Cities across central Florida that have seen and felt change face the same challenge: How do they revitalize struggling communities?
The answer for Goldsboro, a historic area in the heart of Sanford, could be a new program that aims to reinvest tax dollars from the community back into Goldsboro.
Brady Lessard, director of economic development for Sanford, says it’s long overdue. Our News 6 team met him in the historic community before he was set to present what’s being called a “CRA hybrid” to the city commission Monday.
A traditional “CRA,” or Community Redevelopment Agency, is used to set aside increased property taxes in an area for use only in that area. Essentially, it creates a specific funding tool for redevelopment and has been successful when used in other places such as downtown Sanford.
“It’s functioned very well over the years. A lot of infrastructure improvements, a lot of businesses come into town as a result. However, the climate in the state and in Tallahassee has changed,” said Lessard. “CRAs are no longer in vogue, and there’s conversations that CRAs will go away. So, what we’ve got here is an untraditional — but traditional — CRA.”