Title
CRA Wins Planning Award (NB)
Explanation
The Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association (FAPA) has awarded a 2009 APA Florida Project Award to the Gainesville CRA. The CRA will receive an Award of Merit for outstanding achievement in Neighborhood Planning for initiatives in the Fifth Avenue/Pleasant Street redevelopment area. In 2008, CRA staff worked extensively with the FAPS advisory board, other citizen groups, and the CRA Board to update and completely rewrite the FAPS Redevelopment Plan, which is the comprehensive vision for CRA activities in the area. With this guiding document complete, CRA staff next created and implemented a strategic planning process in order to link the Redevelopment Plan, project budgeting process, and project management into a wholistic framework allowing for timely and efficient implementation of redevelopment projects. The strategic planning process, which is currently being implemented in all four Gainesville CRA redevelopment areas, provides an evaluation methodology for considering potential projects and allows visibility into the implementation of the Redevelopment Plan. FAPA has recognized both the FAPS Redevelopment Plan and the Gainesville CRA's strategic planning process as exemplary and innovative achievements which contribute to the field of planning and which provide practical transferability to other municipalities. The award highlights a standard of excellence in planning, community participation, and project implementation at the Gainesville CRA, and recognizes the CRA's unwavering commitment to identify and pursue quality projects that cover both the full physical extent of a Redevelopment Area as well as the breadth of objectives outlined in the Redevelopment Plan.
Fiscal Note
None at this time.
Recommendation
CRA Exectuve Director to CRA Board: Receive update.