BREA

Brea’s Downtown Redevelopment Plan was given the 1999 Ahwahnee Award, a prize given out by architects and state officials to construction plans that promote vitality in the community and provide a mix of stores and residences. The downtown project, headed by the city’s Redevelopment Agency, was singled out for its Birch Street efforts, which created a “main street” on a secondary street. The plan also was touted for its Gateway Center project, which turned the back of a shopping complex into a retail center.