Acquiring the Triangle property was a small but high-leverage move: take a harmful, externally controlled site at the front door of Park Hill/Algonquin and turn it into a community-owned asset that can seed local enterprise, build real wealth, and prove a model that can scale.

CFN closed on the Triangle property at 1120 W. Hill Street on October 21, 2025, holding it on behalf of neighborhood leaders until it transfers into a new resident-led co-op structure.

The problem: “development” that damages the people who live there

In early 2025, residents raised an urgent quality-of-life threat: dumpsters planned just outside the windows of the Parkway Place housing project—another burden on a community already dealing with environmental stressors and the lived impacts of disinvestment. This wasn’t just a land-use fight. It was the familiar pattern: decisions made around a neighborhood, not with it.

The community-led strategy: stop the harm, then buy the ground

Residents—through the Park Hill/Algonquin neighborhood association—did what strong communities do: they organized, identified the issue, and forced it into the open. CFN’s role was to back that leadership with tools the community typically doesn’t have access to quickly: negotiation capacity, deal structure, and a pathway to ownership.

Working together, the group not only persuaded the dumpster company to move, but also pushed for a sale so the community could control what happens next.

The deal: a disciplined acquisition built for transfer to community ownership

CFN negotiated the purchase agreement and closed on schedule. And CFN was explicit about the “why” of the closing:

“This isn’t just a land transaction. It’s the first community-owned foothold at the front door of Park Hill/Algonquin…”

Mechanically, CFN is holding the property until the co-op is fully formed and ready to receive and govern the asset—at which point the Triangle transfers into community ownership through the planned cooperative, Rising Roots Collective. (

Capital stack logic: bridge money + community investment = ownership on time

This acquisition happened because the right kind of capital showed up at the right moment.

• Bridge funding: CFN credits the Community Foundation of Louisville (CFL) with stepping in “at a pivotal moment,” allowing the closing to proceed while longer-cycle project funding is finalized.
• Follow-on package: CFN applied to the West End Opportunity Partnership for a funding package intended to cover not only acquisition, but also holding costs and programming dollars needed to form the co-op and activate the plan. We did not receive the full funds needed, but the $135,000 grant for land acquisition received was enough to allow the effort to move forward.
• Why this matters: This is exactly what modern community investment should do—enable self-determination, not dependency. CFL has described its impact capital approach as providing resources that “enable people to practice self-determination.”

The Triangle deal is the proof point: bridge capital protects timing and price, while community-led governance and longer-term investment protect the outcome.

What CFN “bought,” in plain terms

The Triangle property is a fenced, utility-served parcel with strong frontage and flexible potential uses. A public MLS description characterized it as “just under an acre” with EZ1 zoning, 6-foot chain link fencing, and electrical hookup, positioned for interim uses like storage/parking/light industrial—plus billboard lease income potential.

CFN’s point wasn’t to preserve its prior use. The point was to convert it from an outside-controlled nuisance into a community-controlled platform.

Activation plan: “make it useful and alive”

CFN is tying the site to a near-term activation approach (“Economic Village”)—a visible, practical launch that starts small, proves demand, and builds confidence while the co-op formation and full funding package finalize.

CFN describes what ownership unlocks:

• space for small Black-owned businesses and makers,
• neighbors governing the asset and sharing benefits,
• early activation that draws partners, training, and jobs into the neighborhood.

Governance: ownership with standards, not vibes

CFN’s messaging is clear: community ownership is the goal, and it must be paired with disciplined execution. The Triangle post sets a standard for what comes next—transparent governance, disciplined finances, and visible outcomes that residents can see on their blocks. This is where CFN’s model shows its edge: it doesn’t stop at “engagement.” It builds the infrastructure for ownership.

What success looks like

CFN will measure this like an investment, not a feel-good story:

1. Ownership transfer completed to the co-op (legal formation + onboarding done).
2. Capital deployed and recycled (bridge repaid; long-term funds secured).
3. Site activated early (programming + micro-retail/workforce uses launched).
4. Local enterprise outcomes (new businesses launched, jobs created, earned revenue).
5. Neighborhood control becomes normal (a replicable playbook other neighborhoods can follow).
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Why this is a new model worth copying

Traditional neighborhood “investment” often starts with outside actors buying land early and residents paying the cost later. CFN is pushing the opposite sequence:

Residents lead → CFN structures → partners fund → community owns → value stays local.

Or, as the West End Opportunity Partnership frames its mission: a system designed to keep investment in the West End and support community development in a way that benefits residents and local businesses. (West End Opportunity Zone)

The Triangle is a small parcel with a big message: when community leads and capital follows, neighborhoods stop being acted upon—and start building wealth on their own terms.