Residents and city officials gathered Friday, July 25, to mark the completion of a long-awaited sidewalk project along Northwest 18th Avenue, a collaborative effort aimed at improving walkability and pride in the North Heights neighborhood.
The $430,000 initiative, led by the North Heights Advisory Association and the City of Amarillo, added roughly 5,000 square feet of new and reconstructed sidewalks between Hughes and Bonham streets. Funding came from federal Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and neighborhood contributions.
A construction worker inspects measurements along a newly built sidewalk on Northwest 18th Avenue in Amarillo’s North Heights neighborhood. The work is part of a broader effort to improve accessibility and pedestrian safety.
“This is what happens when the community speaks up,” said Chris Jackson, neighborhood planner with the city. “It’s not just about safety — it’s about showing residents that real change is possible.”
Chris Jackson, neighborhood planner with the City of Amarillo, stands near the entrance to the Charles E. Warford Activity Center on Friday, July 25, during a media availability highlighting the completion of the North Heights sidewalk project.
Jackson noted the project was prioritized due to its proximity to an elementary school and the lack of existing sidewalks in the area, which posed challenges for children, seniors and people using wheelchairs.
James Allen, treasurer of the North Heights Advisory Association, said the upgrades have been years in the making.
“For a long time, people here watched other parts of the city get improvements and wondered why we didn’t,” Allen said. “Now we can tell them, ‘Yes, we can have the same things — if we work together.’”
North Heights Advisory Association treasurer James Allen and board member Clara Brown-Trimble pose at the Warford Activity Center following Friday’s sidewalk project update.
Clara Brown-Trimble, a board member and longtime advocate, said the project directly addresses longstanding needs.
“We had children stepping off buses into mud,” she said. “Now they have a safe place to walk. This means so much, especially for our elderly neighbors who use mobility devices. It’s been a long time coming.”
The planning process began nearly a year and a half ago. While construction only recently wrapped up, Allen said most of the work happened behind the scenes through meetings, coordination and persistent advocacy.
“People think if they don’t see bulldozers, nothing is happening,” he said. “But it takes a lot of preparation to reach that point. That’s why we need more neighbors involved from the start.”
Additional infrastructure improvements are also on the horizon. Jackson confirmed that the city will begin a $1.2 million water main replacement project in North Heights within 30 days, covering roughly 11 blocks. The project comes in response to years of resident feedback and city council engagement.
Fresh concrete marks the recently completed sidewalk section outside the Charles E. Warford Activity Center along Northwest 18th Avenue. The improvements are part of a $430,000 project funded through federal and neighborhood contributions.
“We’ve paid into the system for decades,” Allen added. “Now we’re finally seeing investment returned to our own streets.”
City staff and neighborhood leaders said more projects are in development, including creative crosswalks, upgraded fire hydrants and expanded sidewalk coverage.
“The vision starts with the people who live here,” Jackson said. “Our job is to help bring that vision to life.”
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: North Heights sidewalk project marks community-led progress in city