education or technical training. “I care about my community… If they only had a place where they could be taken in during the day and be given professional services… that would be an enormous benefit,” Moore told the board. She added the house could be a starting point for broader neighborhood cleanup and services; she also referenced a nearby mural that celebrates reading and education and said residents ask for practical options to help their children. The board did not take formal action on the public comment, but aldermen thanked Moore for raising the issue. Planning, Parks and Recreation or the municipal housing/code enforcement staff are the likely departments to which aldermen may refer this suggestion for feasibility, ownership clearance, permitting and funding options. Moore provided to the board a neighborhood perspective on safety, child supervision needs and the potential for a local, daytime care resource to support workforce and education goals.