Title
CRA Awards Update (B)
Explanation
In October 2015, the CRA received the “Out of the Box” award from the Florida Redevelopment Association (FRA) for the SW 5th Avenue Porters Community Project. The CRA was honored with the award for the lengths staff took to build public trust for the construction of a residential sidewalk project. The FRA acknowledged the steps the CRA took to overcome homeowner fears about public right-of-way boundaries by designing custom “look books” for the neighborhood; creating “what to expect” homeowner packets; leading months of door-to-door engagement; working with subcontractors to hire an unemployed resident to help with the sidewalk construction; and more. The .4-mile sidewalk now provides a safe place for children to walk, connecting Porters to Downtown and the Innovation District, and features 8-foot-tall monuments that communication the history of the Porters Community for generations to come.
At this month’s CRA Board meeting, CRA staff will review the award received for this project recently constructed in the Downtown Redevelopment District and show a short video created for the FRA conference. See movie here
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The CRA will also share an award received from the Urban Land Institute of North Central Florida in October. The East Gainesville Southern Charm Kitchen partnership was honored with a Judge’s Choice award. The CRA worked with the Oselimos from Reggae Shack to convert an old cinderblock building on Hawthorne Rd into a contemporary sit-down restaurant that serves East Gainesville residents and attracts visitors from all over the region. The restaurant created 20 new jobs, mostly drawing from local talent.
Int he Fall of 2014 the CRA received the 2014 Build Florida Award for the Historic Depot Building Rehabilitation in the Building Construction in the $2M - $10M category from the Associated General Contractors of America.
Lastly we will show a short vide...
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