Continuous News

Butte Emma Park neighborhood focus of improvements

Posted: Nov 25, 2012 4:42 PM by Katy Harris KXLF News

Butte residents and local government want to revamp the Emma Park neighborhood.
Karen Byrnes is the Urban Revitalization Agency Community Development Executive Director.
She says, "It is a neighborhood that has a very high poverty rate. It's a neighborhood that has some poor infrastructure, but it's a very important neighborhood."
A neighborhood master plan is underway for the Emma Park neighborhood.
The Urban Revitalization Agency and Human Resource Council are working with residents to develop the plan.
HRC is planning on building a neighborhood center with offices.
Home ownership classes would be available to the public in those offices.
Part of the new Master Plan includes new lighting for Emma Park and the surrounding neighborhood.
The URA is at the beginning stages of a lighting project.
An engineering firm will be needed to study the lighting issues in the neighborhood.
Lighting improvements are needed for safety, and to enhance the neighborhoods beauty.
Emma Park residents have already begun revamping the area by re-establishing a neighborhood task force and neighborhood watch program.
"With their neighborhood council that they've started-it's very active. I know that there's other neighborhoods that are looking at that too," adds Byrnes.
She is drafting a Request for Quotation to get an engineering firm on board and tackle the Emma Park lighting project.