When I first met realtor Kekeli Olympio, we hit it off immediately. I think it was due to our shared interest in the potential of this city’s neighborhoods, such as Black Rock. Over the course of a few months, our discourse evolved from potential to activism – what do neighborhoods need, and how can the community help to provide the resources?
One day, Kekeli told me something that really struck a chord. He said that he was having a hard time coming to grips with homeowners in Black Rock capitalizing on the Chandlerville name and cachet, in order to list their houses for more money.
As a resident of Black Rock, Kekeli was noticing a shift away from the historic, prideful name of the district, to a glitzier name that might pique the curiosity of potential buyers who might not otherwise be interested in investing in the neighborhood. For Kekeli, it was a quandary. For me, it was a podcast.