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As published in the Charlote Sun:

Delray Beach officials to visit Team Punta Gorda members learning city's revitalization

Delray Beach officials will be coming to Punta Gorda later this month to
preach the gospel of downtown redevelopment.

The visit has been in the works ever since members of Team Punta Gorda
took a bus trip to Delray on March 3. The 50-some visitors came back
impressed by the overall quality and balance of Delray Beach's downtown
revitalization.

From sidewalk cafes to impressive performing arts spaces, downtown
Delray is like a theme park for grown-ups who like the better things in life. And
it's all backed by the residential development that's an essential part of a
"24-hour downtown."

Team Punta Gorda was so taken by all the sights that some kind of return engagement seemed to be in the works almost from the time everyone boarded the bus for home.

John Magnin, government liaison for Team Punta Gorda, proposed that
Delray Beach might like to send a delegation to see how Punta Gorda is
rebuilding after Hurricane Charley.

Indeed, Team Punta Gorda was organized after the disaster as a grassroots
organization to promote community redevelopment. Among other accomplishments, the group commissioned University of Miami professor Jaime Correa to complete an urban plan for Punta Gorda. Magnin announced Tuesday that Delray Mayor Jeff Perlman and key staff members will be coming to Punta Gorda on April 26 for an afternoon tour
and reception. In the evening, the group will go to the Punta Gorda Isles
Civic Association, 2001 Shreve St., where Perlman and the others will
essentially repeat the same presentations the Team Punta Gorda members heard last
month. The evening session should take about three hours.

"Their story is one of hope, possibilities, teamwork and
accomplishments," Magnin said. "Delray Beach is an excellent example of what can be
accomplished when public and private sectors work together for common
goals. The presenters are extremely enthusiastic ... uplifting and positive."

Having been twice recognized as an "All-America City" by the National Civic
League, Delray Beach is regarded as a model of how a decaying downtown
can be turned into a vibrant -- and often pricey -- arts and entertainment
district.

With this kind of reputation, Delray Beach officials get a lot of
inquiries from communities that would like to travel the same path, Perlman said.They're usually glad to provide what advice they can. "We actually formed a
non-profit organization called the Delray Beach Institute, a brand-new wrinkle for us, just a couple months ago. The idea is to help out our sister cities with some things as well as learning from them. We don't have all the answers, so we learn from each other," Perlman said. Perlman said that the main message he hopes to bring to Punta Gorda is
that "you can't be afraid to take a calculated risk. You have to be
entrepreneurial, even if you're a city." Also, "you can't let the ones who don't want anything to change to dictate the conversation. If we had done that, we wouldn't have had any of the success that people are now enjoying. These downtowns and cities are
really living, breathing organisms. So you can't afford to be complacent and
controlling. You have to innovate and try some things," Perlman said.

Other officials scheduled for the trip are Diane Colonna, director of
the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, and Joe Gray, who heads
that organization's affordable housing programs.

Several local organizations are joining Team Punta Gorda as co-sponsors
of the Delray Beach officials. These include both the Punta Gorda and
Charlotte County chambers of commerce, the Punta Gorda Isles Civic Association,
Trabue-Woods Economic Development and the South County Coalition. Other
groups are expected to climb on the bandwagon soon, said Elaine Charney,operations and administration leader for Team Punta Gorda. .