A trash-filled vacant lot in the heart of Kensington will soon be transformed into a community garden after Klean Kensington was awarded a $17,000 Revive and Thrive grant to clean up and maintain the long-blighted property.
The 16-by-60-foot lot at 859 E. Willard St. — at the intersection of Shelbourne and Willard streets — has been a notorious illegal dumping site for years, collecting contractor debris, trash and overgrown weeds. The property sits in a predominantly Black and Latino, low-income neighborhood that has been heavily impacted by blight and the city’s opioid crisis.
The Revive and Thrive grant is part of a three-year pilot program designed to bring neighbors together to transform vacant lots into usable, cared-for spaces while preventing illegal dumping. Residents will help envision the space, participate in cleanup and build days, and take part in community events centered on local stories and solutions…