Editorial: The heart of Gainesville

More than three decades after a Gainesville property was put on a federal list of toxic sites, city officials are finally getting serious about improving the neighborhood around it. The Koppers property, which housed a wood-treatment operation, was put on the federal Superfund cleanup list in 1983. It wasn’t until last year that the cleanup…

Does College Park still need a CRA?

As the city of Gainesville considers establishing a new community redevelopment area in the Stephen Foster neighborhood in north Gainesville, a debate is growing over whether another CRA has improved so much that it should be ended. It’s hard to determine one common denominator that can be measured to see if a redevelopment area has…

West Ocala redevelopment plan

MARION COUNTY, Fla. — City leaders in one North Central Florida county are trying to redevelop parts of town. City leaders say west Ocala has being a dying area for years, but a new project could give it life in the future. Those who live on that side of town say it’s about time. Like…

Jacksonville vs Sarasota: Revitalizing Downtown

Downtown Sarasota is the urban center of Florida’s 5th largest metropolitan area. Despite being one half the size of metropolitan Jacksonville, Sarasota’s core faces many challenges that downtown Jacksonville does. For starters, Sarasota is no longer the largest city in the metropolitan area. That honor now goes to North Port, a sprawling Nocatee on steriods…

Bradenton Downtown Development Authority approves purchase agreement for old Manatee Inns property

BRADENTON — The Bradenton Downtown Development Authority has recommended selling the old Manatee Inns property on 14th Street West to Beneficial Communities for $700,000. Beneficial attorney Casey Colburn of Sarasota’s Colburn Law Firm made final modifications to the agreement. The DDA wants to retain rights to intellectual property such as environmental studies performed on the…