ST. PETERSBURG — St. Petersburg is going for the unconventional and fanciful: gondolas. Tampa chose a more earthbound approach: infusing projects with gadgetry. Both cities are among 70 applicants vying for the $40 million “Smart City Challenge” federal grant that emphasizes alternative and innovative transportation. Close on the heels of Clearwater’s flirtation with a mode…
DetailsAfter months of delays, County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said Wednesday that plans to rebuild the Pork and Beans housing project in Liberty City are on the fast track to a county commission vote. Last week, after Gimenez whittled six competing developers down to two, Atlantic Pacific Communities and Related Urban Development Group submitted their final…
DetailsTAMPA — The lofty expectations for downtown Tampa residential construction are beginning to meet reality, with developers and city officials celebrating this morning the groundbreaking for a 23-story apartment tower in the North Franklin neighborhood. Nine15, which will house 362 apartments and 8,000 square feet of street-level retail, is under construction on the block bordered…
DetailsDUNEDIN — It has been a long time coming. But now, after the commission’s unanimous first reading approval of a $15 million development Feb. 4, the long-discussed downtown parking plight is finally being addressed. Though official approval of the mixed-use development plans and a parking lease agreement is pending a second vote by commissioners set…
DetailsMADEIRA BEACH — Despite protests from more than 50 residents Monday night, the planning commission unanimously approved an $80 million development project that could add thousands of cars to daily traffic on the Tom Stuart Causeway. But before the project can go forward, it also must receive the approval of the City Commission, as well…
DetailsKey West is famous for its collection of old wooden houses, mostly dating to the 19th Century. The district known as Old Town is on the National Register of Historic Places. But occasionally a new building goes up in the old neighborhoods. Some recent new buildings and proposed new buildings have generated a debate about…
DetailsBoynton Beach will be able to tackle three items on its Heart of Boynton redevelopment to-do list with the help of money from the county Solid Waste Authority, as long as all necessary boards sign off. The SWA offers grants for blighted and distressed properties and their cleanup and beautification, and earlier this month the city’s Community Redevelopment…
DetailsDowntown Pensacola has so much going for it these days. Palafox was named one of the 10 Great Streets in America by the American Planning Association The Palafox Market draws thousands of people to its farmer’s market on Saturdays in the summer Gallery Night keeps getting bigger and bigger And this year the new Christmas…
DetailsConstruction on downtown Tampa’s first Publix Super Market is expected to begin as early as this spring, executives for Tampa real estate developer Mercury Advisors said this week, as early permits were approved. The 37,600-square-foot Publix is expected to open in the fall of 2017 at the corner of E Twiggs Street and N Meridian…
DetailsSEBRING — The Sebring Redevelopment Agency is participating in the 16th Annual Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition for the third year. The competition is hosted each year by the Polk Museum of Art. This year more than 60 outdoor sculptures were submitted for exhibit consideration in Lakeland, Bonita Springs, in addition to Sebring. The Sebring CRA will…
DetailsSEBRING — Successful civic and industrial expansion has spawned some reorganization in both Avon Park and Sebring. Sebring Regional Airport asked for and got an extension of its Community Redevelopment Agency timeline from 2026 to 2045 at Tuesday’s county commission meeting, which should give the CRA time to complete several projects now in the works.…
DetailsOn Feb. 3, 2016, the Miami-Dade County Grand Jury filed a report entitled “CRAs: The Good, the Bad and the Questionable.” This misguided report makes inaccurate claims and falsely asserts that the highest priority of Florida’s Community Redevelopment Agencies (CRAs) should be affordable housing. This narrow view of CRAs reduces and mistakes their value and…
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