ULI North Florida’s 2014 Awards of Excellence

PUBLIC SECTOR / OPEN SPACE / NON-PROFIT

Cascade Park (Winner)



Since 2000, the City of Tallahassee and Leon County Intergovernmental Agency, Blueprint 2000, has focused on the community’s critical infrastructure needs. The low-lying Cascades area was a high priority; flooding, and soil contamination from an old gas fired coal plant had plagued the area since the early 1900s. The plan concept for the new “Cascades Park” was to remediate the brownfield site, abate the persistent flooding by constructing natural-looking stormwater facilities, and restore/emulate the historic stream and “Cascades” waterfall. The Park was conceived, planned, designed and built over 15 years with involvement of multiple agencies,
the community and Blueprint 2000, and was funded almost entirely through a local option penny sales tax. The Blueprint 2000 “Capital Cascades Trail Master Plan” called for a multi-faceted, multi-use stormwater and recreation facility with a connected trail network, with Cascades Park as the centerpiece of a linear greenway. The park has community-wide impacts including improved water quality, enhanced traffic circulation and revitalized ecosystems.

Cummer Museum Improvements



In 2012, the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens launched a campus-wide landscape enhancement and beautification initiative. As part of this comprehensive project, several areas on the campus were reimagined to become more beautiful, more dynamic, and more sustainable spaces for visitors to enjoy the natural world and learn about best practices. This project encompassed the restoration of the historic Olmsted Garden, which nearly doubled the Museum’s riverfront presence; the renovation of the Museum’s parking lot, incorporating sustainable and pedestrian-friendly elements such as pervious pavers and bike racks; and re- energizing the Museum’s public face by widening sidewalks, adding a publically-accessible sculpture garden, creating an outdoor deck for the Museum’s Café, and unifying the entire façade with innovative landscape.



DOWNTOWN SECTOR

The New Town Success Zone (Winner)



In 2011, and utilizing more than 600 volunteers, HabiJax completed a visual assessment of over 1,000 residential properties in The New Town area of Jacksonville. HabiJax embarked on a $16 million capital campaign to provide home ownership to 135 families and complete 300 projects for homeowners already living in the neighborhood. Since embarking on this campaign, HabiJax has partnered with almost 100 families who have purchased homes and more than 150 projects for existing homeowners have been completed.


Jacksonville Chamber International Plaza



Dubbed “Downtown’s New Front Door,” the Jacksonville Chamber International Plaza is a $3.5 million project that includes state-of-the-art technology, modern, open spaces, along with a tree-lined front plaza for events and receptions. The City owns the land and the Chamber owns the building, a truly successful Public-Private Partnership.  Funded through donations by member businesses and longtime supporters, the JAX Chamber now has a building that’s a model for the workspace of the future and the business climate it is working to create in Northeast Florida.