State housing advocates on Tuesday gathered in Tallahassee to call on the Florida Legislature to use all state and local housing trust fund monies for affordable housing. The Sadowski Coalition is made up of 32 statewide organizations, including industry and business groups. Jaimie Ross, president of the Florida Housing Coalition, said that for more than a decade, lawmakers have tapped…
There are now two free ride services in downtown Delray Beach. The fixed route and on demand transportation options are funded by the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency and will be replacing the Downtown Roundabout Trolley. The new initiative is called Connect Delray Beach. Freebee offers point to point rides in their easy to spot,…
Hillsborough County Commissioners Wednesday took a step toward creating its first dedicated source of money for affordable housing. It comes after other money has been repeatedly diverted from a state housing fund. The move wouldn’t create a dedicated trust fund, which supporters had pushed for. But the vote does direct Hillsborough County to try to find $10…
In a 4-3 vote on Monday, Palm Beach County Commissioners approved the creation of a CRA within the Village of Palm Springs. Village Manager Richard J. Reade stated, ” As you can imagine, we are so pleased with this result and each of these County Commissioners showed real leadership through a very difficult process. Now,…
Housing prices and rents continue to rise across Florida. Thursday, a group of community leaders and advocates gathered in Bradenton to discuss Manatee County’s ongoing affordable housing crunch at an event sponsored by the Manatee Tiger Bay Club. Nationwide, an average wage earner would need to spend 32.7 percent of his or her income to buy a…
As more and more Floridians turn away from homeownership in favor of renting, the state is facing a serious shortage of apartments. Numbers from the Florida Apartment Association show that the state would need to add over 600,000 new apartments by 2030 to keep up with both the rising population and the increased demand. “We have over…
I wasn’t a stranger to big projects, but the idea that awaited me as I started work as city manager of North Miami, Florida, was unlike anything else I’d been involved in. Building a Chinatown? In North Miami? I had worked on the development of the new Miami Marlins stadium (retractable roof and all) in…
The Florida League of Cities and three communities this week filed a renewed constitutional challenge to a state law that is expected to help telecommunications companies install wireless technology on city-owned utility poles and in public rights of way. The league and the cities of Fort Walton Beach, Naples and Port Orange filed the lawsuit…
To speed the installation of 5G in Florida, the Legislature in 2017 ordered cities and counties to open their rights of way, utility poles and traffic signals to wireless carriers who want to install 5G antennas and gear on them. The Legislature also capped how much rent carriers would have to pay the localities for…
Miami Beach has successfully used the Community Redevelopment Act to revitalize two formerly “blighted” areas into a thriving neighborhood and commercial district. Now it wants to do the same for portions of North Beach. Community Redevelopment Areas (CRAs) allow the creation of special funding districts where incremental increases in property taxes generated within the CRA…
When it comes to attracting industrial business, Manatee County is being steadily outpaced by some neighboring counties. Catching up with the competition will require a new mindset and lots of cash. Last August, the Board of County Commissioners authorized staff to hire a consulting firm to analyze how officials could use about 6,700 acres spanning…
This summer has proven to be more than just a hot season for Fifth Avenue South in Naples. A sizzling renaissance of sorts is sweeping through the main street attraction at the heart of the city. Riding the wave of niche brands in the retail industry, about 10 new stores recently opened or are opening…
