Glades Electric Cooperative and the City of Moore Haven (pop. 1,807) teamed up with Alchemy Community Transformations to address local challenges and build a practical action plan through Creative Placemaking, a people-centered approach to building strong, vibrant communities. The goal of this process is to help Moore Haven achieve economic and population growth through the creation of catalytic projects.

A major motivation for this initiative is the development of the Airglades International Airport project. The initial construction broke ground in March 2020 and is expected to create an estimated 1,000 construction jobs. When completed, the project will start with 1,000 jobs in year one with plans for further expansion in the future. The question is where will all these workers live, work, and play?’

Public input is the foundation of every successful action plan strategy because residents know their community best. In addition to the Steering Committee, a diverse group of residents took part in community vision sessions. Conversations were structured around the questions of what we have (i.e. community assets), what is needed to attract and retain the next generation of residents, and what would boost economic development opportunities.

Further input was provided through countless one-on-one interviews and small group sessions with key stakeholders and Steering Committee members. After much discussion and review, the following projects were determined as the top priorities to be addressed by this plan:

Strategies to grow housing stock and convert commuters to residents

Business plan for new eatery at the marina

Business plan and financial backing to bring a fresh food market back to town

Plan for updating the city logo and bringing greater awareness to local amenities through signage

Digital brochure and online presence to attract outside investment through this innovative program

It is the intent of this plan to implement these projects in a two- to five-year time frame as a means to help become a catalyst for further development. For those reasons, we propose the following timeline to implement each priority project:

YEAR 1: RESTAURANT & WAYFINDING

YEAR 2: HOTEL (OZ) & HOUSING (MULTI-FAMILY COMPLEX)

YEAR 3: GROCERY STORE

We encourage you to continue reviewing the website for in-depth details and action steps associated with each proposed project. We need the entire community to step up and make our vision a reality. If you want to get involved, please click HERE to learn more.

A group of Moore Haven’s most influential public and private leaders helped guide our process. They participated in discussions about the city’s competitive issues, challenges, and opportunities and helped shape the Action Plan by reviewing and discussing proposed projects and tactics.

Special thanks to all those local supporters who made this project possible:

1. A. Duda and Sons
2. City & County Public Works Authority
3. City of Moore Haven 
4. First Bank
5. Glades County
6. Glades County School Board
7. Glades Economic Investors, Inc.
8. Lykes Bros. 
9. US Sugar Corporation