BELLEAIR — Town commissioners voted 4-1 Tuesday night to reduce the size requirement for hotel properties, dismaying preservation advocates who say the decision paves the way for demolition of the historic Belleview Biltmore Resort & Spa. The neighboring Belleair Country Club had requested the change in December, saying it wants to buy 2.3 acres of…
BELLEAIR — A lawsuit filed against Belleair by resident Rae Claire Johnson caused the Town Commission to tap the brakes last week on one action that could encourage redevelopment of the Belleview Biltmore hotel property. But it didn’t even slow them down on another. The commissioners voted 4-1 to create a new zoning district that…
After hearing the desires and concerns raised by the Historic Ocala Preservation Society’s members, along with those of residents and business owners from the Ocala Historic District, the City Council at a workshop meeting Tuesday said it would like a master plan developed for the district. “I can’t believe we don’t have a master plan…
Florida Regional Councils Association Unveils New Economic Scorecard Website Utilizing Six Pillars Metrics TALLAHASSEE, FL (March 31, 2014) — Florida’s Regional Planning Councils received a new suite of economic development tools recently, as the Florida Regional Councils Association launched a new website on regional metrics. Each of Florida’s eleven regional planning councils will now be…
For the past 18 months, Orlando has given downtown developers a break on the fees meant to pay for transportation improvements — to the tune of $4.6 million. The incentive is meant to spark downtown development. Developers are supposed to pay transportation-impact fees to make up for the increased traffic their projects will put on surrounding roads.…
MANATEE — County officials plan to dissolve two existing community redevelopment areas by Sept. 30 and launch a new district Oct. 1. Manatee County commissioners Tuesday reviewed a tentative timeline for the demise of the 14th Street West Community Redevelopment Area and the South County Community Redevelopment Area during a workshop session at County Administrative…
WEST PALM BEACH — A free trolley running people from downtown West Palm Beach to the new Palm Beach Outlet Mall — and, more importantly to downtown merchants, from the mall to downtown — would cost up to $50,000 just for a 3-month pilot program, the city’s Downtown Development Authority heard Tuesday morning. The mall…
EDGEWATER — Plans for two new Community Redevelopment Areas that cover about 2,400 acres and seek to rehabilitate ailing stretches of U.S. 1 were heard Tuesday by the leaders of Southeast Volusia’s three cities. New Smyrna Beach and Edgewater are both planning to petition the Volusia County Council this summer for new CRAs, after officials in…
City officials, business owners and concerned community members met to discuss the development of Gaines Street and what can be done to ensure the community remains vibrant in the face on ongoing development. The first step is facilitating a discussion, said FSU grad student Nick Collier. He and fellow grad student Michael Diaz organized what…
TAMPA — The March 1 deadline to stabilize the Jackson Rooming House has come and gone, but City Hall is in no rush to bulldoze the decomposing historic landmark. The roof still sags. The floors still slant. And safety is still a city concern, though officials say they need to talk with owner Willie Robinson…
Clermont City Manager Darren Gray said a series of visioning sessions he led last year to gather ideas about the city’s future yielded some strong suggestions. One such idea, Gray said, was residents’ wishes to maintain and grow the historic downtown area, which includes Waterfront Park. The idea is to attract more people to its…
