Program Overview

The Richardson City Council created the Community Revitalization Awards (CRA) to recognize property owners who have enhanced the community by making significant exterior improvements to their properties, which have, in turn, had a positive impact on the surrounding area.

Both residential and non-residential projects are eligible for consideration. Almost 320 properties have been recognized since the Program’s inception in 1994. Recipients are recognized by the City Council with a reception and award presentation ceremony held in February of each year.

The Community Revitalization Awards complement the City’s efforts to support neighborhood vitality. This is not a grant or funding program; it recognizes individual efforts and seeks to encourage future individual reinvestment in our community. The City’s Neighborhood Services Department administers programs that may provide funding for neighborhood enhancements, and the Richardson Economic Development Partnership should be contacted regarding potential non-residential redevelopment incentives.

Nominations are currently open for the 2025 Community Revitalization Awards, with a deadline of September 30, 2025. 

What is “Revitalization?”

Revitalization can be defined as “imparting new life or vigor to.” When applied to the built environment in Richardson, revitalization can take a number of forms:

• Dramatic improvements to properties or structures that halt or reverse decline;
• An exemplary level of ongoing maintenance and/or refurbishment of structures and properties that prevents decline before it begins;
• Total redevelopment of a property or structure—i.e. “tear-down/rebuild”; or
• Infill development—exemplary new development on a vacant parcel in an older neighborhood or district.

Judging Committee

City staff collects and compiles award nominations throughout the year and forwards them to a Judging Committee in November. The Committee convenes to review the nominations and select which properties will be awarded. The Committee consists of two City Council members, two City Plan Commissioners, and a representative from the Richardson Chamber of Commerce.

Criteria for Evaluation

Community Revitalization Award nominations are evaluated primarily by assessing their impact on the surrounding area, or on the City as a whole, if appropriate. Has the effort improved the built environment? Has the project contributed to the stability or enhancement of an existing neighborhood or district? Does the improvement set a desirable precedent for surrounding property owners?

Projects receiving awards typically incorporate at least two of the following elements:

• Building or facade improvements;
• Landscaping or lighting enhancements;
• Signage upgrades; and/or
• A consistently high level of general maintenance.

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