The American Planning Association (APA) and their Small Town and Rural Planning (STaR) division have recently named the City of La Crescent, Minnesota, and MSA Professional Services (MSA) as the recipient of the 2018 Vernon Deines Award for an Outstanding Small Town Special Project Plan.

The award, named after a renowned urban planner and founding member of the APA, is presented annually to special projects or comprehensive plans that address the development of a neighborhood, community, county or region.

“The awards committee was impressed by the City of La Crescent’s leadership for their proactive role in improving their home town,” said John Shepard, AICP; Vice Chair-Communications, APA Small Town & Rural Planning Division (STaR). “The downtown plan is both focused on practical implementation and the long-term vision for the community.”

The Downtown La Crescent Vision and Strategic Plan, adoped in 2017, is intended to guide the way for both private redevelopment and public investment in the downtown area in the coming years.  Residents, business owners, City leaders and staff all participated in the visioning process and helped further refine the plan. The resulting document describes, in words and pictures, a new look for Downtown La Crescent in which single-story buildings are gradually replaced by 2- and 3-story mixed-use development and key streets are narrowed to add trees and pedestrian amenities.

“This award responds to a team effort by City leaders, City staff, downtown residents and business owners working with MSA to design a cohesive and sustainable path forward for La Crescent,” commented Jason Valerius, project manager and urban designer at MSA. “Helping to empower communities to choose their future is at the heart of what we do, and we are honored to be a part of the success of this project.”