What if we could bring together the right partners to spur a revitalization of the Windsor Park Mall, the City of Windcrest, and the broader business and residential district?

What if we could attract world-class planners to help us return the Northeast sector to prominence, inspiring opportunities that match, or even exceed, what was available in the heydays of Windcrest’s growth as a suburban hub?

Thanks to inspired leadership over the last two years from state, county, and local leaders in both government and in the private sector, the hard work of preparation is behind us. Now we are poised to transform what if to what's next.

Beginning December 4 and continuing for seven days, the answer to that question is up to you as we put all the possibilities, and all the best design ideas, on the table at the same time and sort them out together. It will be an intensive public “charrette,” and by the end of it we’ll have a comprehensive, detailed strategy we can put on a fast track. This is likely to be the most exciting month in the history of planning in our region.

One of the key components of his approach is the direct involvement of local citizens, officials, staff people, business folks, non-profit activists, and everybody else who sees themselves as having a stake in the project. That's what this charrette is all about. So, in addition to the many opportunities available for your in-person participation, we're also providing this website as a resource to help make the process as inclusive as possible. Beyond the daily reports and ideas that will be posted, there’s also plenty of logistical information such as the schedule, the various locations and answers to some of the questions that have come up.

As a developer who’ll have a role in translating the plans into action, I see our opportunity as going far beyond what we usually think of as planning and development. It’s our responsibility to develop environments that not only enable growth and prosperity but that also create an atmosphere for positive change. We live in a great metropolitan region enjoying a legacy handed down from generations past that has made it possible for our future to be even greater and brighter. It must be our goal to pass that along to generations that follow us, to effect positive change in our neighborhoods, our cities, and our region.

This opportunity to re-imagine the future of our region didn’t just happen. It took planning from our governor on down. And we’re not going to get the kind of communities I described by accident. We have to plan them together. And we can start on December 4.

I’m looking forward to seeing you all.

If you'll be attending any of our public meetings, please make sure to RSVP here.