Exciting Things Are About To Happen As Development Moves Forward!

We are thrilled to be awarded a grant worth $1.2 million to redevelop the old Cedar Court apartment site  in the Oasis neighborhood!  Although our original vision for this property was to rehab each building, the city is requiring us to build NEW construction instead.  This change, however, will result in something even better than orginially imagined. 

Bearwater Park - Built in 1961, the old Cedar Court Apartment complex had been a place for up to 114 families to call home. Over the last decade or so the complex has become a problem location in the community. Drugs, vandalism, robbery, gang activity and other crime related issues have caused citizens of the community to fear and avoid the apartments. Located in the heart of the community, 1007 N 7th Street (mapquest map) has been a negative factor in neighborhood life and a problem subject on people's minds for years.

Now, with the help of hundreds of volunteers (both from within and outside the community), Oasis of Hope, the North Memphis Community Development Corp. and the City of Memphis, are partnering to bring a beautiful, safe, affordable place to live back to neighborhood families and residents.

The name Bearwater Park comes from the original name of the neighborhood - Bearwater.  Legend has it that back when the neighborhood was being built, a mother bear and her two cubs used to hang around the neighborhood, as well as, bathe and drink in the Wolf River on the north end of the neighborhood.  Once complete Bearwater Park will contain roughly 48 brand new single family homes and duplexes; a new park/playground in the middle of the development; a community/ministry building connected to the park; and wonderful green space/landscaping throughout.  It will be a beautiful neighborhood that people will be proud to call home.

Click here or click the graphic to the left to view the blueprints for Bearwater Park; it's beautiful!  Many thanks to our developer, Cornelius Sanders;  architect, Don Conway; and Van Voals, Real Estate Appraiser & Land Surveyor, for all of their assistance in helping to establish our construction plans.

This is a HUGE undertaking and we will be needing ALL the help we can get!

Here are some of the ways we need YOU to get involved:

Volunteer your time - working on light construction, painting, and landscaping will be helpful to keeping the costs low on the project.

Volunteer your company - maybe you have a connection to a construction or management related company and can donate some products or services

Volunteer your money - Our end goal is to offer affordable rental units for very low-income residents of the community. To make this opportunity a reality, Oasis will need donated equity in the project to keep the development debt free and the rents affordable.

The end result will be a safe, redemptive place for families to call home. It will also dramatically change the feeling in the neighborhood, bringing hope through a property that for many years brought negativity. It is very exciting what God is up to in the community, but we can’t do it without your help!

If you are interested in getting involved or would like more information, please contact Terry.