The long-term solution for Trent Court feels only more pressing. But it is a complicated issue, and one that does not sort out easily along racial lines. Mayor Dana E. Outlaw, a Democrat who is white, said Monday that he simply wants to see the residents moved away from danger, and soon. In an emotional phone interview, he said he would like to convince fellow members of the board of aldermen to put an end to the class and racial tensions by turning the place into a riverside park.
“I’ve got to get us out of this constipation of political rhetorical dialogue and do the right thing, and get folks out of the lead paint, asbestos and flood conditions,” he said. “The best way I can do it is abate the concern. Why don’t we just build a common greenway area where all the residents can have a gazebo and some benches and a piece of monolithic art? It can be the people’s recreational park. I’m out of the box, brother.”
Alderwoman Sabrina Bengel, a white politician whose district covers Trent Court and the historic heart of town, is a champion of the plan, and noted that it had the support of the residents council president, Cheryl Reed. In July, according to the local paper, Ms. Reed, 67, told the board she wanted to see “decent housing that no longer looks like public housing,” adding: “We pray that we don’t have a big hurricane this year.”
On Monday, Ms. Reed was at a shelter at a local elementary school. She said she was hoping to get into Trent Court to check on her apartment, which she heard had taken on two feet of water.
Among the plan’s opponents is Jameesha Harris, an African-American alderwoman who moved here from Albany, N.Y. “I just feel it’s modern-day gentrification,” she said. Her district includes a predominantly black neighborhood, Pembroke, where some Trent Court residents could be relocated. Some Pembroke residents have raised objections, worried about a possible uptick in traffic and crime.
At Trent Court on Sunday evening, Ms. Monk was worrying about other things, including the neighbors who had it worse than her. She pointed to Sylvester Smith, 62, a retired cook who lived in one of the apartments closest to the river.
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