Good News From Florida’s CRAs

Collier Commissioners rejected a request Tuesday to give part of the county’s casino revenue to the Immokalee fire district, and offered no insight on the future of the Immokalee Community Redevelopment Agency. During an annual redevelopment workshop, commissioners didn’t act on hiring for the short-staffed redevelopment agency that seeks state and federal grants to improve…

TAMPA — The lunch crowd was stunned to read the note posted on the locked door of their go-to seafood restaurant on Wednesday. “We have been blessed to be here for almost 81 years,” read the note at the Colonnade Restaurant, a Tampa landmark on Bayshore Boulevard. “Through many tears and much thought we have decided…

Dade City, known for its quaint downtown and small town charm, is experiencing quite a development boom. New city hall and police station One of the biggest projects recently unveiled is a new municipal complex. The 22,000-square-foot building located on Meridian Avenue houses both city hall and the police department. Paid for with reserve funds,…

PLANT CITY The city has signed a $48,000 contract with an engineering consultant that will help find a developer for redevelopment of the 85-acre Midtown area. GAI Consultants, based in Orlando, has more than 55 years of experience in consulting and has offices in 10 states, City Manager Mike Herr said. He said GIA’s Thomas…

The Alvin A. Dubin Alzheimer’s Resource Center has announced the addition of a new caregiver support group in Cape Coral. This new group meets the third Thursday of each month from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Grace Church, 13 SE 21st Place, Cape Coral. Respite is provided at the church, by a licensed healthcare…

MANATEE — A new wings restaurant is set to open next week along 14th Street West, making it another sign of redevelopment along the busy urban corridor. Buffalo Wild Wings, which will open April 25, is a 5,885-square-foot restaurant located at 4120 14th St. W. Manatee County’s second “B-Dubs” will also have a 795-square foot…

In Florida, a healthy downtown has become a key indicator of civic vitality. As more residents flock to walkable live/work/play city center and retailers, restaurateurs and companies will follow suit. Orlando has $2.2 billion worth of public and private infrastructure and construction projects. More than 30 projects are under construction or planned for downtown Sarasota,…

The city of Naples wants to use federal grant money to construct a new sidewalk in River Park, the city’s poor, mostly black neighborhood whose residents say the area could be served by a variety of public facility improvements. The sidewalk would be built on the north side of Fifth Avenue North, stretching east from…

We wish we had a nickel for every complaint we’ve received through the years about the Riverwalk, which was derided as a white elephant that no one would use. Instead, the 2.4-mile trail along the Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa has proved itself a major success, attracting locals, tourists and investors to the urban core.…

MILTON — Several Milton residents, and at least one council member, are concerned about the city’s attempts to purchase high-priced property downtown. During next week’s Executive Committee Meeting, the council is expected to discuss whether to purchase property owned by Theresa Messick, Councilman Jimmy Messick’s wife. While a city official has appraised the property at…

MIAMI, Fla. /Florida Newswire/ — Kim Briesemeister and Chris Brown’s new book, “Reinventing Your City – Eight Steps to Turn Your City Around” (ISBN: 9780986086007), is the essential guide for every city and business leader striving to make their community a better place. Authored by the co-founders of Redevelopment Management Associates, their approach to helping…

After months of turmoil, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez has endorsed a $307 million plan to redevelop Liberty Square, the county’s oldest public housing project. Gimenez sent a memo to county commissioners Friday recommending that they approve an agreement with Related Urban Development Group to build 1,572 units of mixed-income housing at the “Pork n’ Beans”…

PORT ORANGE — The city of Port Orange is about to turn 149 years old and all that history needs more room. So after years of trying to fit the historical artifacts in a tiny, one-room house on the riverside, The Port Orange Historical Trust now has room to spare. Trust president and co-founder Priscilla Cardwell…

TAMPA — Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik and Cascade Investment still need access to a small piece of land for a key road in their $2 billion waterfront redevelopment. But there’s a problem: The owner of the neighboring ConAgra flour mill controls the parcel. So far, talks between the mill owner and the Vinik-Cascade…

St. Petersburg decided not long ago that it wants to launch an “innovation district” — a compact, walkable piece of downtown that houses a cluster of health care, higher education, marine research and other high-powered assets. Among those key assets hoping to collaborate are USF St. Pete, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, Bayfront Health, USF…

AVON PARK — Exterior repairs made to homes and businesses with the aid of city Community Redevelopment Agency facade grants often do not amount to much more than “lipstick” on a deteriorating structure, Avon Park Administrative Services Director Maria Sutherland said Thursday. “It’s not a big amount of money, but it makes a big difference…

Four months after construction began on the new $8 million, 679-space parking garage just north of the county courthouse, the structure is taking shape since deliveries began a month ago of the precast concrete sections that make up the new structure. As the pieces arrive, a large crane lifts them and puts them into place,…

Fitch Ratings-New York-11 April 2016: Fitch Ratings has affirmed the ‘A-‘ rating on the following tax increment revenue bonds issued by the Orlando community redevelopment agency, Florida: –$14,965,000 tax increment revenue refunding bonds (Conroy Road district), series 2012. The Rating Outlook is Stable. Read full article

Brooksville should soon be part of the Florida Main Street program, which, depending on how you look at it, is happening either 31 years too late or just at the right time. A little history. In 1985, the old business districts of Dade City and Brooksville were reeling from the spread of shopping centers and…

SARASOTA – It’s no surprise immense growth is coming to downtown Sarasota, but the comprehensive picture of new hotel and residential development entails staggering increases headed to the heart of the city in coming years. City economic and planning leaders detailed planned development for the Downtown Sarasota Condo Association on Tuesday night, amid several questions from…

After decades as a sprawling big-box and strip center shopping area, Butler Plaza will soon get into the mixed-use business with development of the Butler Town Center with apartments over first-floor retail and restaurants, a seven-story Hyatt hotel and higher-end specialty shops around walkable, landscaped main streets. The town center has long been planned as…