Good News From Florida’s CRAs

Plant City commissioners have approved work to begin restorating the historic 1914 High School Community Center, a more than century-old landmark that now serves as a community center and museum. The project will use a grant from Hillsborough County, along with funding from the city’s community redevelopment agency. City leaders said the preservation work is…

Neighborhood revitalization begins at home, and the Opa-locka Community Redevelopment Agency (OCRA) is making that vision a reality. Through a partnership with the Greater Miami Service Corps, OCRA completed exterior renovations on ten homes, giving longtime residents renewed pride in their properties while enhancing the beauty of surrounding neighborhoods. Each home received improvements tailored to…

The opening of the new $3.4 million Coral Springs Museum of Art at the Cornerstone development has been pushed back to October, with a public grand opening now scheduled for Oct. 9, according to new details released by the city last week. And when the museum opens, Pablo Picasso will be one of the main…

Community leaders checked out the fully renovated former Wachovia bank building Friday on North Ridgewood Drive in Sebring and were impressed on its transformation into a modern office center. The three-story building, constructed in 1973, has been vacant since July 2010. Now the structure has various sized office spaces available for rent through HQ.com, which…

A new 2,000-foot section of the West Riverwalk next to the University of Tampa campus is almost finished. City officials expect this stretch of trail to open by the end of 2026, as long as weather permits. The new 12-foot-wide path stretches from Plant Park to Cass Street. Built by The Haskell Company, the trail…

West Palm Beach city commissioners have unanimously advanced an 18-story, 400-room hotel next to the Palm Beach County Convention Center, and split 3-2 in the same meeting on a separate agreement that clears the way for the hotel’s replacement parking land to come off the tax rolls. Both votes came at the commission’s Aug. 3…

University of Tampa students are just a few months away from having a world-class waterfront amenity right in their backyard. The nearly 2,000-foot section of the West Riverwalk that runs alongside the campus is currently under construction by The Haskell Company and is expected to open by the end of the year, weather permitting. The…

Orlando leaders are looking for new ways to bring investment into downtown, including its historic buildings. To encourage more investment downtown, the Orlando Community Redevelopment Agency, made up of city commissioners, approved a new tax incentive for historic buildings. “They do have to make sure they keep those historic elements of the building and have…

Orlando city leaders have given final approval for The Canopy, a proposed 10-acre public space under Interstate 4 in downtown Orlando, with construction expected to begin within 60 days. The project will transform under-used space beneath I-4 into a community destination with areas for events, art, trails, multimodal connections, parking, and community programming. “It’s finally…

The City of Bradenton is in early talks to partner with a Pittsburgh-based university and build a school presence downtown. Early plans for the partnership include an emphasis on Point Park University utilizing the city’s Avenue of the Arts — Third Avenue West — to “create new pathways for students,” according to a news release.…

More than 70 years ago, Karen Sloan started kindergarten at Clearwater’s North Ward Elementary School. The school, built in 1915, was one of Pinellas County’s first public schools. Sloan, 76, would eat lunch with her classmates under the trees when the weather was nice outside, and she still remembers the songs she learned in class.…

The renovation of the former Wachovia Bank building was granted a 30-day extension, but there is a possible issue with the elevator in the three-story building on North Ridgewood Drive. On Jan. 3, 2024, the Sebring Community Redevelopment Agency approved an agreement with the Blackmon family on the former bank building, which the CRA purchased…

The Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency hosted a community meeting Wednesday to hear from the public on how to best utilize public funds for Ybor City infrastructure projects. “This is looking to improve deteriorated buildings and housing conditions… So those are the physical conditions of those buildings. Upgrading aging infrastructure, our roads our sidewalks and even…

Over six acres along Bayshore Drive have been opened for new construction, as Collier County seeks interested parties to bring housing, mixed-use, and community-focused development to the area bordering the new Bayshore Pedestrian Boardwalk. The open parcels are part of a larger 17-acre plot of land, which opened to the public in February this year…

Opa-locka is getting closer to a half-billion-dollar redevelopment with 1,500 apartments, retail and a hotel in downtown. The city’s community redevelopment agency approved negotiations with a group of developers for a ground lease for nearly 1.5 city-owned acres spanning less than two blocks, the South Florida Business Journal reported. The CRA voted last week, though…

A car wash that has sat on Nebraska Avenue since 1964 is about to disappear, and in its place will rise a 20-unit affordable housing development called The Vicente. Developer Urban ReWorx plans to break ground on September 2 at 2914 N. Nebraska Ave., just north of downtown Tampa in the historic V.M. Ybor district,…

Working with nature, protecting the environment, supporting dune plantings, protecting bicyclists, keeping the vibe, encouraging more shade trees, limiting building heights and supporting the “small town feel” were among the sticky notes posted to boats at the Town of Fort Myers Beach Town Hall during a resiliency meeting the town hosted with a consultant who…

The Orlando City Council on Monday gave its final approval before the Downtown Community Redevelopment Agency can break ground on The Canopy, a 10-acre community space under Interstate 4. CRA Executive Director David Barilla said construction could begin within 60 days and finish by the end of next year. The City Council voted to approve…

HGTV’s Home Town Takeover, the renovation series that turned downtown Sebring into a national television star, has earned its first-ever award recognition: a 2026 Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Instructional/How-To Program. The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the nomination, marking the first time the series, and hosts Ben and Erin Napier, have…