The Removal of Liberty Recycling

Liberty Recycling was a business that caused environmental hazards, noise pollution, and property damage to homes in the area where it was located. Councilwoman Howard promised to help the community fight the battle to have Liberty Recycling removed from District 2. This battle came with numerous legal challenges but over the past 6 years Ms. Howard was on site every time the business had an explosion or a fire needing to be extinguished due to the negligence from operating the car crushing machine that was a part of their main operations. The fires lasted for hours at a time with the fear of releasing unknown chemicals into the air and these explosions could be felt and heard from as far as Liberty Recycling (which is near Elizabeth Baptist Church) to Coaling Alabama. “This part of the business operations was literally wreaking havoc on my community and causing many members of the community, young and old, to have PTSD from the daily operations” Said Ms. Howard. After documenting the complaints, working with code enforcement, and working with residents through legalities. The Legal battle was finally won and in March of 2023 the main operations for Liberty Recycling was shut down and removed from District 2 and outside of the city limits.

• Link: Portion of Liberty Recycling Center Moving to New Facility
• Link: Controversial recycling plant catches fire again in Tuscaloosa

Kaulton Park improvements/ Drainage improvements

Kaulton Park was an 1.8 million dollar investment that included a needed infrastructure and drainage project.

When Ms. Howard was elected eight years ago, renovating Kaulton Park became one of her main priorities. Kaulton Park is one of the oldest parks in the City of Tuscaloosa and was in such need of repair that the needs of the park ranged from broken playground equipment, to areas of the playground that were not ADA accessible, poor lighting that encouraged criminal activity and restrooms that were not functional.

In 2019 Elevate Tuscaloosa was born and Ms. Howard fought hard and received 1.8 million dollars to renovate the Park. These renovations include: seating throughout the park, LED lights, restrooms with doors that automatically lock and unlock at the closing and opening of the park, a renovated dugout and baseball field, a pavilion and of course NEW PLAYGROUND EQUITMENT.

Benjamin Barnes YMCA

The new BB YMCA is located on the campus of the McDonald Hughes Center. The New YMCA provides much needed amenities for everyone in the community, especially our youth. The construction of the BB YMCA also provided additional parking accommodations with the opportunity to expand in the future. “Eight years ago I didn’t know how I was going to fulfill this promise to my community, but I was searching for the perfect opportunity. Fortunately, thanks to Mayor Maddox, the opportunity was provided through Elevate Tuscaloosa” -Councilwoman Raevan Howard.

Through Elevate Tuscaloosa the BB YMCA received a 12 million dollar budget. “Im excited about the accommodations that will be available at this facility. But right now the suspended indoor walking track is my favorite part of the project. I’m also excited about the shared membership opportunities that will exist between the YMCA and the McDonald Hughes Center.” Councilwoman Raevan Howard.

The Ash Street Sidewalk Project

“It’s not enough that we add amenities and accommodations to our community, but accessibility and connectivity is vital so that individuals, especially our youth, can easily and safely access these entities”. Another project that Councilwoman has been working on is the Ash Street sidewalk project. Engineering for this project has already been secured- and Ms. Howard is confident that she will secure funding for the remainder of this project.Infrastructure

Drainage and Infrastructure projects are a dynamic part of the overall sustainability of our community. In April of 2023, Councilwoman Howard, City Engineers and McGiffin an Associates held a public interest meeting to discuss drainage issues near the 19th street and 10th ave area. Ms. Howard is currently working with engineers to determine the budget for this project.

Homeownership

Ms. Howard has been a strong advocate for homeownership- Home ownership increases the quality of life to any neighborhood but also to the overall quality of life for surrounding communities. Since day one, it has been imperative for Ms. Howard to provide access to affordable homeownership opportunities in District 2. This goal has been made possible with the help of Habitat for Humanity. Ms. Howard has worked hard, without ceasing, to help secure funding for needed Infrastructure to support the development of Habitat. As of today, there are a total of two neighborhoods and 70 homes being built in District 2. These homes are located around the Kaulton Park area and Milestone Circle is being built at the end of 42nd & 43rd street near Cherry Stone. Ms.Howard says that she is excited about these projects and is currently watching every budget to make sure she can continue to help secure the remaining funding needed for these developments.