Years ago
there was a gas station on the corner of Wellington Ave. and Arnett Blvd. diagonally across from the church, but it became unprofitable and was abandoned for a long while before the City cleared the lot and planted grass. As time went by and the lot was neglected it became a littered, overgrown, and unfriendly place where small-time drug dealers hung out. Most neighbors just avoided the place.
In 2007 members of the Arnett Block Association developed a vision for the corner, petitioned the City for permission to renovate the lot as a community park, and the idea for the Arnett Bird & Butterfly Garden took hold. This was to be a patch of the country in the city where people could bring their children and feel safe and proud to be part of the neighborhood.
Arnett Bird & Butterfly Garden
After a lot of work (and ongoing maintenance) we now have a lovely garden! In addition to providing a year-round place of rest for the neighborhood, we put up a big community Christmas tree in the winter, trimmed by students at School #29, and host a carol sing and gift giveaway. In the spring there are games for kids and an Easter Egg Hunt for the little ones. And in 2012 we collaborated with the Arnett Branch Library next door to host a “picnic in the park” for School #29 students and their teachers, followed by story reading and signing up for library cards next door. The best is yet to come!
