Vacant to Vibrant Implementation

Abstract

Preparation for installing the Vacant to Vibrant projects began in the later stages of the design process, after the sites were finalized. There were permits to obtain, timelines to coordinate, and agreements to draft to formalize leases, contractors, and community partners. Construction began in fall 2014, in the third year of the project, and extended through spring 2015 (see appendix). The extensive preparatory work of selecting sites and creating detailed agreements paid off in this next phase of the project—once ground was broken, installation proceeded relatively smoothly. No costly surprises were hidden under the soil surface of parcels, and no major incidents disrupted work. This translated to projects that were built to specification, within the expected time frame, close to original budgeted costs (table 4-1).