Good News From Florida’s CRAs

A large-scale apartment and retail complex being completed in the city’s Northwood Village neighborhood will feature an eye-catching bronze sculpture that peers back at passersby. The striking 10-foot-tall artwork is intended to be a signature focal point in a public plaza at the new District at Northwood complex, which will feature 382 apartments, a plaza…

It takes mutual trust to partner up on a 10-year, $500 million construction project, Cape Coral officials and Crown Development Inc. President Larry Nygard agreed. Both sides appear to have earned that trust after months of negotiating a development agreement for Bimini East, a 34-acre planned community near the South Cape entertainment district. City Council…

An official groundbreaking ceremony was held October 6 for Ocean One, an eight-story, 371-unit mixed-use development at 114-222 North Federal Highway in downtown Boynton Beach. Developed by Hyperion Group, Winter Properties, WREP, and Silverstein Properties and designed by Miami-based Arquitectonica, the project will include rental residences and 25,500 square feet of retail space. City officials,…

The Palmetto Community Redevelopment Agency is marking 40 years of service, having been established in 1985. Rowenda Young, executive director of the Palmetto CRA, discussed the agency’s work and future plans. Redevelopment work can involve taking a property that is contaminated, vacant or underutilized and finding a way to make it useful to the community…

A new seafood boil restaurant blending Cajun spice with Thai herbs is heading to Pompano Beach’s East Atlantic Boulevard, with owner Laddawan “Tammy” Boonlong targeting a December opening for the 80-seat concept called RimLay Seafood. The name, Boonlong says, translates to a place next to the beach in Thailand — a fitting description for a…

The Coral Springs Museum of Art celebrated its move from 2855 Coral Springs Drive to its new Downtown Coral Springs location at the intersection of University Drive and Sample Road in the Modera complex with a series of events. The museum held a private opening event for city leaders on October 8 and a larger…

The City of Alachua Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is accepting entries for its 2028 Calendar Photo Contest, inviting residents and visitors to capture the businesses, landmarks, events, and public spaces that make the CRA District unique. The contest will feature 12 winning photographs, one for each month of the 2028 calendar. Each selected photograph will…

The Boca Raton Community Redevelopment Agency has approved a proposal for a private social and wellness club near Sanborn Square. The eight-story project would bring restaurants, wellness centers and major redevelopment to the area. The proposal comes as multiple major projects are reshaping the downtown corridor, including the Aletto mixed-use development and the previously approved…

Fuse Group and KREA Developments, the U.S. subsidiary of Grupo KREA, have secured a $127 million construction take-out loan for a 502-unit multifamily community, recently delivered community in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Madison Realty Capital issued the note in a deal arranged by Berkadia. Proceeds will refinance existing debt and provide capital in support of lease-up…

The Margate Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) will consider an agreement with Florida Power & Light (FPL) on October 14 to move existing overhead utility lines underground along State Road 7. The proposal involves CRA-owned property at 1100 N. State Road 7, the former Country Haven Motel site, which is part of the city’s planned City…

Clearwater leaders approved steps this week tied to a proposed 83,000-square-foot entertainment center downtown, including vacating streets and an alleyway and selling city-owned land for the project. The proposal calls for an EVO Family Entertainment Center at Cleveland Street and Myrtle Avenue, with a multiplex featuring what backers describe as the world’s largest screen as…

A proposed private social and wellness club in downtown Boca Raton is moving forward after receiving unanimous approval from the city’s planning and zoning board. The eight-story project, planned near Sanborn Square, would add restaurants, fitness and wellness facilities, and rooftop amenities to an area already experiencing significant redevelopment. The proposed club would replace an…

A downtown lot the city has spent more than a decade trying to redevelop moved a step closer to becoming a boutique hotel when the Planning and Zoning Board unanimously recommended approval of the Tarpon Registry’s site plan. The City Commission is scheduled to consider the site plan at its Oct. 13 meeting. The project…

The much-anticipated opening of the Coral Springs Museum of Art’s new downtown gallery is now set for next week with a major exhibition of 57 Pablo Picasso original works. The gallery moved from Coral Springs Drive to the Cornerstone development at the corner of University Drive and Sample Road, and it opens the doors Friday,…

Plans for a new community opera house and amphitheater near Naples are advancing. There is hope of securing the land for it by January, if not sooner. Opera Naples is pursuing the multimillion-dollar development — called Theater in the Garden — in partnership with two other nonprofits, Theater in the Garden Inc. and the Luciano…

The Sebring Community Redevelopment Agency discussed and made a decision on gateway signs for placement on North and South Ridgewood Drive for a visual impact in welcoming motorists to downtown. Apparently now there is no big or small “Welcome to downtown Sebring” sign on Lakeview Drive nor South Ridgewood Drive. Mayor John Shoop said on…

The Community Redevelopment Agency is preparing to distribute money to 22 businesses for equipment and facility upgrades. The program is designed to help local businesses take on improvements that can otherwise be expensive. Back in 2024, Kena Bwembya, the Owner of Bwembya’s Market, received a CRA grant to help make improvements to her business. She…

The Bradenton City Council hosted a public hearing with their Community Redevelopment Agency identifying areas in the city that need to be redeveloped or rehabilitated in the interest of public health, safety, and welfare for the city. A 2023 study identified and documented the existence of slum and blighted conditions across 16 sites in the…

One of the more innovative strategies the city of Orlando has taken to help homeless people get off the streets is on track to surpass its goal of housing roughly 400 people over a three-year period. The city announced Thursday that the city’s “dignity bus” program — offering overnight shelter on two retrofitted Greyhound buses…