Good News From Florida’s CRAs

The Martin County Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has been recognized with 2nd place in the 2025 Great Places in Florida People’s Choice Award, presented by the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA Florida). This year’s competition celebrated communities across Florida that exemplify planning excellence, placemaking, and meaningful public engagement. Through an open nomination…

The companies proposing redevelopment of Camino Square, near downtown Boca Raton, are seeking major changes, including building a pair of eight-story residential towers instead of the three-story buildings previously sought for the project. The proposal will be reviewed at Tuesday’s meeting of the Boca Raton Community Redevelopment Agency at city hall. The application, submitted by…

Restoration St. Louis has been selected as the preferred company to restore the Walesbilt Hotel. RSL was chosen over a competing proposal from the Blackmon and Adoniades Families, a St. Petersburg-based alliance of two operators who control scores of hotel and residential properties across west central Florida. In a 5-0 vote, the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment…

In the heart of Boynton Beach, what was once vacant land for more than 15 years, is now transforming into a new neighborhood that city leaders hope will redefine affordable homeownership. The Cottage District development is part of a citywide effort to make living in Boynton Beach more attainable for working families — teachers, nurses,…

A vacant lot in Downtown Fort Myers has taken on a new life as the city’s first-ever pocket park. Nestled in between the Franklin Shops lives the pocket park, located at 2208 First St. The park, named “Common Ground,” is the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA)’s latest public work investment into the neighborhood. A…

City commissioners unanimously approved a boutique hotel and retail development Oct. 7 to fill a long-vacant downtown lot that has sat empty for 17 years. The Tarpon Registry project, proposed by Infill Studio managing partners Casey Smith and Joe Harrington, will bring a 10,000-square-foot, two- or three-story building with 12 to 24 hotel rooms and…

The City of Margate is set to review a proposed development agreement for the Cocogate mixed-use project at 1308–1350 North State Road 7. The proposal includes a new eight-story residential building with 287 multifamily units, along with two additional commercial buildings totaling approximately 17,200 square feet of retail space. The plan, introduced by White Oak…

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, City Commissioners, and the Downtown Development Board/Community Redevelopment Agency will join the owners of À La Cart to officially open Art², downtown Orlando’s newest public space, during its grand opening celebration on Friday, October 10. The park will open to the public on Saturday, October 11, at 11 a.m. This innovative…

In the heart of West Palm Beach, city officials gathered on August 4, 2025, to discuss pivotal developments aimed at revitalizing local neighborhoods and enhancing community engagement. The meeting, held at city hall, focused on the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) and its strategic finance plan, which is essential for addressing issues of slum and blight…

There was no shortage of emotion at the Quality Life Center in Fort Myers on Sept. 30, as the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency hosted one of its input sessions to hear from nearly 40 community members, harkening back to special times they and their relatives experienced in historic McCollum Hall. For decades, McCollum Hall…

Kabani Hotel Group has sold the Inn at Boynton Beach, a 102-room, interior-corridor hotel located at 480 W Boynton Beach Blvd, Boynton Beach, Fla. The property sold for $8.1 million representing a price per key of $79,412 and a room revenue multiple of 4.78x. Other terms and conditions were not disclosed. The property was ultimately…

In 2022, the Fort Myers Mural Society teamed up with Fort Myers’ Community Redevelopment Agency and Public Art Committee to install 53 murals on the concrete stanchions surrounding the river basin next to the Luminary Hotel. A few weeks later, surge from Hurricane Ian damaged seven of those stanchions. They were repaired this summer, and…

The Hallandale Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (HBCRA) is pleased to announce the official start of the District 8 Streetscape Improvements Project on Monday, October 27, 2025, along NE 1st Avenue. In keeping with its objectives to revitalize major corridors throughout the Hallandale Beach redevelopment area, the CRA is investing $9 million in this growing business community. This…

In West Tampa, eight traffic signal boxes once overlooked as dull city infrastructure have been transformed into public art thanks to a project led by the Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). For CRA Arts and Cultural Project Coordinator Cory Robinson, the initiative is about more than aesthetics; it’s about community identity. “The Tampa CRA is…

The Coral Springs Community Redevelopment Agency this week signed off on up to $7.5 million in public infrastructure funding to help launch City Village, a mixed-use development planned for the former City Hall property. CRA board members voted Monday to move ahead with a formal agreement that will finance improvements along the north side of…

The Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) convened on September 25, 2025, to discuss several key resolutions aimed at enhancing community development and addressing local needs. Chaired by Christine King, the meeting featured executive director James McQueen and deputy director Vincent Brown, along with several commissioners. One of the primary resolutions passed was the…

The Flagler Beach City Commission’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) meeting on September 25, 2025, highlighted a significant step forward in local business engagement with the formation of a new advisory board. The board, informally dubbed “CRAB,” aims to enhance outreach and collaboration with businesses in the CRA District. City Manager and CRA Director praised the…

The City of Port St. Lucie has finalized a deal to purchase roughly 111.59 acres of surplus land from the St. Lucie County School District at their Sept. 22 meeting. The acquisition was approved by the city commission and is aimed at furthering the city’s goals of expanding conservation areas and parks. The land, which…

On Monday, September 29, at 3 p.m., Related Urban, the affordable housing arm of leading developer Related Group, will join the Riviera Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (RBCRA) to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Residences at Marina Village. Located in the heart of Riviera Beach’s waterfront district, within its developing downtown corridor, the Residences at Marina…

The Riviera Beach Community Redevelopment Agency hosts a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction on “Element 8 – Residences at Marina Village.” With more than $150 million in redevelopment planned for Marina Village and the Broadway Corridor, Element 8 marks the next major step in revitalizing the area into a regional gateway and…

The Sebring Community Redevelopment Agency has $110,000 earmarked for three grant programs in 2025-26 and is working on a new grant to help bring new businesses downtown. The new grant is the Commercial Rental Incentive Program, which CRA Board Chair David Leidel initially spoke of in March as a way to attract retail businesses. He…