The city of Fayetteville’s Economic & Community Development Department administers the federal government’s Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnership Grant. The Department primarily focuses on small business assistance, affordable housing development, and strategic real estate development.

In December of 2020, the City of Fayetteville, in partnership with the Fayetteville Metropolitan Housing Authority, was awarded a HUD Choice Neighborhood Planning Grant for the Murchison Road neighborhood. The City and FMHA are working with residents and a variety of community stakeholders including nonprofits, faith-based organizations and businesses to create a transformation plan. City councilman D.J. Haire grew up in the neighborhood.

“I always felt that Murchison Road was playing catch up to some of the major corridors that we have within the city," Haire said. "We can do all the work we're doing but if we're not supporting and enhancing the communities that surround the corridor...then we're really not doing the full job.”

The plan is centered on replacing FMHA’s Murchison Townhouses, which include 60 units of public housing.

The development is over 50 years old with many buildings in poor condition. The Murchison Road corridor has several physical structures that do not meet local building code standards. Businesses along Murchison Road have also suffered in recent decades as the neighborhood has declined. The planning process kicked off in early 2021 and will be completed in late 2022.