The Sunset Lounge, a 1920s-era supper club extensively restored with $16 million in taxpayer money, has sat idle for two years since its renovation, validating the complaints of some that West Palm Beach should never have purchased and rebuilt the iconic venue. Rather than hosting famous entertainment acts and igniting the revitalization of the city’s…
The Downtown Development Board and the United Arts of Central Florida teamed up to host local artists in and around downtown to make people enjoy the area all day instead of just at night. “I think that also we could find things that are maybe suited for many different age groups,” said Jordan Giles, an…
New Port Richey is updating its plan for redeveloping portions of the city, but not everything is a theoretical exercise of choosing the correct inspirational messages to bring the century-old city into an enticing, modern urban center. As City Council members parsed redevelopment themes for the community’s future late last month, they were also making…
The DeFuniak Springs Community Redevelopment Agency’s (CRA) Board met for its regular meeting on Wednesday, March 27. The CRA’s Executive Director Joshua Ervin started the meeting by announcing that after signing a new grant that morning, there has been a total of 11 grants awarded through the CRA’s Growth and Development Assistance (GDA) Program. Ervin…
As Haines City’s Hispanic population continues to grow, so does the need to educate the community on government resources. It’s why the Community Redevelopment Agency opened a first-of-its-kind office in an elementary school. Seventy percent of students at Eastside Elementary School are Hispanic, according to school leaders. They say those families and students are unaware…
Downtown has a few main ways it sees targeted improvements: the Community Redevelopment Agency and the Tallahassee Downtown Improvement Authority. The CRA recently approved $134,000 to go toward Hayward House for improvements. “I think that it’s a great use of CRA funds, you know,” Chaney said. “Like we are first-floor retail, and we’re really glad…
Lakeland’s city commissioners did something unusual last week — they talked with each other. Florida’s Sunshine Law bars commissioners from discussing city business with each other outside of public meetings. However, public meetings usually focus narrowly on the action items of the day, leaving little time for brainstorming or collaborating. So it was a new…
