Celebrating Community Music, dinner and a meeting to celebrate the release of a proposal for the Adams School Saturday January 12 6-10pm at the East End Community School, North St., Munjoy Hill, Portland, ME

Community Potluck Dinner with delicious local food: 6-6:30 Community Meeting about the Community Building Collaborative’s proposal for the Adams Community Living and Learning Center: 6:30-8pm Music from the Hill with Sontiago, the Aserela Dancers and more: 8-10pm

On January 12th, the Community Building Collaborative is hosting an event called “Celebrating Community” at the East End Community School. The event will feature food, music, dancing and a release of a proposal by the Community Building Collaborative for the Adams Community Living and Learning Center. For the past year, the Community Building Collaborative has worked with organizations and community members and within the Adams School re-use process to develop a comprehensive proposal that puts community voices at the forefront of the re-use of the Adams School buiding and site.

“We invite the community to come celebrate, have fun and discuss possibilities for the Adams School.” says Jonah Fertig, President of the Community Building Collaborative. “We have developed a collaborative proposal for the Adams School and we want the community’s feedback and input so that we can move forward in creating a sustainable community project.”

The Adams School was closed by the Portland School District in June 2006 and since then there has been vibrant dialog about the re-use of the school building and site. Through a series of meetings and community visioning sessions, a rich multi-use vision has emerged. The Adams School re-use committee, a citizens committee appointed to form recommendations for the re-use of the Adams School submitted their report to the City Council this past summer. Their recommendations focused on housing with mentions of community uses, green space, and affordability.

The Community Building Collaborative’s proposal includes:

• turning the Adams School building into a center for intergenerational learning and celebration of culture,
• creating affordable cooperative housing and opportunities for cooperative and small-scale businesses, and
• integrating green design, green space and sustainability into the whole site.

Non-profit organizations will collaborate on programming for the community that will decrease duplication and increase the impact of programs that reach young and old, longtime residents and new neighbors alike. Cooperative housing will provide accessible opportunities for home-ownership as people are empowered to become cooperative members and own their own homes.

“We are creating a new model for urban sustainability and community living that will have an incredible impact on Munjoy Hill and all of Portland,” continues Jonah Fertig. “People will learn, eat, live and grow together and create bonds and connections that will empower our community.”

For more info: Community Building Collaborative: Jonah Fertig, 899-9607,
commmunitybuildingcollaborative [at] gmail [dot] com
www.communitybuildingcollaborative.org