Fifth Ave. Business Improvement District seeks tax increase to pay for marketing, events Organizers of the Fifth Avenue South Business Improvement District want to up the assessment rate on property owners to pay for events, marketing and a salary bump for its leader. What do city leaders and business owners think of the proposal? [Read…
Billion Dollar Baby Like a fortress in an asphalt desert, the dated and underused Miami Beach Convention Center defines a dead zone at the heart of one of America’s most vibrant urban places. As Miami Beach embarks on an ambitious push to overhaul the convention center and develop the surrounding sea of parking lots, it’s…
Revelations about downtown project builder leave Clearwater wondering CLEARWATER — City officials were blindsided last week when they learned that Richard Zahn, until recently head of Prospect Real Estate Group, a firm picked to build a key project downtown, had pleaded guilty to corruption charges in South Carolina. On Friday, as the Tampa Bay Times was…
Largo considers downtown development incentives LARGO — For more than a decade, the city has been trying to transform the West Bay Drive area into a bustling downtown district. The sluggish economy of recent years certainly hasn’t helped. Now that the economy is starting to pick up, Largo officials are preparing to offer businesses and…
STRAFFORD, Vt. — LOST amid the Supreme Court’s high-profile decisions on affirmative action, voting rights and same-sex marriage was another ruling that may turn out to have a profound impact on American society. The court handed down a decision on Tuesday that, in the words of Justice Elena Kagan, will “work a revolution in land-use…
$1.5M available in CRA as NSB program winds down NEW SMYRNA BEACH — While the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency won’t sunset for another two years, signs are evident in the next fiscal budget that it’s in the home stretch. The nearly $1.57 million proposed CRA spending plan for fiscal 2013-14 has no money budgeted for…
Another downtown Sarasota condominium proposed SARASOTA – A new condominium project proposed for Golden Gate Point marks the second multifamily residential development planned downtown this year, a sign of developers’ renewed confidence in Southwest Florida. Demand from retiring baby boomers and a dwindling supply of available units has spurred interest in luxury condos not seen since…
Talking turkey about CRAs in Florida and Fernandina Beach The Fernandina Beach City Commission, acting as the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), and its advisory board (CRAAB) came together on June 13, 2013 for a work session intended to de-mystify CRAs and discuss issues related specifically to the Fernandina Beach waterfront CRA. The session was led…
Rural Economic Development Boot Camp A follow-up to the Rural Study findings presented to the regions, the Rural Economic Development Boot Camp is intended to complement the activities undertaken by local and regional economic development organizations. The event features keynote presentations by Governor Rick Scott, Secretary of Commerce Gray Swoope, DEO Director Jesse Panuccio, and…
Two years later, Main Street debate persists It’s shortly after 5 on a weekday afternoon in downtown Gainesville, and traffic on Main Street is stacked up to the north and to the south of University Avenue. Northbound traffic stretches down to South Fourth Avenue. The tail end of the line of southbound traffic is back…
Venice wants to add more parking downtown VENICE – While Mayor John Holic has proposed a 500-space garage as a solution to downtown parking problems, city consultants said Thursday that other options should be considered first. Specifically, the consultants said the city should look at converting east and west lanes of Venice Avenue through downtown from…
Marianna eyes grant for downtown museum project The City of Marianna is again seeking money to turn a historic downtown building into a museum. On Friday morning city commissioners will convene for a special meeting. The sole agenda item is a proposed resolution to match funds for a $400,000 grant, the application deadline for…
