KANNAPOLIS — Development efforts in downtown Kannapolis have caught the eye of community development professionals around the country.

The American Planning Association named Kannapolis a recipient of the Donald C. Hunter Excellence in Economic Development Award.

Assistant City Manager Wilmer Melton was presented with the honor in San Diego at a national planning conference for the organization after giving the group a presentation on the city’s Downtown Revitalization Project.

The Downtown Master Plan for Kannapolis was honored in particular due to the “scale” of the plan as well as the successful completion of it so far.

The plan has included the creation of new infrastructure, a parking deck for the VIDA apartment complex, the Atrium Health Ballpark and West Avenue Linear Park.

“We are excited to be recognized nationally with this award from the American Planning Association and their professional membership,” said Kannapolis Mayor Darrell Hinnant in a news release. “We judge our success by the thousands of people enjoying our downtown weekly but it is an honor to be seen as a model for economic development on a national level. The City Council, staff and our partners have worked very hard to ensure our downtown has something for everyone and will continue to attract businesses and people for decades to come.”

The award is considered the top honor a city can earn for excellence in best practices by the American Planning Association.

Key partners in the project during the planning and construction phases were Barton Malow, Creech, Development Finance Initiative, Land Design, Lansing Melbourne Group, Populous and Temerity.

Kannapolis is hosting a variety of events around the downtown area this summer including movies in the park, Cannon Ballers baseball games and a Sunday music series. Information on upcoming events can be found at www.kannapolisnc.gov.