Manatee County Commissioner Charles Smith recently completed an 18 month course to become a redevelopment professional by the not-for-profit Florida Redevelopment Association, the county advised on Thursday. The training course is designed to enhance knowledge of urban redevelopment issues, which Smith says will help him become a better commissioner. He represents District Two, which covers…
After 13 years, it has become apparent to city leaders that an extra layer of building regulations hasn’t been the right fertilizer to make the Garden District grow. Despite its charms — a quick walk to Hollis Garden, Barnett Family Park and the Frances Langford Promenade — the roughly 70-acre Garden District has failed to…
The city has officially deemed a piece of prime but environmentally contaminated property near downtown a brownfield. The designation for the property was necessary so the city can seek state economic incentives for a developer or property owner to clean up the site and build there. During a meeting Tuesday night, the Dade City Commission…
Less than two years after the Polk County Community Health Assessment listed obesity and weight issues among the major health challenges facing Polk County residents, the state Department of Health is recognizing four cities and the county for their healthy-weight programs. Lakeland, Winter Haven, Mulberry and Bartow, as well as Polk County, were among 98…
West Palm Beach West Palm Beach will have a new foodie district this year, The Warehouse District, located southwest of the Palm Beach County Convention Center near downtown. It comprises eight vintage-style buildings and a New York–inspired food hall, Grange Hall Market. Miami Miami Worldcenter has broken ground and will become the hub of downtown,…
Las Olas Boulevard is in the midst of a retail renaissance. The Las Olas Co., owner of the Riverside Hotel and a major landlord along downtown Fort Lauderdale’s signature street, says it’s planning to boost Las Olas’ profile by filling a handful of vacancies and a new building with a mix of well-established restaurants and…
The Broward County Commission took the initial step to redevelop the sea of surface parking that surrounds the BB&T Center, the county-owned sports and entertainment arena in Sunrise. The county commission approved a redevelopment plan produced by the not-for-profit Urban Land Institute. The commissioners also decided to hire two city employees, including a director of…
Tamarind Avenue, one of the city’s seediest byways is undergoing a makeover. The city commission is scheduled to vote Monday on the second phase of a project to make the street safer for pedestrians and bicyclists and better looking. The project, just north of downtown, will stretch from Banyan Boulevard to Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard…
Nothing is final yet, but if everything breaks right, John Moran believes there could be a new transit service running throughout downtown by next month. The city is negotiating with The Gotcha Group, a Charleston, S.C.-based transportation company, to operate a fleet of downtown circulator vehicles. Moran, the operations manager of the Downtown Improvement District,…
A new half-mile stretch of Seacrest Boulevard between Northeast Second Avenue and George Bush Boulevard is radiantly bright with bike lanes, safer for pedestrians with new sidewalks, and smoother for motorists thanks to a $1.3 million beautification project. “Data suggests even if people aren’t riding in the bike lanes vehicle traffic slowed down. The green…
Neighbors of Currie Park got their first look at an innovative conceptual plan for the waterfront expanse Tuesday, a place of glistening Intracoastal views surrounded by vacant lots where major residential towers would rise. Jon Ward, executive director of the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency, rolled out a plan of possibilities drawn up by MIT architect…
