03/10/2026
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church Amarillo, look what is happening because of the vision and hard work of our friends on the Barrio Neighborhood Planning Committee! We'll remind you later of the ribbon-cutting on April 16 (details in the article).
In the heart of the Barrio, on the south side of 10th Avenue near the South Houston Street intersection, is a blue bench with a matching blue waste bin shaded by a building and a colorful mural proclaiming “El Barrio.” That blue bench is where Teresa Kenedy, president of the Barrio Neighborhood Planning Committee, said the ending of a three-year journey began.
The blue bench and its matching sanitation partner are the first of several colorful pairs to be installed along 10th Avenue, marking the finishing touches of the 18-month construction project. Kenedy said that the milestone will be commemorated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 16 at 11:30 a.m. in front of the blue bench.
Quintin Marquez, BNPC vice president, said that he recognises that the community experienced growing pains while construction was underway, but thanked the community for understanding the importance of the project.
“Even though there’s been construction on the streets and dirt everywhere and pipe laying around, people understand that to make things, to revitalize it, you have to first tear it down and then rebuild it,” Marquez said. “And so … If you drive down the street during the daytime or in the evening, 10th [Avenue] looks totally different than it did even a few months ago. And it’s great to see the Barrio, especially 10th [Avenue], get a new look and a new identity, because it’s one of the oldest communities in Amarillo.”
Read more here: https://amarillotribune.org/2026/03/09/colorful-barrio-construction-project-nearly-complete/
