Westgate CRA nominated for PBSC 2014 Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Award
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Awards were established by Palm Beach State College to honor organizations that have made major innovative contributions toward improving the lives of others, particularly the underserved, through leadership, service and/or programs. These contributions can include the areas of education, diversity, race relations, social justice and economic empowerment and demonstrates commitment to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. The Westgate/Belvedere Homes CRA was nominated for its 25 years of work of advocacy of equitable development for the underserved Westgate community.
As stated in Palm Beach County Vice-Mayor, Priscilla A. Taylor’s nomination, “The result of their work includes area wide flood mitigation, neighborhood improvement and site assistant grant, Celebrate Westgate Annual Festival, and road and sidewalk reconstruction…the most significant and visible part of this…106 affordable housing units costing more than $15 million dollars…The CRA also implemented the Westgate Greenmarket Express, a mobile greenmarket providing fresh fruits and vegetables to the community…All of these projects were done with only a staff of four full time employees.”
The CRA also plays a vital role in bridging the gap between private and public sector as a quasi-public agency. The recognition of this balance as an advocate for the revitalization of Westgate and as one of Palm Beach County’s regulatory agencies was put into practice with the facilitation of the Westgate Plaza Apartments, recently completed 80 unit residential development. According to Landmark Development, the Miami-Dade County developer of the project, “The WCRA understands that a quality modern senior affordable housing project would benefit the community in many ways. In addition to providing more diversity to the area’s permanent housing stock, Westgate Plaza Apartments seamlessly put into practice the concepts of an “age in place” community and redevelopment without displacement. The success of the project is proof that more can be accomplished through collaboration than what each individual entity can do alone.”
Winners will be announced by the end of November and will be honored at the 15th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Breakfast on January 16, 2014.
For immediate release: November 19, 2013
Contact: Thuy T. Shutt, Assistant Director
Westgate/Belvedere Homes Community Redevelopment Agency
(561) 640-8181, ext. 105
PBSC 2014 MLK Jr. Leadership Award Nomination Press Release – PDF