Since 1993, the City of Gainesville has been presenting beautification awards to recognize buildings, landscapes, parks, and public spaces with exemplary design and aesthetic appeal that have positively contributed to the city’s development and progress as a whole. The 2016 award ceremony was held on April 27 and featured noteworthy representatives from the community like Earline Luhrman, the urban forestry inspector who gave the convocation, and Dr. Anita Spring, the City Beautification Board co-chair. In addition to recognition of specific projects, the Outstanding Individual Award is presented to Gainesville natives whose work has contributed to the betterment of the community. This year’s awards were presented to John Fleming of Trimark Properties and Dr. Theresa Beachy of Peaceful Paths Domestic Abuse Network. As the evening progressed, awards were presented by members of the board across various categories including the Outstanding Group Award, Restoration and Adaptive Reuse, Institutional Facilities, Apartments, Commercial and Retail Businesses, Environmental Enhancements, Public Spaces, Uniquely Gainesville, Outstanding Institution Award and Outstanding Environmental Award.
While recognizing contributions to the community of Gainesville was the theme of the evening, the broader purpose of the awards is to propel innovative redevelopment and create design trends that will bring the city together into a cohesive community. The beautification board stated, “The awards highlight projects of outstanding aesthetic and artistic appeal. Projects are evaluated for originality, innovation, and creativity, as well as for their sustainability, maintenance and use of serviceable materials. An award-winning site must exhibit appropriate land utilization, effective planning, compatibility with the area and screening of unsightly views. All projects must meet applicable building and landscaping codes. Each must result in the improvement of the area, property or neighborhood.”
