Lower Hill Redevelopment team gives progress report

The Lower Hill Redevelopment team wanted to give people who live in the area an update on their project and hear suggestions from the community.It is an economic development project that starts in the Lower Hill and stretches into the Middle and Upper Hill communities. It includes a 26-story First National Bank tower as an office and retail space.Bomani Howze is the vice president of development for the Buccini/Pollin group.He says the project promises millions of dollars in investments and job opportunities."If you just take a look at the Block G where the First National is being built, you're seeing a tower that's going up where, with reinvestment, that's going back to the community," Howze said. "In closing, we delivered $7.2 million to the community."People who may be impacted gathered at the Energy Innovation Center in the Hill District to learn more about the project during a community meeting.Howze talked about the next phase: "The 908-space parking garage ... is going to be in what we call block E in the Lower Hill development. We also going to be talking a little bit about the Live Nation venue and all of the community reinvestment that is going to come as a result of the development."The development team is made up of a diverse group of people and businesses."This is an historic and transformational project that's nowhere near another development project," Howze said. "We've been fighting very hard for many years to make sure that there is mutual benefit to the community, and we are delivering on that."The Lower Hill Redevelopment team still has to get approval from the Urban Redevelopment Authority on the new parking garage, live music venue and incubator space.