For Immediate Release
June 20, 2014
Media Contact:
Alan Loomis, Principal Urban Designer
Thomas R. Lorenz, Public Information Officer
Glendale Receives Urban Greening Grant for Demonstration Project
Glendale, CA – The City of Glendale received a $997,900 grant from the California Strategic Growth Council to create a Green Streets Demonstration Project in the downtown area. The project’s scope includes Harvard Street between Brand Boulevard and Isabel Street, and on Louise Street between Maple Avenue and Wilson Avenue. Project funding is possible through the Proposition 84 Urban Greening Grant, which primarily focuses on improvements to storm water and “greening” of urban environments.
Forty grants were awarded out of 184 project proposals received from across the state. “Glendale’s ability to secure this competitive grant is a testament to the City’s commitment to creating a more pedestrian-friendly and sustainable community,” said Michael Nilsson, Senior Mobility Planner in the City’s Community Development Department (CDD).
The Public Works Department will work closely with CDD to plan, design and construct the City’s first Green Street Demonstration project. It will consist of the installation of trees, bioswales within curb extensions and mid-block crossings within the project area, focusing on improving water quality, pedestrian safety, and aesthetics in the area. One specific project proposed as part of the grant is an enlarged pedestrian crossing with a new landscaped parkway on the southern end of Harvard Street at Maryland Avenue. This improvement will result in a shortened pedestrian crossing that will directly connect the proposed main entrance of the Central Library with the Marketplace Parking Garage, further enhancing improvements associated with Central Library’s renovation.
The estimated cost of the demonstration project is approximately $2.9 million. Additional funding sources have been identified including $1.9 million in State of California Gas Tax Funds, which will be utilized to complete the project. It is anticipated that planning for the project will occur from late 2014 through mid-2015, with construction of the project to begin sometime in mid-late 2015.
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The Community Development Department (CDD) works to maintain and improve the high standard of living for which the city of Glendale is known. Our goal is to continuously enhance the character of the City through coordinated programs and streamlined procedures, ensuring that all development is done in a predictable and consistent manner and that the quality and character that Glendale residents expect from their neighborhoods is realized.
