CINCINNATI — Avondale is paying tribute to one of the community's longtime leaders, Patricia Milton.
The neighborhood is naming a street sign on the corner of Reading Road and Gholson Avenue "Patricia A. Milton Way".
Described by neighbors as a pioneer who advocated for change, Milton dedicated 15 years to the neighborhood as the president of the Avondale Community Council.
"I think we have an opportunity to not only honor (Milton's) legacy but to create new ones," said Sandra Jones Mitchell, current president of the Avondale Community Council.
WATCH: A street sign named Patricia Milton Way will be on the corner of Reading Road and Gholson Avenue
"Patricia Milton helped groom this neighborhood. There's a lot of us that came up after her, and I think her leadership showed us that we too can become the president of the Avondale Community Council," Mitchell said.
Mitchell worked with Milton for years. She told us Milton is a visionary who advocated for the Avondale Business Center.
Milton's family has deep roots in the Avondale community. She is the daughter of the late Rev. James Milton, former pastor of Southern Baptist Church in Avondale.
Milton also helped the Avondale Development Corporation revitalize parts of the neighborhood. She was a leading voice who advocated for the preservation of residents' homes during Cincinnati Children's Hospital expansion.
We interviewed Milton about the Avondale Towne Center being built in 2019.
"There's nothing different in Avondale. We want the same things, a place where people can live, work, play, pray, invest and do business," Milton told us.
Community leaders said the street dedication isn't just a sign, it's a visual representation of the legacy she leaves behind.
"Patricia Milton was up on it. She could handle anything that came her way," said Minister Belinda Larkin with Avondale Community Council.
Larkin said she looks up to Milton as a mentor. She's one of the leaders who pushed for the creation of Patricia A. Milton Way.
"She brought a lot of people together, working together on the board and in the neighborhoods," Larkin said.
Mitchell said community involvement is needed to keep Milton's legacy going.
"I think for the most part she has left us with an opportunity to continue to grow this community, and that's the leadership I hope to continue to do," Mitchell said.
