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 th...
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