2022 Beautification Awards

The Tompkins County Community Beautification Program is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s Community Beautification Awards. Nominations were received this year in 4 categories: Residence, Business, Non-Profit, and Placemaking. The submissions were reviewed by the Beautification Advisory Committee and Beautification Program staff. Projects created or funded by the Community Beautification Program were not eligible for awards. This year, the Program decided to give awards to all the nominees!

Residence

The Community Beautification Awards for Residence is presented to: 414 N Aurora Street, 1011 N. Aurora Street, and 1301 Cayuga Street. The plantings outside these residences are eye catching and beautiful, with mixes of annuals, perennials, and containers.

Business

The Community Beautification Awards for a Business are presented to Silo Food Truck, Fall Creek Laundromat, Taichi Bubble Tea, Herson-Wagner Funeral Home, Odyssey Bookstore, and B&W Supply. All the businesses nominated display colorful plantings which make their businesses more welcoming places.

Non-Profit

The Community Beautification Awards for a Non-Profit are presented to Tompkins Learning Partners and First Baptist Church. Tompkins Learning Partners has a shade garden out back which looks like a perfect place to read a book. First Baptist Church has installed a pollinator garden which is a great addition to the area around Dewitt Park.

Placemaking

Placemaking involves any improvement or activity that reimagines and reinvents a public space to make it more appealing and useful. The Community Beautification Award for Placemaking is presented to Station Park in Freeville. Station Park is a history-themed pocket park with informational signage detailing Freeville’s history as part of the Lehigh Valley Railroad in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The project was financed by the Village of Freeville, private donations, and two grants administered by the Tompkins County Department of Planning and Sustainability (a 2019 Tourism Capital Grant from the County's Tourism Program and a 2019 Municipal Parks and Trails Grant).