Fahiym Hanna plans to turn the half-acre lot he bought in Glenwood into community garden and, eventually, a home.
By Tina Firesheets
6/18/2012, Greensboro News & Record
GREENSBORO — The empty L-shaped lot at 1006 W. Florida St. is grassy and well-shaded. By the end of the summer, its owner, Fahiym Hanna, hopes to see it become a flourishing community garden filled with flowers, fruit and vegetables. And in a few years, he hopes to see a home there.
Hanna, 27, recently bought the half-acre lot from the city of Greensboro.
When he first moved to the Glenwood neighborhood four years ago, a house had been there. But it had fallen into disrepair, and then an oak tree crushed it during a storm. Abandoned by its owner, the property was taken over by the city and the house was demolished.
Though the property was appraised at $12,000, the city accepted Hanna’s offer of $7,000.
Hanna said he can’t afford to build a house yet. In the meantime, he wants to use the land to bring the community together. He’s offering gardening plots to Glenwood residents within walking distance of the land.
He asks only for donations in return.
Hanna, who rents a home in Glenwood, was recently elected president of the neighborhood association. He wants his land to become a community gathering place.
He says he doesn’t know much about gardening, but plans to learn. Many Glenwood residents are interested in growing their own food, he said. Some just don’t have the place to do so.
Hanna, a community coordinator, helps organizations with their operations. He always dreamed of home ownership. But it was a daunting process, he says, because it’s not easy to get loans as a freelancer.
He depleted his savings to purchase the Glenwood property. It was hard to write the check, he says, but he considers it a wise investment.
“This way I can give back to the community and get what I’m looking for in pieces,” he says.
Throughout Greensboro, there are about 12 properties such as the one Hanna just purchased, according to Bobby Price, a real estate broker for the city.
Price says that in most cases, the homeowners died and their heirs didn’t want to maintain the properties. Hanna, and property owners like him, are what such areas as Glen-wood need, Price says.
“With him being so young, he’s going to do some things and rebuild the area,” Price says. “Anytime we have young people investing in a neighborhood, that’s a good thing.”
Glenwood has been plagued with problems, including crime and abandoned or neglected properties. But many of its residents are fiercely loyal to the neighborhood and have worked with city leaders to address the issues.
Through the years, the residents’ pride and involvement led them to establish a neighborhood association and organize a multicultural festival and farmers’ market.
The association also worked with city leaders for nearly two years to establish a neighborhood plan.
Hanna helped found The Hive, a one-time community center that housed several social justice groups and hosted events that promoted such causes.
This kind of community spirit drew Hanna to the neighborhood, and he said he wants to do all he can to help sustain it.
“The one thing to ensure I’m good in the future is community,” Hanna says. “It only works that way if you invest in it.”
His friend Joy Schreiber lives around the corner from his newly purchased lot. She says neighborhood projects are fun and satisfying.
“I think people, in general, are happiest when they’re included in team-building and making something that’s really beautiful and useful in our community.”
WANT TO GO?
What: Glenwood Community Garden workday. Work will include tilling, planting and a cookout.
When: Noon to dusk Sunday
Where: 1006 W. Florida St., Greensboro
Information: 987-4029
Contact Tina Firesheets at 373-3498, or tina.firesheets@news-record.com