in 1999, ganim was one of three american mayors to receive the city livability program award from the united states conference of mayors. the award was conferred for ganim's "clean and green program," which addressed urban decay and blight through a beautification campaign which saw the demolition of more than five buildings and the development of twelve new city parks. a cornerstone of the city's redevelopment efforts was the construction of a new baseball park (the ballpark at harbor yard) for a minor league baseball team, the building of a new arena (webster bank arena), and the redevelopment of industrial land on the city's waterfront. ganim's term also saw the competition of demolition of father panik village—a housing project notorious for drugs and violent crime; the final fifteen buildings were razed in 1993.