The master developer of Cornerstone in Coral Springs recently explained why his downtown project had to add more apartments and cut out office space. Rod Sheldon, the owner of Predeso Property Investments, also discussed how the pandemic and its changes to the economy stalled the project and forced him and his partners to rethink plans…
A long-awaited project to make Pensacola’s waterfront more pedestrian-friendly is getting a review by the original designers. The Pensacola Community Redevelopment Agency approved an amended contract with SCAPE Landscape Architecture earlier this week to pay $7,500 for a final review of the city’s plans for the “Hashtag Waterfront Connector” project on Main Street. While the…
Construction could start on Hilton Tempo in September 2023. Initially, the venture was supposed to break ground in 2022. Yet, according to FOX 4 Southwest Florida, the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) pushed it back after the venture switched owners. Before, Marriot would oversee the venture. Now, Hilton does. Upon completion, the eight-story hotel…
The City of West Palm Beach is preparing to host South Florida’s largest, free outdoor annual Independence Day celebration — 4th on Flagler. This event will be the City’s 35th annual celebration and it will feature live entertainment (music on three stages), a military honor ceremony, a kids’ entertainment zone, roving entertainment (including jugglers, stilt…
Sherri Curtis FRA Board of Directors Community Redevelopment Coordinator, CRA – City of Tallahassee Q: What is your best piece of business advice for a new FRA member? Sherri: To open your mind to new ideas and new ways of looking at redevelopment, gathering as much information as possible from those who are subject matter…
The Diocese of Venice in Florida and National Development of America will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for Phase 1 of St. Peter Claver Place Apartments, an affordable housing complex within the Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard redevelopment area. The groundbreaking, to be held Tuesday, April 11, starting at 9 a.m., at 3681 Michigan Ave., in…
The lack of public parking is an issue that the Cape Coral Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) hopes it can fix. The study consists of the downtown district of Cape Coral, between Cape Coral Parkway and Leonard Street. It shows that there is only a small amount of areas that are available for residents and small…
The United States housing supply is short nearly four million of what communities and residents need, even in areas that have previously experienced relatively stable markets. The impact of this is felt through low rates of housing vacancies or availability, rising rents, high home purchase prices, and more. The shortfall is even greater for workforce…
A four-parcel lot in Fort Myers with two commercial buildings could soon find new life as a 16-story residential complex. Meet Vantage Lofts. According to the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment (CRA), the community will offer more than 200 lofts, along with 5,000 square feet of retail space. Plans also call for a low-rise parking garage…
Beneshea Frazier Program Manager, Economic Development Central Florida Regional Planning Council Q: What is your best business advice for a new FRA member? Beneshea: “Get out of your comfort zone and engage with your colleagues. The academy courses and annual conference are great opportunities to grow your network and leverage the expertise of your peers…
It’s tough to tell whether the notion of a Margate downtown is rewrapped in a different packaging or if elected officials this time can really pull it off. Since the mid-1990s the crossroads of State Road 7 and Margate Boulevard have been targeted for mixed-use development, to no avail. City commission after city commission has…
In Orlando’s tourism district, forces are at play that don’t normally coincide. Rosen Hotel workers are learning English taught by University of Central Florida (UCF) instructors in a pilot program paid for by Orange County government. That public-private partnership with the three big players in Central Florida is “what really truly makes this a unique…
