There’s More to Moore Haven

Posted: July 13, 2020 at 11:43 am

Glades Electric Cooperative and the City of Moore Haven, along with a coalition of local businesses, have teamed up with Alchemy Community Transformations to address local challenges and build a practical action plan for community development. After eight months of work and extensive conversations with stakeholders – both in-person and via virtual conference calls– the action plan for Moore Haven is live and ready for public review at moretomoorehaven.com.

Alchemy conducted their work using a process called Creative Placemaking, a people-centered approach to building strong, vibrant communities. The goal of this planning process is to help Moore Haven achieve economic and population growth through the creation of catalytic projects.

To begin the Creative Placemaking process, the Alchemy team led a handful of focus group meetings and a public visioning session in September 2019 to identify unique local assets and determine how they could be capitalized upon, provide insight on local challenges, and give feedback on the types of projects and amenities desired in town.

The results of these conversations were five catalytic projects. Actions plans have been developed for each project with a two- to five-year timeline for implementation, making the most of limited resources of time and funding.

Projects to begin in year one include a new restaurant at the marina, new branding for the city logo and wayfinding for local amenities. In year two, an employer-assisted housing task force will be established to address local housing needs to grow housing stock and convert commuters to residents. Finally, in year three, an action plan to bring a grocery store to Moore Haven is scheduled to begin implementation.

“While countless rural communities across the country face similar challenges, what sets Moore Haven apart is the local leadership’s eagerness to find innovative solutions and take action to shape the future of the community and improve the overall quality of life for everyone” – Clint Sloss, Alchemy Community Transformations

Visit the new moretomoorehaven.com website for details on the action plan and to join the effort to bring More to Moore Haven.