Bronzeville CLT
Bronzeville CLT
Mission, Vision & History
Mission: Increasing Access to Fresh Produce
To acquire land and lease commercial real estate to increase the supply of locally grown vegetables for Senior citizens and low to moderate-income families living in Bronzeville and neighboring communities of Eastgate, Franklin Park, Old Town East, Shepard, South of Main, and Woodlawn Park in Columbus, Ohio.
Vision: Building urban farming network & Neighborhood Fresh Market
To create an Urban Agricultural closed-loop supply chain network that provides locally grown vegetables and to establish a Neighborhood Fresh Market to offer customers access to affordable fresh vegetables, and locally sourced fresh eggs, packaged meats, bakery products, healthy grab-and-go semi-prepared meals for cook-at-home options and other healthier food alternatives to reduce hunger and improve the health and wellness of residents living in Bronzeville and on the near East side in Columbus, Ohio.
Bronzeville History: Settled in the early 1900’s
“Bronzeville” was coined by James Gentry, a theater reviewer for the Chicago Bee, a Chicago – based weekly newspaper founded by Anthony Overton, a Black American, in 1925. James promoted Bronzeville to describe the color of the residents in a Chicago community; the name resonated with others across the country. The Black community in Columbus adopted the name in the 1900s for a very unique and prosperous community formed on the Near East side in Columbus.
Between the 1900s and 1940s, the population grew from 9,000 to 39,000 due to the end of World War I and the Great Migration. African Americans from Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia settled on the East Side due to its proximity to the railroads and companies dependent on them.
In the 1920s, the Bronzeville area grew at unprecedented rates as black residents of the segregated city of Columbus began developing their own identities. The neighborhood became a strong center of commerce for the African American community, creating a diverse educational and cultural background. Residents became shopkeepers, barbers, musicians, clerks, dry cleaners, journalists, real estate people, beauticians, restaurant owners, and more. There were thriving black physicians, dentists, lawyers, and undertakers. Businesses and institutions included corner grocery and drug stores, theatres, offices, restaurants, and numerous nightclubs and lounges. There was also a thriving artist community and frequent live jazz performances featuring greats such as Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, and Cab Calloway.
As a neighborhood born of segregation, Bronzeville was never fully incorporated as a city, but it has always had a distinct culture and self-sustaining community. Its history is similar to that of the Harlem Renaissance or the jazz centers of St. Louis and Chicago.
Today, as Bronzeville undergoes urban renewal and redevelopment, our nonprofit organization is committed to promoting education, economic development, and employment opportunities to ensure that our Senior citizens residents and families are not being displaced due to Gentrification.
Bronzeville CLT History
The Bronzeville Community Land Trust was established and registered in the State of Ohio in 2022. The Bronzeville CLT is an enterprise of The Douglas Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in the State of Delaware in 2007 and received its IRS tax-exempt status in June 2009.
This organization will focus on installing a center for urban farming, including a Smart Greenhouse, a Semi-automated High-Tec, and hydroponic High Tunnel systems. We are expecting to break ground on these production facilities in 2025.
Our Project
Our Bronzeville Center for Urban Farming
The Bronzeville CLT will seek funding to establish a 12'x24' Smart Greenhouse structure that will feature an entirely automated High-Tec system run-by algorithms that ensure optimal conditions for plant growth by adjusting inputs like roof ventilation, artificial lighting, and heating, that will grow starter vegetable plants year-round to serve as a closed-loop-supply-chain for our Urban Farming operations.
Our innovative greenhouse systems are designed to maintain a perfect microclimate temperature and use an advanced irrigation system to promote water conservation and a hybrid off-the-grid power system using solar and wind energy to produce electricity, thereby reducing the carbon footprint and saving on electricity bills.
Our Farming Production Facility
Our facility will feature two Semi-automated 30' x 144' High-Tec High Tunnel systems to extend the growing season into three cycles (Spring, Summer, and Fall) to grow healthy and affordable vegetables.
Our semi-autonomous system will be engineered and built into the structure of the high tunnel, including smart beds that will provide 24/7 data streaming and monitoring equipped with a modular autonomous small-scale robot.
Our second High Tunnel is a hydroponic system incorporating all the same technologies as our semi-autonomous system but without using soil.
Plants will be grown in a water-rich solution containing all the necessary nutrients for growth, producing higher crop yields in smaller spaces. Hydroponic Microfarming will be used to grow plants that require more light than other crops, such as lettuce and herbs.
Our system will produce more food per square foot than any other farming technique, with many benefits, including increased output, decreased cost, and faster growing times.
For additional information on our Bronzeville Center programming, please feel free to: