In response to a groundswell of activism, Victoria city council unanimously decided to invest funds to reopen a mid-block pathway in Fairfield this year.
The 250-metre Chandler-Gonzales pathway owned by the city connects Pemberton Park with Chandler Street. it has been closed to pedestrians since the mid 1970s.
Chain-link fencing and cedar hedging will be installed to protect neighbours' privacy. The project will cost approximately $250,000 and use up the majority of the city's 2012 greenways budget.
A group of neighbours dubbing themselves the Committee to Re-open the Chandler-Gonzales pathway has solicited donations for the project, potentially reducing costs by $50,000. The group is also trying to organize a work party with city employees represented by CUPE Local 50.
"It looks like there's enough momentum behind the project and enough will at the council table to contain costs … that I'm pretty confident the work project will happen," Coun. Ben Isitt said.
rholmen@vicnews.com