Jun 26, 2013
Plum Creek's plans stir optimism in Hawthorne
Hawthorne - the recession was hard enough on the businesses in in this town of 1,600 in eastern Alachua County. Then Georgia-Pacific closed its plywood mill … "It's a dying little town," said Donna Boles of Hawthorne Insurance Agency. But Boles said she is seeing a little bit more enthusiasm at the Hawthorne Area Chamber of Commerce as a result of … the buzz building around the Plum Creek Timber Company singling out the area for economic development potential on its nearby lands.
Plum Creek has spent the past two years taking ideas from people throughout the county as it works on a long-term master plan for its 65,000 acres in Alachua County … the company has identified … an area just north and west of Hawthorne as one of two areas they plan to focus on first for its development potential. Plum Creek brought its presentation to Hawthorne for the first time Wednesday night at [City Manager] Ellen Vause's invitation. More than 120 people showed up in the cafeteria at Shell Elementary School to learn about the planning process and put in their two cents about what they'd like to see.
Gainesville.com, The Gainesville Sun, June 26, 2013 (read entire article)
