A national organization will honor Innovation Square for its project to develop Gainesville’s economy.
The American Planning Association will present the Donald E. Hunter Excellence in Economic Development Planning Award to the project on Monday at the 2012 National Planning Conference of the American Planning Association in Los Angeles.
“This is really the first time in Gainesville and across the county you have really true partnerships between campus and the city on this scale and with this amount of ambition,” said Kelly Fisher, director of the Gainesville Community Redevelopment Agency.
The award is given each year to an idea that will significantly boost a local economy.
Innovation Square is a project to create a 40-acre research and innovation center.
The project’s centerpiece, Florida Innovation Hub at UF, located at 747 SW Second Ave., is already built and acts as an incubator for start-up businesses.
She said the award validates all the hard work the community has put into the project.
“Innovation Square will be successful because UF will be a great asset when it comes to educating students and providing knowledge,” Fischer said.
She said Innovation Square will help grow the city’s retail economy and will help entrepreneurs who are starting out.
From the design viewpoint, the award means a lot, said David Green, principal at Perkins+Will, the urban design and planning consultant for Innovation Square.
Linda Dixon, an assistant director at the Facilities, Planning and Construction division at UF, said the award recognizes the collaboration in the community.
“This is another way the university can put its name out there and get recognized for all of the good work it does,” she said.
Dixon said this project is a great way for students who want to be entrepreneurs to stay in Gainesville.
“This project lets you put down roots — not as a student, but as a resident — to start their careers and work life here,” she said.
Contact Ben Brasch at bbrasch@alligator.org.
