TheReview_Nov_Dec_2021_FlipBook

Congratulations Rochester Hills Reimaging, Reinventing & Renewing Auburn Road The City of Rochester Hills is the winner of the 2021 Community Excellence Award (CEA). Affectionately known as “The Race for the Cup,” it is the highest and most prestigious award bestowed on a League member community. The winning community is selected through a combination of an outside panel of judges, online voting, and ballot-box voting by League members attending our annual Convention. “We are honored to have been selected by our peers,” said Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett. “We are really lucky to live in what we think is one of greatest communities in Michigan. To take this home for our staff and our residents is a huge honor for our community.” Project Details Rochester Hills completed a comprehensive renewal of a neighborhood first settled in the early 1820s. The “Brooklands” is an area with a storied history that was overdue for improvement and beautification. After decades of discussion, deliberate planning took place, and the transformation of the Brooklands’ primary thoroughfare, Auburn Road, began in 2019. Auburn Road is an aged commercial roadway, surrounded by single-family homes. The project sought to transform the corridor into a safe and attractive place for vehicles and pedestrians with the goal of creating a more walkable environment, encourage (re)development opportunities, increase parking, incorporate art and landscaping, and develop public open space. This project has served as a catalyst for community redevelopment, igniting investment and a true entrepreneurial ecosystem for businesses. The result is a safer, more connected and walkable corridor that supports economic development, spurs people to engage, and renews community pride.

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2021

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THE REVIEW