Montgomery mayor highlights $10M phase-one community‑center investment, new youth programs and workforce push

Montgomery Mayor Steven L. Reed said the city has invested $10,000,000 in a Phase 1 program to renovate neighborhood community centers and expand youth programming, and described plans to follow with a Phase 2 as part of broader efforts to connect young people to services and job pathways.

Reed made the remarks on the Mayor’s Take podcast recorded at Heritage Barber Shop and said the work includes upgrades and new programming at centers such as Chisholm, Sharon Heights and the Crump Center. “To have $10,000,000 poured into those communities and just in phase 1,” Reed said, “now we're gonna have a phase 2.”

The mayor framed the centers as anchors for long‑time residents and said the upgrades will combine facility improvements with programming to keep young people engaged. “Our goal is not just to have, you know, new gym floors and new flat screen TVs and new paint on the walls and things along those lines. It is to make sure it's a new experience,” Reed said, adding later that the intent is “a best in class experience that puts us on par with any city in the country.”

Reed described planned and already announced features: upgraded courts and recreation areas, gaming spaces and tournaments, coding and game‑creation instruction, and classes on financial literacy and health and wellness. He cited partnership work with the city's parks and recreation department and specifically named Parks and Recreation Director Brandon Dean as a collaborator on programming design and delivery.

On workforce development, Reed and the shop owner discussed connecting young people with job opportunities that do not require college debt. Reed noted that the city is recruiting employers and presenting workforce pathways that include trades and entry‑level employer hiring: “you can go into the workforce and be great and successful without student loans,” a show participant said while listing examples such as military service and municipal employment. The conversation named trades commonly mentioned in Montgomery — HVAC, plumbing, welding and electrical work — and local small‑business entrepreneurship as routes to employment.

Reed also criticized the imbalance he described between corrections spending and workforce investment, saying, “the state has invested $1,000,000,000, 1 billion dollars into a penitentiary. They don't plan to keep that penitentiary empty. So but we're not investing $1,000,000,000 in workforce development.” That figure and contrast were presented by Reed in the conversation; the transcript does not specify the funding source or legislative action that produced the community‑center dollars.

Vladimir Averyt, owner of Heritage Barber Shop (also referred to on the program as “Boo man”), urged local business leaders to support the mayor’s efforts, saying, “We have to put our hand in the mud to help our mayor … And help this community,” and praising the mayor’s work to attract dollars back to Montgomery.

The mayor described summer uses for the centers — recreation leagues and supervised programming that provide safe spaces when school is out — and said the city plans targeted activities to draw parents and young people alike. He said programming will include both recreational activities and skills‑building sessions intended to help residents pursue jobs and further education.

Reed positioned the barbershop as a listening post for city leaders, saying visits to shops help him get a “pulse” on community needs and views. He emphasized retaining services for residents who have lived in the city for generations while also trying to attract new residents and investment.

The discussion was conversational and aired on a media program rather than during a formal council or commission meeting. The transcript does not show a city council vote or ordinance tied to the $10 million figure, nor does it specify the funding sources, budget line items or timelines for Phase 2 beyond Reed’s description. Additional details on funding sources, timelines, contract awards or partner organizations were not specified in the recorded conversation.