CALLAHAN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, INC HISTORY

In September 1977, Mt Zion Missionary Baptist Institutional Church Secretary, Ms. Georgia N. Woodley found a public hearing notice someone left in the church’s mailbox. The hearing was regarding the City of Orlando Community Development Block Grant (CBDG) Program. Ms. Woodley asked her neighbor, Mary Alice Drew, to attend the hearing with her. At the hearing they learned that the CBDG program was designed to primarily benefit persons of low-moderate income, to eliminate slum and blight, and to meet an urgent need that threatens public health and safety. When asked, WHY no funds were ever even allocated to Callahan? The answer was “Nobody Asked”. In 1977 housing in Callahan was substandard, children played in the dirt streets and there were no storm drains, so when it rained the streets flooded. In Orlando millions of CBDG dollars had been spent on Streetscape Downtown, and housing rehabilitation in more affluent neighborhoods. Ms. Woodley and Ms. Drew left the hearing determined to find a way to use the CDBG program to bring improvements to Callahan’s Infrastructure. The next day the ladies began to call their neighbors, soon more than two dozen homeowners wanted to know more about the CBDG program. Ms. Woodley scheduled a meeting the next week to discuss specific issues and determine a course of action. After the meeting Ms. Woodley called City Commissioner Bob Keith to arrange a CDBG Workshop to be held in October for Callahan residents. Commissioner Keith was unavailable and sent City Planner W. D. Morris to meet with residents at Mt. Zion. Mr. Morris explained the process for submitting requests public improvements, and the deadline for submitting proposals, He also gave the date and time for the next required public hearing. A cohesive, organized body of Callahan residents made presentations at the next required public hearing that demonstrated their anger, indignation at being ignored for decades, and their determination to have Callahan streets & drainage improvements included in the CBDG budget. As an immediate result, the upcoming year’s CBDG program included money to begin paving Callahan Streets and installing storm drains.

With legal assistance provided by Greater Orlando Area Legal Services (GOALS), By May 1978 the group was incorporated as the Callahan Neighborhood Association, Inc. (CNA). CNA’s goal is to preserve the residential character of the neighborhood. CNA’s maintains the following objectives: 1). to get more residents involved in directly influencing public policy; 2).to stabilize Callahan neighborhood by promoting the improvement of existing housing, and the construction of new affordable housing; 3). to change from negative to positive the impact of the political, social, and economic forces that impinge upon the neighborhood due to intensive downtown development; 4). to influence the allocation of municipal resources and the design of public programs that use those resources (especially) CDBG and Tax Increment Funds to ensure that Orlando’s lower income residents’ benefit to the maximum extent possible 5). To organized activities for children.

In September 1978, the association invited candidates running for City Commission to the monthly meeting, 5 showed up. Single Member Districts were on the November Ballot. After allowing all candidates present, a three-minute speech, a question and answer session was opened. Immediately District 3 Commissioner Bob Keith, Callahan’s City Commissioner, was the target of questions. One of the major criticisms directed to Keith was that “he failed to be acommissioner who is concerned about Blacks in District 3. We want a commissioner who will come out in the community to find out our needs”, said Georgia Woodley, president of the association. She also said Commissioner Keith failed to inform of certain city projects. In the November 1978 Election Single Member Districts were approved by voters. In 1980 Nap Ford was voted in as the First City Commissioner for District 5. In 1981 CNA persuaded our new City Commissioner Nap Ford, to designate one planner to work with the association planning committee to design and implement the first Callahan/Holden Comprehensive Neighborhood Plan, which included a new zoning map. The first order of business was to review the Land Development Code, specifically Spot Zoning. The Planning Committee worked on the plan for 2 years. The plan objective was to restore the residential character of the neighborhood by restricting the use on some commercial property zoned Industrial, to High Density Residential. The result was a new Zoning Map that is that supports the Neighborhood Plan.

In 1983 the Crack Cocaine epidemic invaded the neighborhood; the drug dealers recruited our children to be lookouts. The association asked Commissioner Ford, a former educator for assistance in providing organized activities for Callahan youth. In 1984 Commissioner Ford used Capital Improvement Funds to remodel the former Davis Armory, now the Downtown Recreation Center, and established a Midnight Basketball League that gave the kids somewhere safe to play.

The city planned to demolish Callahan Elementary/Jones High School. The school had been closed for over twenty years and was in great disrepair. Developers and the city wanted to tear it down, but CNA wanted it rehabilitated into a multi-purpose neighborhood center. To residents Callahan is a strong symbol of the neighborhoods pride, and history. To the city and developers, the school was an obstacle they faced in converting the Callahan neighborhood from a lower income black community into an affluent, newly developed area adjacent to downtown. We were successful, the Dr. J.B. Callahan Neighborhood Center was dedicated in the spring of 1986. In 1986 CNA received a grant from the Campaign for Human Development to hire a community organizer. CNA opened an office across from Callahan Center on Washington Street, the office provided visibility for CNA, and served as an information and referral service for residents. Staff also monitored city programs such as CBDG program to ensure the program primarily benefit low-moderate Income residents.

Callahan Neighborhood Association has faced many challenges. As we grow and march boldly into the 21st century we will continue to be involved in improving and preserving the Callahan community

Founding Members

Georgia N Woodley Anne Brown Katherine Hodges Jenoria Hinson Meroy Charles

Albert Cobb Margie Bush Josie Owens Betty Gelzer Helen Britt

Mary Alice Drew Mattie Mae Williams Charlie Mae Merritt Lawanna Gelzer Dorothy Peterson

Elaine Shorter Howard Williams Sr Eula Robinson Audrey Tillinghast Imogene Engram

Ted Crooms Alma Bryant Sarah Davis Ollie Burks

Industry Brown Essie Bryant Nettie London