Six Peninsula cities recently received top honors for development projects and plans in the El Camino Real corridor that exemplifies the Grand Boulevard Initiative (GBI) Guiding Principles. The Grand Boulevard Initiative is a coalition of private and public entities aimed at improving El Camino Real, and policy makers from the public and private sectors make up the GBI Task Force.
This year, two awards were granted – a 2016 Grand Boulevard Initiative Award and 10-Year Legacy Award, which commemorates a previously awarded project as an exemplary legacy project of the 10 years of the Grand Boulevard Initiative.
At an awards ceremony and special luncheon held last week sponsored by San Mateo County Economic Development Association (SAMCEDA) and Dostart Development Company, LLC, GBI’s Task Force selected the following cities for the 2016 Grand Boulevard Initiative Award:
- Private Project – Greystar, city of Mountain View
- Private Project Honorable Mention – Colonnade, city of Los Altos
- Private Project Honorable Mention – 6800 Mission, city of Daly City
- Public Project – El Camino Real/Arroyo Ave Intersection Streetscape Improvements, city of San Carlos
- Visionary – El Camino Real Precise Plan, city of Mountain View
Recipients of the 10-Year Legacy Award include:
- Public Project – Centennial Way Linear Park, city of South San Francisco
- Visionary – Transit Corridors Plan, city of San Bruno
A total of 15 projects were nominated for the 2016 Grand Boulevard Initiative Awards and 17 projects nominated for the 10-Year Legacy Awards, for a total of 32 projects nominated and scored. Members scored each of the nominated projects based upon how well each project met the 10 Grand Boulevard Guiding Principles.
The GBI’s main goal is to make the 43-mile stretch of El Camino live up to its full potential as a place for residents to work, live, shop and play. The GBI is committed to creating links between communities that promote walking and transit and an improved quality of life along the El Camino Real corridor, which connects San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.
The GBI includes cities, counties, transit agencies, labor, environmentalists, business, developers and community leaders in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. The San Mateo County Transit District staffs the Grand Boulevard Initiative with support from co-sponsors the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County, Joint Venture Silicon Valley and San Mateo Economic Development Association.
