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Blakely and Early County Georgia for years enjoyed a postcard type of beauty - a small, prosperous agricultural based town with a thriving infrastructure of good schools, efficient government, successful businesses and a friendly community. Cotton and peanuts were the primary crops and the area experienced growth and prosperity for years. But changes in the national economy have had a negative economic impact here and in many other rural towns and counties. The shift from a primarily agrarian system of small farms to a more diversified economic structure of farming combined with service and manufacturing has been slow, due in part to people migrating to jobs in larger cities. Many quaint, prosperous communities, like Blakely and Early County, have either disappeared or at best are suffering from a weak economic base.
Recognizing this the Charles and Catherine B. Rice Foundation created Early County 2055, a gift to Blakely and Early County that will fund the first step in a long-term revitalization effort to protect the area's history and culture and establish the beginning of a prosperous economic future. Charles Rice grew up in Blakely where his parents settled in the 1930's. Because of the family legacy the area represents to them, Rice and his wife Catherine chose Blakely and Early County as the recipient of the grant 'to help preserve the valuable history and culture of the area.
The goal of this project is to support community efforts to preserve the area's natural resources while developing a long-term growth strategy that will ultimately result in a diversified economic structure and master strategy for the future.
EC2055 will give the people in Early County and Blakely, GA the opportunity to take ownership of their own growth and economic prosperity. The project will focus on 1) developing a long-term vision that builds upon the existing strengths of the area, 2) crafting a physical plan that will help the community realize its vision, and 3) generating a successful blue print for executing the plan. The outcome will be a design for other small towns to emulate in an effort to restore their prosperity and small town appeal. It is an example of how communities like this can be revived and protected.
The planning process, which is scheduled to take place May 7-14, will involve the entire community and be orchestrated by the Miami-based land planning and development advisory firm, PlaceMakers. The Rice Foundation is funding the development of a plan and the establishment of a process. Once completed, the execution strategy will involve the local community leadership and working committees to make the plan a reality by recruiting investment to the area, procuring state and federal grants and enlisting the help of the state university systems.
The Early County 2055 initiative will concentrate on creating a cooperative spirit among all people in Blakely and Early County and provide the existing residents with new proficiencies and capabilities to construct a long term plan that will that will move them into the future.
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Architecture
