BEAVERTON WINS $1 MILLION HUD SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES CHALLENGE GRANT
Posted: November 21st, 2011 4:24 PM
- Grant will be used to connect housing and transportation to establish a downtown core and promote employment opportunities for area residents -
Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the City of Beaverton was awarded a $1 million Sustainable Communities Challenge Grant.
The grant will accelerate sustainable development and support the implementation of the Beaverton Creekside District Master Plan, which integrates affordable housing with efficient transportation, green infrastructure and public amenities.
"Partnerships like these are critical to creating the vibrant downtown aspired to by Beaverton residents," said Mayor Denny Doyle. "We'll now have the capacity to move our plans to projects."
The City will use its Sustainable Communities Challenge Grant to implement a number of strategies identified in the Civic Plan, adopted by City Council in April 2011.
"In affect, this grant allows the City to begin our Civic Plan work and once again validates the appreciated effort put into our award-winning visioning effort," according to Doyle.
Implementation of the eight key elements of the Civic Plan will allow Beaverton to continue its focus on reducing barriers to achieving an affordable, economically vital and sustainable downtown. These elements include:
1. Refinement of the Beaverton Creek Connections open space design
2. Formation of a strategy for integrating affordable housing into future redevelopment
3. Creation of a process and criteria to fast-track desired development styles
4. Refinement of the Canyon Road streetscape enhancement strategy
5. Development of a build-out concept for the Round and Westgate sites
6. Enhancement and expansion of district systems, including the Beaverton Central Plant
7. Creation of new standards for streetscapes, parking, and mobility
8. Creation of a master plan for downtown creeks and natural resources
This grant will be conducted in partnership with Portland State University, Clean Water Services and with support from the State of Oregon Regional Solutions Center, Friends of Beaverton Creek and the Central Beaverton Neighborhood Association.
ABOUT THE CREEKSIDE DISTRICT
At just over 24 acres, the Creekside District is a small area in Beaverton's downtown that provides excellent opportunities to catalyze the redevelopment of the entire Regional Center. The Creekside District is located at the confluence of Beaverton's three creeks, sits at the core of the Regional Center's transit systems, and is served by the Beaverton Central Plant. This Creekside District has two major sites for redevelopment. Proper redevelopment of these sites, in conjunction with rehabilitation of the creek, integration of the Creekside District's energy and transportation systems, and establishment of a long-term housing strategy, will catalyze revitalization of the Regional Center, further the City's goal of incorporating sustainability and green technologies into future development, and create a vibrant mixed-use center with more people living in, working in, and visiting the area.
ABOUT THE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES PROGRAM
The Sustainable Communities Challenge Grant award to the City of Beaverton is one of some $96 million in Sustainable Communities Grants awarded by HUD. This year's Sustainable Communities grant competition received applications for more than $500 million in funding. HUD's Community Challenge Grants aim to reform and reduce barriers to achieving affordable, economically vital and sustainable communities. The funds are awarded to communities, large and small, to address local challenges to integrating transportation and housing. Such efforts may include amending or updating local master plans, zoning codes, and building codes to support private sector investment in mixed-use development, affordable housing and the re-use of older buildings.
ABOUT THE CIVIC PLAN
The Civic Plan kicked off in September 2010 with a series of public engagement events. Based on this input and technical analysis, three draft strategies were developed. The adopted strategies serve as guidance for subsequent amendments of the Beaverton Comprehensive Plan, the Beaverton Development Code, the Transportation Systems Plan, the Beaverton Economic Development Strategy, and other key planning documents to implement the community's vision for Beaverton. More information about the Civic Plan process can be found at www.beavertoncivicplan.com.
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