For the second year in a row, the Haines City Community Redevelopment Agency is celebrating Black History Month with a special art show at the Lake Eva Gallery. The show is made up of artwork by local artist Kent Sean McAllister. “We’re really excited to have Kent McAllister, a local school teacher, presenting his artwork…
The Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency is looking for artists to paint a second set of murals on the concrete perimeter wall that surrounds the Talbot House Ministries homeless shelter. The Midtown Mini Murals Project is located on E. Parker Street and N. Tennessee Avenue. The theme for Phase II is murals that demonstrate faith, hope…
In a few weeks, a new mural will grace the Rosalind Avenue corridor in downtown Orlando. The goal is to improve the road, increase safety, and enhance the area’s appearance. The estimated cost for the artwork design and other designs apart from the infrastructure Project and painting of the four intersection murals on Orange Avenue…
In an effort to help address the need for transportation around the downtown area, City Manager James Slaton and staff have brought another solution forward. The “Squeeze” is an eight-passenger open vehicle that has already proven successful in downtown Lakeland, according to Erin Killebrew, who presented the concept during a special presentation to the Lake…
Winter Park’s financial strength and future goals took center stage as Mayor Phil Anderson gave his final State of the City address at Winter Park Events Center on the morning of Feb. 16. Residents were invited to the free community event that also featured the annual presentations of city employee awards and the Mayor’s Founders’…
Along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Fort Myers, time hasn’t been kind to many of the businesses that line the street. “You don’t want to leave holes right in your city,” Mellone F. Long, the assistant director of the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency, told NBC2. “It’s one of those places we don’t…
The High Springs Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) hopes to extend its sunset date to 2046 and voted unanimously to approve a CRA 2023 Plan update, which also includes an expanded designated area. The CRA is responsible for implementing redevelopment activities in specific areas in High Springs. The original High Springs CRA Plan was adopted in…
In a proactive move to mitigate downtown parking challenges, the St. Cloud City Council initiated exploratory steps during its Thursday evening meeting for the construction of a new parking garage. Council approved on first reading a pair of ordinances assigning a future land use of Commercial and zoning of Central Business District to several city-owned…
A South Florida group, with the support of the Pompano Beach CRA, is on a mission to provide healthy food by creating a garden of possibilities for its neighbors. It takes a lot of work to keep a garden growing in South Florida. Lisa Torres, a volunteer, said “Today was mostly weeding and getting a…
Memorial Park Cemetery means the world to Noreen Copeland-Miller. “Our black soldiers could not be buried anywhere else where there’s white soldiers. So that’s why it’s over 900 soldiers in that cemetery,” she said. “I am so excited and happy that the city is going to honor them, and respect them and do what’s right.…
Local businessman Bill Jarrett, along with the rest of the Avon Park Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Agency Advisory Board, have discussed converting the two dormant tennis courts in Donaldson Park into pickleball courts. Jarrett, who is a member of the CRA, believes this could attract more visitors to Avon Park and promote activity in Donaldson…
New and slick and shiny objects are attractive in their gloss, but need time to develop depth and spirit. This is true for places as well as people. Much of Florida is too newly minted to have this patina, so if we value character, we need to stop demolishing and paving over our older neighborhoods.…
