Title
City of Gainesville Application for Preserve America Community Designation (B)
A Preserve America Community is recognized for its commitment to celebrate local history and culture through heritage tourism, education, and economic development utilizing historic assets of the community. This designation is one of the four initiatives of Preserve America.
Explanation
Developed in cooperation with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and a number of other federal agencies, Preserve America supports local efforts for the preservation and enjoyment of our priceless cultural and natural heritage through grant funding, outreach programs, awards recognition, and community designation. The City Commission recommended that the City of Gainesville apply for designation at the March 24, 2008 regular meeting.
To qualify for designation as a Preserve America Community, Gainesville must demonstrate support of a preservation-related activity that promotes heritage tourism and/or economic vitality as part of a public-private partnership. The Community Redevelopment Agency is tasked with the Model Block Project that focuses on revitalizing the Fifth Avenue and Pleasant Street historic neighborhoods. Historic homes are rehabilitated with this project in addition to sensitive infill development, infrastructure, and landscaping projects. Rehabilitation projects are cited as the second largest economic benefit of historic preservation in the state of Florida. Demonstrating this effect, five homes in the Model Block areas have been revitalized with private funds in addition to the construction of two new homes aside from the city's Model Block efforts. This project also enhances the community's quality of life and encourages stability in central Gainesville.
Five out of ten additional criteria must be met from the following categories: discovering heritage through historic places, protecting historic resources, and promoting historic assets. At the community level, Gainesville clearly meets three criteria from the first category by maintaining a historic resource inventory, supporting the Matheson Museum that provides archival research, exhibit space, and a house museum experience, and a school curriculum that engages children in our local heritage with field trips to the Thomas Center, Kirby Smith, and Morningside Nature Center. Secondly, The Historic Preservation Board is authorized to protect historic resources in Gainesville by carrying out the comprehensive plan and land development regulations. In the final category, promotional materials engage the public with heritage tourism opportunities through walking or driving trails, maps of historic resources, and cross-promotion with Visit Florida programs that highlight Gainesville in regional publications.
Supporting materials for the application include a local history for publication purposes along with images that depict use of historic cultural or natural resources, an adopted resolution, and official signature with release authorization. Endorsement letters, documented participation in regional preservation programs, and other promotional materials have been collected to further augment the application.
Note - Refer to the back up for specific application materials.
Fiscal Note
None.
Recommendation
The City Commission: 1) hear a brief presentation from staff regarding this request; 2) staff recommends that the City Commission approve the Preserve America Community application; and 3) adopt the Resolution supporting Preserve America initiatives, authorize the release of application materials submitted, and provide the Mayor's signature on the application.