City shouldn’t sacrifice ‘Tin Cup’ to development

To me, the prettiest spot in Fayetteville is the corner of Spring and Willow. Somebody didn’t like the historical name of that location, Tin Cup. It is now just Spout Spring Creek.

The fix was in at Willow Heights with developers. I tried to warn people. I’m not saying no one believed me or that some people didn’t care, but what power did the poor, working-class and primarily black people have to keep from being uprooted, displaced, removed, relocated to, as advertised, a supposed better place?

Where is the outcry, the protection for this historical district that I still call the hollow. That is their place.

The developers who profit greatly when gentrification moves in and destroys culture, places and family connections care not about today’s version of the Trail of Tears here. Black people, get out of your hollow; we want it now. You can ride the bus to work. Presto, get a (legal) car. Let’s put more kids on buses, too.

I tried to get a $50,000 house loan a few years ago to preserve a piece of history on Center Street. A local bank said yes, then stalled while, I guess, they tried to get in on Willow Heights and families’ removal buy-outs and relocations. I lost the house deal. Now, the city is about to give away property that is not ours, use federal money to support private developers and destroy the last jewel nugget on Mount Sequoyah.

I request a reporter from the DemocratGazette review video meeting minutes of the last few months at the Housing Authority committee meetings. You’ll note, clearly, at one particular meeting, deception about plans to sell Willow Heights. All attention was desperately being directed to Morgan Manor expansion and federal vouchers.

A black man from Rock Street years ago, Sherman Morgan, was smart and cared enough to say — I’m paraphrasing — Hey, y’all rich, white, whatever, people, come on now; don’t tear down the historical old post office at the very heart of our town and replace it with a parking lot.

So, this is how we treat the visionary who saved our town’s core, its center, his kin, ancestors, friends and families? Why? Because their collective lives are not valuable or just because greed is all about taking more than you give.

What do you think is sinful here? Selling out public housing to profit-driven private developers with the city’s collusion? See the video and judge for yourselves. 110 plus apartments for “deserving” low-income people or condos for wealthy people? Watch the voucher dollar ball bounce around while you’re at it, if you care to.

We can protect the “other” historical district of Fayetteville, which is actually connected to the “important” one. Please help save our neighbors from removal and prevent the destruction of a community with a long, rich collection of valuable people.