Commonwealth Awards Returns to Statewide Focus in Harrisburg

 10,000 Friends Accepting Nominations for Visionary Leaders and Innovative Smart Growth Projects

Harrisburg, PA (August 22, 2019) – 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania hosts the annual Commonwealth Awards to celebrate visionary community leadership and catalytic development projects and initiatives that find new uses for vacant and underutilized land, increase opportunities for communities on the rise, and breathe new life into old neighborhoods. It is the only statewide smart growth awards program in Pennsylvania.

Since 1998, the annual awards program has celebrated development plans and projects that foster walkable, sustainable, equitable, and healthy communities across Pennsylvania. 2019 marks the return to statewide consideration for the awards program, after several years of honoring cities and their key community leaders and transformative smart growth plans and projects in Bethlehem, York, Philadelphia, Lancaster, Harrisburg, and Pittsburgh.

10,000 Friends is accepting nominations for the Commonwealth Awards for people, projects and initiatives within the past 3 years that have made outstanding contributions to the fabric of their communities, exemplify 10,000 Friends’ mission principles, and demonstrate innovation and excellence in smart growth. Nominations can be submitted at https://bit.ly/30N2Hso until September 20, 2019.

Past winners include former Governor Tom Ridge, ArtsQuest founder Jeffrey Parks, and philanthropist Louis Appell, Jr., plus projects ranging from the redevelopment of brownfields like Bethlehem Steel, adaptive reuse of historic buildings for private sector tech startups and affordable housing, green infrastructure and clean water programs, comprehensive plans, and  multi-modal transportation and recreation projects among many others.

The awards ceremony will be held on November 13^th, 2019 from 5:30pm to 8:30pm at The Forum, 500 Walnut Street, Harrisburg.  The celebration brings together leading professionals in the fields of real estate development, architecture, engineering, transportation, planning, universities, healthcare, municipal government, and community development. The event is open to the public. Tickets are $60 until October 24 and can be purchased at www.10000friends.org. Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, contact Stacie Reidenbaugh at 717.234.6070 ext 2 or sreidenbaugh@10000friends.org or visit http://10000friends.org/2019-commonwealth-awards