Oak Park Facelift Continues With Corporate Help

The first of three-dozen projects intended to improve the Oak Park area of Sacramento broke ground today.  Community leaders gathered to celebrate new home construction near 8th Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard.

Pam Canada is with the non-profit group Neighborhood Works.  

"We were fortunate to get a partnership with Wells Fargo under what they're calling the Urban Lift Program.," Canada says. "They provided $278,600 for us to do a variety of projects.  We will build a house. We will be acquiring and renovating eight more homes."

Canada says Neighborhood Works has bought and restored about 20 homes in Oak Park.

Joany Titherington lives about five blocks away from the building site and runs the local farmers' market.

"It's a beautiful thing to see the renaissance of this neighborhood," says Titherington. It really has been helpful to have families  move into these starter homes.  It improves our schools. It improves everything because we really are a community."

Money will also go to new bike racks and the "Paint the Town" program with 15 homes receiving new paint and repairs.

The facades of eight businesses on Martin Luther Kings Boulevard in Oak Park will also receive improvements.