Sometimes progress appears slow, but patience and hard work show that good things come to those who wait.

A property at 1556 Stokes Avenue, commonly referred to by neighbors as “the blue box,” was an eyesore for years. The 1980s infill construction was a bland looking two story box with a faux roof, siding falling off the walls, and overgrown grass. As with many code enforcement issues, the owner of the property was hard to track down, but was eventually found and a court date was set for March 2010.

The story turns out to be quite a bizarre one. When members of the community showed up in court to fight against the owner it became known that the property, among others, had been left in the woman’s name by her estranged husband. Only recently being made aware of the properties she was quick to come to an agreement of signing the property over to the community so the house could be torn down and turned into a pocket park.

With the help of the University Community Development Corporation (UCDC) the property was demolished in October 2011 and turned over to the community. And thanks to two grants, the “NPU-T” grant and the “Love Your Block” grant, the land will be turned into a pocket park for neighbors to enjoy!

Stay tuned for updates on how this sad house will be turned into a community spot.