August 2008
Major Step Forward for Allied Redevelopment
Project: “The Day Belongs to the Residents of this Community.”
 Local and
State officials and residents today celebrated the first major step
forward in a major redevelopment of rental housing in the Allied Drive
neighborhood.
Mayor David J. Cieslewicz, Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development
Authority (WHEDA) Executive Director Antonio R. Riley, Ald. Brian
Solomon, Community Development Authority (CDA) Chair Stuart Levitan,
and Allied resident Alice Howard held a groundbreaking ceremony to
mark the demolition of 48 rental units that will be redeveloped with
the help of $7.5 million in WHEDA tax credits.
"This is a great day and a major step forward for the Allied community
and City as a whole," said Cieslewicz. "It's also a great example of
the City and State working together to redevelop a neighborhood. Were
it not for the leadership of Governor Doyle and WHEDA Director Antonio
Riley in helping us secure low-income housing tax credits, this
project would not have been possible."
The Mayor also praised Solomon, Levitan, Howard and the Allied Area
Task Force as major forces in moving this project forward.
"After years of hard work and patience by the residents of the Allied
Drive neighborhood, it is very exciting to begin this project, said
Ald. Brian Solomon, who represents the Allied neighborhood. "My
deepest thanks to the Mayor, the CDA, and to WHEDA for their support.
This redevelopment is an important step in the continuing
revitalization of this neighborhood. The day belongs to the residents
of this community - it's my honor to be a part of it."
A “Hardy” Labor of Love
Brings New Life to Birch Hill
 I want to
thank each and every one of you for taking the time out of your busy
schedule to attend this Walk Through Ceremony hosted by Percy Brown of
the CDA.
We at Hardy Construction would like to thank the Mayor and all of the
city agencies, who came together to help make this a successful
project for us. With full cooperation from Percy Brown of the CDA,
Jeff Meyer of Meyer Reality and Management, we were able to work hand
and hand to bring this project of renovating these 18 units to a
successful conclusion of which you will see today.
The citizens of Madison who worked on this project with me came from
neighborhoods located all across the city and especially from the
Allied Drive community. It’s been a labor of love to turn these units
into a place that anyone would want to live in.
Above all this project is an example of what a minority owned
construction company, such as mine, can do when given a chance to show
their capabilities.
Thank-you very much and enjoy the tour.
Harold Hardy, President
Hardy Construction
 Harold
Construction, LLC, a Madison-based minority-owned construction
company, has
recruited and hired residents from the Allied Drive Neighborhood.
Harold Hardy and his Partner, Mark Holland have retained a total of 13
employees, six of whom are from the Allied Drive Neighborhood.
The breakdown of the employees by race: 8 African Americans males, 2
white males, 2 Latinos females and 1 Vietnamese female. Harold's
success in recruitment can be largely attributed to his connections in
the community and his grassroot campaign. He has set a model in place
for others to look at as the redevlopment phases move forward!
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