Four Central Florida cities joined Altamonte Springs today in helping Uber riders pay their fares when using the ride-sharing service within those municipalities. Under the discount program, Lake Mary, Longwood, Sanford and Maitland will now pick up 25 percent of the cost of using Uber to or from a SunRail train station within those cities.…
Come August, Palmetto will be the scene of the start of a promising partnership with the University of South Florida. The city was selected to be part of the school’s inaugural Community Sustainability Partnership Program. Graduate students and professors will engage residents to begin assessing various city needs. The agenda includes the linear park and…
SANFORD, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) – The City of Sanford is getting excited about a new plan to develop near the waterfront. They are calling the three-block project, the “catalyst”. City Manager Norton Bonaparte says, “Wow, this is really going to transform Sanford. We call it the catalyst site because we see the development taking…
Sergeant Robert Mark of the Apopka Police Department is the proverbial salt of the earth. He is the type of person that needs to be cloned and sprinkled throughout a community. Mark retired yesterday after 50-plus-years of service in law enforcement. “Sergeant Mark was a well-respected mentor to dozens of Apopka police officers,” said Apopka…
PORT ORANGE – Do you think the city police department should get more funding? How about the city parks? Or maybe you would suggest City Council members get a raise … or not. City officials are reaching out to residents for their input on planning the city’s budget for the coming year. For the second…
MULBERRY – Mulberry is facing an estimated $8 million in repairs to its aging wastewater system to stop stormwater from pouring through its cracks, but that cost isn’t expected to impact customer rates. City Manager Rick Johnson said grant funding should cover the lion’s share of the repairs, and recent efficiency measures have trimmed the…
There was deafening silence from sugar executives Friday in the wake of Sen. Bill Nelson’s suggestion the government seize their land to save Treasure Coast waters from algae blooms that are suffocating sea life and forcing people to wear masks because of the stench. Representatives of Florida Crystals did not respond to emails and calls…
It seems odd to find heroes in the middle of a crisis that has no immediate solution. Heroes are supposed to sweep in and save the day — and I don’t believe anybody is going to be able to quick-fix the punishing fresh water releases from Lake Okeechobee. But I’d like to say a word…
The blue-green algae outbreak is dissipating in the waters near Palm Beach, according to Deputy Town Manager Jay Boodheshwar. “We’ve seen a decrease in visible algae in the Intracoastal,” he said Friday. “We haven’t seen anything south of the C-51 Canal. Everything is north.” Coastal Coordinator Rob Weber inspected sections of the town shoreline Friday…
The city of Orlando has promised to get more than $17 million in donations to victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting by Oct. 1. The OneOrlando Fund Board, whose 15 members were also announced Friday, will hold two town hall meetings Aug. 4 “to get feedback from the victim’s families, survivors and the Orlando community”…
Do you want to build a list of supporters, spread the word about the good your CRA is doing and keep your local community informed about your activities? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should consider an online mailing list. Email marketing is a powerful tool that your CRA can use…
At the Northwest Florida League of Cities Summer Gala, Tallahassee City Commissioner Gil Ziffer was honored with the Florida League of Cities’ Home Rule Hero Award. This award recognizes Commissioner Ziffer’s tireless efforts to advance the League’s legislative agenda and help protect home rule powers of Florida cities. Home rule powers allow local cities and…
Like most pioneers of great cities and buzzing communities, Jeffrey Ross has had an incredible career and life. Ross came to Miami by way of Los Angeles, where he first entered the restaurant industry with his critically acclaimed seafood market and restaurant, Bayshore. He sold it 10 years later to, “take a break” and freelanced…
To encourage redevelopment on six thoroughfares in the Bradenton area, the Manatee County Commission took an initial step Tuesday by amending its long-range land-use plan to allow significant increases in potential homes per acre and square footages for offices and retail. The intent is to encourage redevelopment of declining properties, such as vacant shopping centers,…
Although she is not sure what it eventually will be called, Habitat Gastronomy on the Creek is the working name for the culinary park Rebecca Maddox plans for the vacant commercial lot across Haldeman Creek from her Three60 Market. “Right now, this is just a working title because it’s going to have fabulous food. I…
Any day now, Brooks Busey expects to sign a lease for a restaurant at his new development at Sadler Point Marine Center in Jacksonville’s Westside. That restaurant, which he declines to identify pending the lease, will launch The Bridge, an 18,000-square-foot former furniture and marine retail store to be converted into retail, office and restaurant…
The final details are still being worked out, but the agreement between the University of South Florida and the city of Palmetto was finalized Monday night. The USF Community Sustainability Partnership Program asks a community what are its important projects and what can USF offer to help the community achieve its sustainable goals. It is…
Is your CRA represented on social media? If not, you are missing out on a huge opportunity for raising awareness and growing support for your CRA. Social media sites are much more than networks of friends sharing stories and pictures. Increasingly, people are getting their daily news on social media and businesses are using these…
A South Carolina marina group is expanding its South Florida presence with the acquisition of the long-running Fort Lauderdale Boatyard and Marina, formerly called Jackson Marine. Atlantic Marina Holdings LLC announced this week that an affiliate had purchased the approximately 10-acre marina property, at 1915 SW 21st Ave., with plans to redevelop it. County property…
No one can say that community organizations are ignoring the needs of the Duval neighborhood of east Gainesville. They’re practically tripping over each other. In 2013, Alachua Habitat for Humanity chose Duval for neighborhood revitalization because the organization and others were already there doing home repairs, weatherization and painting, said Casey Smith, former Habitat director…
The City of Tallahassee Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is kicking off its Fiscal Year 2017 Promotional Special Event Grant Program Cycle. The CRA has $85,000 available to help fund promotional and/or special events within the Greater Frenchtown/Southside Community Redevelopment Area ($50,000) and the Downtown District Community Redevelopment Area ($35,000). The grant funds will be available…