In October 2009, the Board of Directors of Northwest Jacksonville CDC travelled to the Memphis, Tennessee area for a retreat and to examine a best practice result.  We returned to Jacksonville enthused and invigorated about the work that our agency is engaged in.  In Memphis we saw the results of careful community and governmental partnerships.  The transformation of Beale Street to a magnet for visitors and local patrons ripe with food, culture, and entertainment from a desolate abandoned community eyesore gave us hope for our beloved community.  The history markers graced the strip paying homage to important accomplishments.  The Civil Rights Museum humbled us and the Stax Record Museum (not far away in proximity) made us want to dance.

We returned to our retreat discussion as asked candidly of ourselves, “What prevents Myrtle Avenue from being the next Beale Street?”  We left determined to create a similar transformation.  We coined our journey from “Memphis to Myrtle, The M & M Connection”.

A year later, we reflect on our progress.  We are creating an anchor for the Myrtle/Moncrief Road strip by developing North Point, a mixed use office/retail venture that will have all the latest energy amenities and to serve as our homeownership center for NJCDC.  As we plan for future development we wanted to share our enthusiasm and our dream with the community.  We are excited that other important community partners are beginning to share our dream too.  We are experiencing hope reborn.

 Because of you we have made important milestones.  We graciously take this moment each year to just say thank you.  It is our dream together and because of you the dream will never die. May God continue to bless you for it.

Best regards,

Odessa Townsend, President of the Board