Watching It Grow

May 13, 2025 Announcements

Something special is growing in the Junction neighborhood.

A series of abandoned vacant lots at the corner of Nebraska Ave. and Collingwood Blvd. is now the lively, lovely, and community-led Junction Gateway.

At a ribbon-cutting ceremony today, the Lucas County Land Bank and community partners dedicated the space after years of hard work turning the property into a safe and beautiful asset for the neighborhood.

“What makes this space special is that it was shaped across generations – but especially by the voices of our youth,” said Shantae Brownlee, Senior Vice President for Operations and Chief Financial Officer for the Land Bank. “Planting seeds and watching them grow is a gift.”

Beginning in 2023, the Land Bank partnered with neighborhood residents, the Toledo Public Schools’ Jones Leadership Academy of Business, the Junction Coalition, Urban Wholistics, and the Toledo Design Collective to transform the site.

“This has not happened with one organization – it’s community. That’s what the Land Bank saw, and this is what we’ve all created,” said Alicia Smith, Executive Director of The Junction Coalition.

The gateway features sidewalks and walking paths to give school children and pedestrians a safer means to travel through the heavily trafficked intersection.

A prominent sign with colors reflecting neighborhood school pride now welcomes visitors to the Junction Community.

Native plantings, red-flowering clover, and various trees beautify the landscape. Solar-powered lights enhance evening safety and usability without ongoing cost.

“This green gateway will improve air quality, reduce heat island effects, and promote public health,” said Sonia Flunder-McNair, founder of Urban Wholistics.

Students and faculty at the Jones Leadership Academy of Business, a Toledo Public Schools building, provided input on the site's design and helped paint the fence during its construction. During the event, the partners recognized Mrs. Rivers, a veteran Toledo Public School teacher, for her dedication to the project.

The Junction Gateway is an anchor project to the broader Junction neighborhood redevelopment, which includes consistent land maintenance, homeowner repairs, new home construction, and urban agriculture.

“Through our time, funding, and resolve, we are showing neighborhoods that vacant sites can be vibrant once again,” said David Mann, President & CEO of the Land Bank.