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PHOTO: Healthy Neighborhoods Board Member Mohamed Ibrahim; Community Concepts CEO Shawn Yardley; Lewiston Economic Development Manager Misty Parker; Healthy Neighborhoods Board Member Amy Smith, Raise-Op Housing Cooperative’s Craig Saddlemire; Healthy Neighborhoods President Ashley Medina; Lewiston Economic & Community Development Director Linc Jeffers; Lewiston Mayor Mark Cayer; and Lewiston City Administrator Heather Hunter. (Submitted photo)
LEWISTON – Lewiston was awarded the 2021 Outstanding Plan Award by GrowSmart Maine recently for efforts described as “what is arguably the largest, most comprehensive, and most ambitious neighborhood redevelopment plan in our state’s history and, more importantly, one with social and economic justice at its core.”
The city, Choice Neighborhoods partners and Community Concepts shared the award for the Growing Our Tree Streets comprehensive neighborhood transformation plan.
GrowSmart’s fourth annual Smart Growth Awards recognition described the plan as demonstrating “enormous power of public-private partnerships to tackle community challenges and better the lives of residents.”
Growing our Tree Streets earlier this year secured a $30 million grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development Choice Neighborhood Program. Secondary private investments mean more than $100 million in anticipated public and private investment in the Tree Streets neighborhood.
GrowSmart noted that the city has seen significant economic investment into its downtown and mill districts, marking an exciting turning point in the city’s economic development. However, just a few blocks away, Lewiston’s Tree Streets neighborhood has been one that greatly needed investment and extensive change. In that regard, the transformation plan provides ways to systematically redevelop each and every pre-1950 distressed housing unit to achieve a lead-free Tree Streets Neighborhood. The award also focuses on the fact that the plan advances wide-ranging social, health and economic development initiatives, all while maintaining the Tree Streets as a vibrant, walkable neighborhood.
