Thursday March 28th, 2024 2:49PM

Vision 2030 leaders report successes, future goals to South Hall Business Coalition members

FLOWERY BRANCH – Members of the South Hall Business Coalition heard an update on Vision 2030 from Vision Chairwoman Phillippa Lewis Moss and Vision Executive Director Elizabeth Higgins Tuesday morning.

Vision 2030 began in late 2004 when community and business leaders teamed up under the guidance of the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce with the intent of positioning Gainesville/Hall County as the most enviable community in the state by the year 2030.

A broad vision in those early days, focusing on the next 25-years, soon began to take clarity as focus groups, community surveys and discussion panels involving over one thousand people revealed the areas of greatest potential and interest.  In time a list of “Big Ideas” became the group’s guiding strategy.

Lewis Moss and Higgins explained to the SHBC members the successes and future ambitions of the “Big Idea” manifesto covering areas such as: public art, green space, transportation, diversity and inclusion, downtown development, ongoing education, the Lake Lanier Olympic Park, tourism and recreation, healthcare,  and continuing the vision by reaching out to the next generations.

“What we have been doing is causing and unfolding this vision for our community,” Lewis Moss said.  “We want to make sure that we are distinguished, that we are unique…we want to make sure we keep our specialness.”

Lewis Moss says at present there are fifteen Big Idea areas; that, she says, should not only cover the interests of most everyone, but also provide opportunity for most everyone to become involved on a volunteer basis.  Participation by the community is imperative to continuing success according to Lewis Moss.

Higgins added, “We invite people that want to get involved so that they can they can sort of hear the broad view of what’s going on and find their interests, and then we can plug you in to wherever your interests are.”

During the fourteen years Vision 2030 has been in place, Higgins and Lewis Moss say much has been accomplished, but with the year 2030 growing closer, will the project continue beyond 2030?

“That’s actually a really good question,” Lewis Moss said.  “I think we need to create a new vision.  I think every time you fulfill we actually need to start anew.”

“I think what we’ll do is bring people together again and maybe create a Vision 2050!”

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