The Panama City Community Redevelopment Agency, or CRA, met Tuesday morning to discuss future projects and a possible reorganization of funding.
The CRA gets its funding by marking community redevelopment areas. If approved by the state, the property taxes from the area go directly into the fund rather than to the county. The Panama City CRA is composed of four districts: Downtown, Downtown North, St. Andrews, and Willville.
After Hurricane Michael, the CRA spent the majority of its funds toward community development projects aiming to rebuild the city. Five years later, the agency is shifting its priorities to economic development.
“We’ve got to shift our programming to things that the community needs,” said Ward 4 Commissioner Josh Street
Future projects discussed included a sea breeze in Downtown, a waterfront park in Willville, and the development of an updated Willville downtown.
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