The City of St. Cloud, Florida, looked to GAI’s Community Solutions Group to lead a visioning process, called Envision St. Cloud, in advance of a regular update to the City’s Comprehensive Plan. St. Cloud has been experiencing suburban growth that has crept southward from Orlando and eastward from Kissimmee, and the City sought guidance on how to balance economically beneficial new growth and redevelopment with the enhancement of the character-defining qualities of the historic town.

Through the Envision St. Cloud effort, CSG developed a roadmap to assist the City with managing change over time. The plan encompasses the entire existing city limits, plus surrounding unincorporated lands with the potential to be annexed in the future. CSG staff convened a series of community conversations to better understand St. Cloud and its residents’ everyday experiences, hopes, and aspirations for the city’s future. The process included walking tours, online and in-person discussions, site visits, and GIS mapping of the city’s existing assets.

The plan, subtitled ‘Growing With Character in Mind’, includes near- and long-term visions for the organization of the City and provides a clear framework of understandable ideas to guide decision-making regarding growth and development in St. Cloud. It covers both implementation and economics, and identifies projects with actionable implementation and funding opportunities. The plan also explores the implications of growth and annexation to help the City understand effects on service delivery, fiscal outlook, policy implications, and quality of life.

Recipient of the following awards:

• 2019 Florida APA