HARVEY (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - The city of Harvey broke ground Wednesday on the first of six buildings that are being called “community hubs” that will be net zero, meaning they’ll reduce greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible.
Mayor Christopher Clark said it was "another historic day" for the city, which recently announced other large projects, including a new train station and the reconstruction of Wood Street.
Six pre-fabricated, 800-square-foot buildings are going up, one in each ward, and they’ll house community centers and police substations. They're being outfitted with energy-efficient technologies, including solar and smart appliances.
“Now this plan here will bring about light reduction, public safety, greater access to Wi-Fi, the creation of safe havens,” Clark listed.
The mayor said partnerships are making it happen for a cost of $1.75 million. That's for all six buildings that are going up on city-owned lots and are expected to be opening in the coming months.
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Clark said the project is “a bold step in improving the quality of life for citizens.”
State. Rep. and Harvey Native Will Davis secured a million dollars in state grant money. Nicor also contributed. Davis said, there's too much bad being said about black communities like Harvey. He said this is a city on the rebound after years of decay.
“There was a time when the city of Harvey was the jewel of the south suburbs, unfortunately, it degraded over time, but now we are on the move…(We’re) trying to be known for something more than just the mall that got torn up during the Blues Brothers movie,” said Davis.
Projects like this, he said, are the things that bring people and businesses back.
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