MEDIA RELEASE
Huntville’s Main Street is back to plain old asphalt, but the 7,000 sq. ft. of sod which turned the street into a temporary park lives on.
Thompson Landscape Construction purchased the sod from Habitat for Humanity for $700 following the Sidewalk Sale and the generous donation by the Downtown Huntsville BIA. The money is earmarked to help fund the build of a semi-detached home currently ongoing at Irene Street.
Once completed, the build will house two hardworking local families who will experience the benefits of homeownership for the first time.
“There were a lot of moving parts with this incredible gift,” said Habitat CEO David Morris. “Originally we hoped to be further along with the build and use the sod on site, but when it became clear that wasn’t going to be possible we pivoted and relied on the community of Huntsville. Thankfully, Thompson Landscape Construction could use the 7,000 square feet of sod on short notice.”
The Green Street Challenge would not have been possible without the help of volunteers who helped lay sod in the early morning hours, and rolled it up in the evening. Habitat for Humanity would like to extend a sincere and heartfelt thank you to all of those who participated in the greening of Huntsville’s Main Street.
Habitat for Humanity would also like to thank the event’s sponsors: Come Alive Outside, LandscapeOntario.com, Rugged Earth, Beverley Turf Farms, and the Downtown Huntsville BIA.
“Community mobilization is at the forefront of the Habitat mission, and the Huntsville BIA’s Green Street Challenge is a shining example of what can be accomplished when helping hands join together,” said Morris.
[If you missed the Sidewalk Sale (and the grass) on Main Street, see photos on Doppler here.]Don’t miss out on Doppler! Sign up for our free, twice-weekly newsletter here.
A continued greening of downtown Huntsville is inevitable…with events like Saturday’s Hip event cars & “parking lots” are just getting in the way.
How much better would an expansion of our Rivermill permanent park be than a one-day substitute? The completely illogical eyesore of a parking lot dividing the small children’s area from that of their siblings, parents, and grandparents must go. It was never there on the original plans, which were far more ambitious, and it ruins the entire concept of a pedestrian-friendly retreat.