CLEARWATER, Fla. — Dozens of residents living in the North Greenwood neighborhood of Clearwater voiced their concerns before the city council on Monday regarding future developments of the old Armory.
“I’m here today because I’m sad and disappointed that the city refuses to work with the community,” said one resident.
“The process so far disenfranchised the North Greenwood neighborhood,” said another resident.
WATCH: North Greenwood Residents Voice Concerns Over the Sale of the Armory
Those were just some of the comments made at the Clearwater City Council meeting regarding the city’s potential sale of the Armory to Yo Momma’s Foods, which has already been operating in the neighborhood for the past nine years.
Currently, the Armory is occupied by Clearwater Parks and Recreation as office space and storage.
“Our plans for the Armory would really be an extension of our Clearwater campus here. We have been in North Greenwood since 2017 and been working with state, county, city on how to be an economic driver in this neighborhood and keep creating jobs,” said David Habib, Founder of Yo Momma’s Foods.
Habib says they would use the armory as a manufacturing and distribution hub for their sauces and dressings. He anticipates creating 30 new jobs while preserving the Armory's historical significance.
“So we would revitalize it, there is some opposition from the community thinking that we would demolish it, that is not the plan, we want to preserve this community’s history, honor it, and make it a proud staple for this neighborhood,” said Habib.
However, local residents say, they don’t need a manufacturing facility; they want to see something that brings the community together.
“Something that is not already in North Greenwood, someplace fun, where we can go and communicate,” said another resident.
Many of these residents say it’s not that they are against Yo Momma’s Foods, it’s that they are upset that the city kept them in the dark until the last minute regarding their plans for the armory.
“What my issue is, is the process, the way this was done, the way we were blind-sided, we were at the table with the city on a number of projects, this was never brought forth, this was never mentioned, I think we could have had a totally different outcome, we found out about this as they were putting ink to paper and that was not right,” said Gloria Campbell.
The city says they followed the proper protocol, but at the same time, they probably could have done more.
“The legal threshold doesn’t always mean that you can’t get better, that there can’t be more engagement on the front end, this is a new CRA, a new process for everyone involved, so lessons learned and we’ll get better at what we do that’s for sure,” said Assistant City Manager Alfred Battle.
The city ended up voting by a count of five to zero to accept Yo Momma’s Foods' proposal and begin to negotiate a sale agreement.
Share Your Story with Robert
We all take pride in where we live, and Robert Boyd takes pride in highlighting North Pinellas County. Concerns and triumphs from Clearwater to Tarpon Springs and everywhere in-between, Robert is here for you. Just use the form below to reach out to Robert.
.
Some Moms for Liberty leaders resign, claiming group’s focus has shifted
Original chapter chairs say the parental rights group is plagued by infighting and has abandoned grassroots education issues for politics and money.
