The city of St. Petersburg is launching the 2017 cycle of its ‘South St. Petersburg CRA Grant Program’ to help support private investment in the South St. Petersburg Community Redevelopment Area (CRA). The CRA Grant Program was created in 2015 as part of the city’s innovative, 30-year revitalization plan for South St. Pete designed to…
North Central Florida is largely thought of as a home to Old Florida’s natural history whose growth is rooted in Gainesville, and whose innovation is fostered by the University of Florida. But the strength of Alachua County runs deeper. Bridging both the beauty of its natural resources with the foresight and vision of commerce, the…
A three-letter acronym is stirring up a hornet’s nest, as the Brevard County Commission and county management start to put together a budget for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.The acronym CRA — which stands for community redevelopment agency — has been a topic of debate for some time. But, with two new members…
University of Florida Landscape Architecture students presented an ambitious, pie-in-the-sky dream future for the heart of Live Oak. In a presentation to the Community Redevelopment Agency on Monday, the nine students emphasized better connectivity, more walkability and utilizing plants and unused spaces. Each student had an area of Live Oak they focused on. Bryce Donner…
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer once said that his favorite bird was the crane — meaning the mechanical ones that have dotted Central Florida’s landscape with new construction projects. And now, Orlando Business Journal is launching Crane Watch Orlando, a comprehensive, web-based interactive feature that offers detailed information and images on new commercial real estate development…
The University Area Community Development Corporation (University Area CDC) has been awarded a 2017 Top Workplaces honor by The Tampa Bay Times, from results based solely on an employee feedback survey. “This award, coming as it does from our employees, reinforces why we spend extra effort rewarding our hard-working staff and ensuring that they feel…
Mike Field’s vocation is being vice president of credit risk for JPMorgan Chase in Jacksonville. His avocation is being an entrepreneur that helps others build their businesses in the urban core. “I think Downtown is a unique environment. It’s an opportunity waiting for solutions,” said Field. He helped develop Northeast Florida’s food truck movement, Jaxsons…
In presentations to the Manatee Chamber of Commerce on Thursday that mostly touted their cities’ recent revitalization accomplishments, Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston and Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant also said that pending legislation would harm those ongoing efforts. Florida House Bill 13 — filed by Rep. Jake Raburn, R-Valrico — would prohibit the creation of…
A bill in the Florida Senate could, if enacted, work to phase out Community Redevelopment Agencies by 2037. Senate Bill 1770 passed the Florida Senate Community Affairs Committee on Tuesday, 5-3, and now goes for further review. The committee amended the bill to allow local governments to either create or continue CRAs by supermajority vote.…
ESJ Capital Partners, a full-service asset management firm based in Aventura, Florida, today announced its latest acquisition – Jungle Island – the 18-acre landmark attraction located on Watson Island in Miami, Florida. The $60 million transaction includes transfer of the existing lease on the City of Miami-owned Watson Island to ESJ, along with assuming existing…
Nearly 200 city officials from all over Florida recently visited Tallahassee as part of the Florida League of Cities’ Legislative Action Days, where they spoke with state lawmakers about issues being addressed during the legislative session. Largo commissioners Jamie Robinson and Michael Smith were among those officials, and they shared the same concern as many…
