REPUBLICAN PRIMARY FEEL THANK
YOU SO MUCH.
>> THE AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ON
THE WEST SIDE HAS LONG STRUGGLED
WITH GUN VIOLENCE BUT RESIDENTS
ARE WORKING TO BRING INVESTMENTS
AND OPPORTUNITIES TO THEIR
COMMUNITY.
"CHICAGO TONIGHT'S" JOANNA
HERNANDEZ AND MARISSA NELSON
SPENT THE DAY IN THE AREA AS
PART OF OUR "IN YOUR
NEIGHBORHOOD SERIES".
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SOME OF THE
NEW PROJECTS COMING TO THE
NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND JOANNA JOINS US NOW.
>> THAT IS RIGHT.
THE COMMUNITY IS FACING MANY
CHALLENGES INCLUDING GUN
VIOLENCE.
ONE ORGANIZATION IS WORKING TO
MAKE A DIFFERENT CALLED BUILD.
THE GROUP WORKING WITH THE YOUTH
HERE ON THE WEST SIDE AND THEY
ARE GETTING READY TO START
BUILDING A HUGE FACILITY THAT
WILL NOT ONLY HELP YOUNG PEOPLE
BUT PEOPLE OF ALL AGES.
>> CURRENTLY IN OUR BUILDING WE
CAN HAVE ABOUT 100 KIDS AND THAT
IS TIGHT.
SO WE CAN PACK THEM IN AND
BETWEEN INSIDE AND OUTSIDE.
ONCE WE OPEN THE DOORS HERE WE
WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE 2,000 KIDS
IN THE BUILDING.
IT'S SCARY TO THINK 2,000 KIDS
BUT AMAZING YOU WOULD HAVE 2,000
KIDS WHO WANT TO BE IN A
POSITIVE SPACE.
>> ADAN ALONZO IS THE C.E.O. OF
BUILD AND IS ONE OF THE DOZENS
OF PEOPLE WORKING TO COMBAT
VIOLENCE BY BRINGING BIG
INVESTMENTS TO THE COMMUNITY.
>> WE HAVE KIDS HUNDREDS OF THEM
GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE KIDS PLANNING WHAT THEY
CALL THE SUMMER KICKBACKS
PLANNING EVENTS FOR THEIR PEERS
HERE IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.
>> THE YOUTH CENTER IS ON WEST
HARRISON STREET AND IS EXPANDING
TO A 50,000 SQUARE-FOOT CAMPUS A
SPACE THAT WILL BE
TRANSFORMATIONAL FOR THE
RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN PROVIDING
TECHNOLOGY CENTER, TRAINING
KITCHEN AND ATHLETIC FACILITY
AND MEDIA SPACE.
IT WILL BE OPERATING FROM 6:00
A.M.-MIDNIGHT.
>> THERE IS A LOT OF AMAZING
THINGS HAPPENING.
THIS HAPPENS TO BE ONE OF THEM.
AND WHAT WE ENVISION A YEAR FROM
NOW, AND THE FEEL OF IT, AND
WHAT WILL HAPPEN THE CICADAS
HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING AND THIS
IS WHAT WE WANT FOR THE
COMMUNITY IS TO GIVE HOPE AND TO
SHOW THEM THAT PEOPLE DO CARE.
>> A MISSION THAT CO-OWNER
CHAMILLE WEDDINGTON OF SWEET
CHEESECAKE IS TAKING ON BY
GIVING ENTREPRENEURS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE THEIR
WORK AT HER SHOP.
>> WE HAVE A PROGRAM CALLED
OJAMA AND IT IS A PROMOTIONAL
OPPORTUNITY WHERE ENTREPRENEURS
CAN DISPLAY THEIR WARES ON OUR
SHELVES NOT TYPICAL, I GUESS OF
A CHEESECAKE SHOP OR A BAKERY.
BUT WHEN PEOPLE COME IN THEY GET
A CHANCE TO SEE HANDMADE ARTISAN
CRAFTED STUFF THAT THEY MIGHT
TAKE AN INTEREST IN.
WE HAVE CANDLES BY LIGHT OF THE
WORLD.
THEY MAKE A GREAT CHEESECAKE
SCENTED CANDLE FOR US AND WE
HAVE A AND THEY DO AMAZING TABLE
WARE, PLACE MATTES AND NAPKINS.
>> SHE HOPES HER CONTINUED
GROWTH IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE
SHE WAS BORN AND RAISED.
>> I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THRIVING
STOREFRONTS AND THAT IS NOT
DIFFICULT.
WE HAVE THE REAL ESTATE.
WE JUST NEED OUR WOULD LIKE TO
THINK, RESOURCES, AND THE RIGHT
PRODUCTS I WOULD LIKE TO THINK
PRODUCTS THAT BRING VALUE TO A
COMMUNITY.
>> LESS THAN A MILE AWAY ON
CHICAGO AVENUE IS TINA AUGUST
FROM THE AUSTIN CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE SHE IN FRONT OF THE
FIRST BLACK-OWNED TRAVEL AGENCY
GONE AGAIN TRAVEL AND TOURS.
THE CHAMBER IS PREPARED TO BRING
THE OUTDOOR DINING PROGRAM TO
THE NEIGHBORHOOD THE FIRST IN
AUSTIN.
>> THERE IS NO OUTDOOR SEATING
IN THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY.
THERE'S SEATING IN SO MANY
DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES EXCEPT FOR
THE WEST SIDE AND THIS WAS OUR
OPPORTUNITY THE AUSTIN CHAMBER
TO BRING OUTDOOR SEATING WHILE
CREATING ARTS AND CULTURAL
SPOTS.
>> THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IS
PART OF A LARGER INITIATIVE
CALLED AUSTIN FORWARD TOGETHER
THIS MAP SHOWS 11 PROJECTS IN
THE WORKS WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD
INCLUDING POP-UP BASKETBALL
COURTS.
>> DOWN THE STREET WE HAVE THE
LARMY THAT WILL BE RENOVATED AND
MIXED HOUSING.
AND STORES THERE.
SO IT IS A LOT OF COMMERCE THAT
IS COMING UP AND DOWN THE
CHICAGO AVENUE.
>> BILL'S COMMUNITY HUB IS
EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY NEXT
YEAR.
ADAN ALONZO EMPHASIZES THERE IS
MUCH MORE TO AUSTIN THAN THE GUP
VIOLENCE IN THE NEWS.
HE IS CONFIDENT IN A FEW YEARS
MORE AND MORE BUSINESSES AND
FAMILIES WILL BE INVESTING AND
STAYING TO LIVE IN THE
COMMUNITY.
>> WE WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT
IF YOU ONLY LOOK AT THE BAD YOU
WILL ALWAYS ONLY SEE THE BAD.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK DEEPER AND GO
BEYOND THAT YOU WILL SEE THE
AMAZING THINGS.