PALM BEACH GARDENS — Palm Beach Gardens has snagged a $120,000 grant to plan a new Tri-Rail station that will extend the commuter rail north and eventually allow thousands who commute to work along PGA Boulevard an alternative to slogging through highway traffic snarls. The money comes from the Federal Transit Administration and will have to…
Bahia Mar Fort Lauderdale Beach announced it will undergo $7 million in renovations to the hotel’s guest rooms, common areas and meeting spaces. The hotel, co-owned by Jimmy Tate, released renderings that reveal a redesign of the 296-room hotel. The main tower’s 181 rooms will feature a white and blue color scheme, with new custom…
Are millennials the key to preservation? A new survey finds that millennials prefer to live, work and play in neighborhoods with historic buildings. According to a new survey Millennials and Historic Preservation: A Deep Dive Into Attitudes and Values, nearly all (97 percent) of the nation’s largest and most diverse generation appreciate the value of…
FORT WALTON BEACH — Unlike those who live in and cherish old and well-known American cities such as Savannah and Charleston, not many local residents seem to be aware of or appreciate Fort Walton Beach’s historical gems, Ted Corcoran says. But the planned relocation of the historic Gulfview Hotel building in downtown hopefully will generate…
What a difference six years makes. During the 2011 Jacksonville elections, mayoral and City Council candidates debated whether Downtown development should be a priority. One contender was even criticized in a negative TV ad for his plans to boost economic activity in the city center. In 2017, the debate is over. This momentum is encouraging.…
IMMOKALEE, Fla. – An unlikely Southwest Florida town is hoping to become the new tourist hotspot. Immokalee is working to bring more people to the area — starting by re-doing a landmark: the pier at Lake Trafford. Ski Olesky, who runs Lake Trafford Marina, has been a staple at the lake since the 1970s. He said…
Through many different medias and along with public presentations we have shared our success story with the entire region and beyond. As they say “the proof is in the pudding”. People come! They come from many different places. They come at different times and they come for different reasons. They come to be entertained in…
Downtown Winter Haven had been aesthetically stagnant for decades when in the 1980s the railroad pulled up its tracks and offered to sell to the highest bidder. Fortunately for the town, then-Mayor Marlene Young learned of The Trust for Public Land, a national non-profit dedicated to creating and preserving public spaces, and engineered a deal…
LAKELAND — The Lakeland Housing Authority’s planned redevelopment of West Lake Apartments received a $1.2 million boost Tuesday from the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco. The grant is part of a larger $73.6 million funding package supporting 89 affordable housing projects in Florida and six other states. “We are very thankful for any…
ORLANDO — Many concurrently developing elements contributed to the growth of Edgewater Drive in College Park, Orlando City Commissioner Robert Stuart said, but the reduction of the road from four to three lanes played a role in rebuilding the district. A group of Lakeland political, governmental and real estate representatives, including City Commissioners Bill Read…
MELBOURNE — An Eau Gallie Boulevard resurfacing project designed to improve stormwater drainage and aesthetics through downtown Eau Gallie is about to kick into high gear. The $2.1 million undertaking will upgrade 1.7 miles of the bustling east-west roadway, extending from Pineapple Avenue near Squid Lips Overwater Bar & Grill past U.S. 1 to Mosswood Drive. Work started in late November. Improvements…
Paul Thorpe has received warranted credit recently for his efforts to improve downtown Sarasota. As historian Jeff LaHurd wrote in the Herald-Tribune, Thorpe long ago earned the moniker “Mr. Downtown” in recognition of his volunteer and professional work with the Downtown Association he helped create and operate — and the city has appropriately agreed to…
