The historic Parkland School’s beloved bell will rang once again on Catalpa Street.
This morning, the Family Scholar House hosted a special groundbreaking ceremony, celebrating their newest development, the Parkland Scholar House. The ceremony was held beside the 19th century Parkland School, which is being preserved and renovated for the nonprofit’s fourth Louisville campus.
Providing housing assistance and other resources to single parents seeking a college education, the Family Scholar House, formerly known as Project Women, has been providing new beginnings for single parents and their families since 1995. Breaking ground on an area that had become desolate and vacant, the Louisville-based nonprofit is helping to revitalize the Parkland community with its newest project.
“This is a great moment for the community and a great moment for West Louisville,” declared Congressman John Yarmuth.
The new Parkland Scholar House will include 48 two- and three- bedroom housing units – for both men and women - and will also feature a student classroom and computer center, fitness center, and a family café, which will serve seniors and other families in the community, said Cathe Dykstra, Family Scholar House president and CEO. The Family Scholar House currently has 659 families with 1,119 children waitlisted for housing. The Parkland Scholar House's completion is expected in July.
Dykstra passionately expressed her excitement about the Parkland Scholar House and its impact on the community. “At Family Scholar House, we understand the value and importance of a fresh start, a new beginning,” she said. “We are excited to be leading the fresh start for this historic school and to be a part of the many good things going on in District 1 and the Parkland neighborhood.”
The Louisville-based Marian Development Group, LLC is serving as the project’s developer.
The $10.1 million dollar project will largely be funded by lower-income tax credits, in addition to city and private funding. The project was also awarded a $1.2 million dollar grant from the James Graham Brown Foundation.
The new Parkland Scholar House will feature the Parkland School's coveted bell tower, which became an admired emblem within the Parkland community. Carrying the legacy of the historic school and also beginning a new one, the Parkland Scholar House will make sweet music once more on Catalpa Street.
Photo: Kristen Hamilton