Efforts are being made to preserve the Ten Mile community — an African American settlement community protected by a historic preservation ordinance — from development.

Longtime resident Raymond Brown said his home in the Ten Mile Community still sits in the same spot, yet the neighborhood around it had changed. Still, he applauds those trying to preserve the area.

“I grew up here with my father fishing and farming and that sort of stuff, and where we knew everyone in the community,” said Brown.

In 2022, the neighborhood, which was originally an African American settlement community, was designated a historic district and afforded certain protections.

Developer Crescent Homes is now looking to build 21 elevated homes off nearby Seafood Road. It’s something that concerns neighbors and preservationists alike for many reasons.

“Our focus is on addressing that lack of safety infrastructure, coupled with increasing development. That must be addressed for everyone’s well-being both current residents and future residents,” said a member of the Ten Mile Neighborhood Association, Carla Pinckney.