CRA spurs redevelopment in blighted area by building

LEED Silver offices for its own operations.

 

The Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Gainesville developed this new office building to serve as a catalyst to spur reinvestment and revitalization of this core urban area.  The Fifth Avenue/Pleasant Street redevelopment district is a close-knit, primarily African American community, that once thrived with commerce but has not seen any new commercial development in more than a generation.  The 5,400 SF infill building houses the CRA’s office on the second floor, with leasable mercantile space at ground level. 

 

The CRA’s 802 Building achieved LEED Silver certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use, as well as a variety of other sustainable strategies.  It is the first private project in the City of Gainesville to be awarded a LEED Silver rating. 

“This achievement was a true collaboration of the design team, contractor and owner all working together,” says DAG Design Principal Patrick Ballasch, “In addition to the energy savings achieved through materials and methods, developing infill buildings in urban areas maximizes the benefit of existing infrastructure and protects our resources.”