Demolition of a nondescript white building is clearing a path for new development within the “golden blocks” of downtown Tallahassee. The property is owned by the Florida Retail Federation, which in 2008 began purchasing downtown parcels with the hopes of spurring mixed-used development. Plans were thwarted by an anemic economy that drained the real estate…
MOUNT DORA — Officials hope to clear the final hurdles this week to make way for the Golden Triangle’s first movie theater since 1996. The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission is expected to discuss a variance for the proposal at its meeting at 5:30 p.m. today at city hall. Afterward, EPIC Theatres officials can begin…
The surge in downtown redevelopment was temporarily stalled Wednesday when Naples City Council, in a rare flex of its building oversight, asked for a change of plans from a developer who wants to erect two residential buildings in Crayton Cove that exceed the height limits in the city code. The project would demolish the 63-foot…
DELAND — Salvage work is underway at two historic buildings in downtown DeLand set to be demolished next month to make way for a Courtyard by Marriott hotel. Workers with Florida Victorian Architectural Salvage & Antiques are pulling out everything from floors to doors in the Gould Building, at the northwest corner of Wisconsin Avenue…
SARASOTA – An 18-story Embassy Suites on Wednesday formally joined a string of ongoing construction projects expected to alleviate Southwest Florida’s hotel room shortage. But it’s not the only project easing the load. Developers expect the 180-room hotel at the corner of North Tamiami Trail and Fruitville Road will take about 15 months to open…
At Monday’s meeting of the Community Redevelopment Agency (a body made up of the five Council members and focused on urban redevelopment), Jonson brought photos he snapped at the city’s Dec. 5 Winter’s Miracle on Cleveland Street event. He gave gave them to public communications director Joelle Castelli, who put them on the overhead projector…
Sanford commissioners this week selected Torre Development Group to develop a stagnant pocket near the Lake Monroe waterfront into an area filled with homes, restaurants, shops and offices. The roughly three-block area — bordered by East Seminole Boulevard, Sanford Avenue, First Street and Palmetto Avenue — is owned by the city and mostly being used…
FORT PIERCE — The city lost $992,700 on a gamble to improve blighted areas and boost first-time home ownership for low- to moderate-income residents. City Commissioners on Monday heard a plan to recoup some of the money by selling 14 of the 76 mortgages to Harbor Community Bank for $729,300, about 53 percent less than…
Park Avenue at Christmastime will be quieter in Winter Park, after the City Commission unanimously voted to ban street performers from the sidewalks and restrict them to Central Park across the street. Meanwhile, the controversial ordinance making it easier for neighborhoods to create historic districts was finally adopted after years of discussion. The street-performer ban,…
The St. Petersburg Pier, a Tampa Bay landmark that closed in 2013, is finally undergoing a transformation after sitting dormant off the waters of downtown St. Pete for more than two years. The inverted pyramid structure, which opened in 1973 and served as a tourist draw for four decades, is being replaced by an attraction…
Coral Gables will join in a dispute between a developer, homeowners in a historic area of the city and Miami-Dade County over the development of a long-awaited community center. The City Commission voted to allow the city attorney to include Coral Gables in a lawsuit between the project’s developer, Bahamian Village LLC, and the county.…
If City Hall is the heart of Lake Worth, then historic downtown is the city’s artistic soul. Through the years, the look, vibe and feel of Lake and Lucerne avenues, the main downtown streets, has changed, as many neighborhoods often do. Today, downtown is filled with art galleries, restaurants, vintage shops, jewelry stores, boutiques, while…
FORT PIERCE — A Vero Beach developer wants to build a 23-unit condo on Indian River Drive next to St. Andrews Episcopal School. The project would be the city’s first major new residential project in decades, Mayor Linda Hudson said. “I’m delighted the developer is seeing the promise of Fort Pierce,” Hudson said. Read full…
Riviera Beach officials voted unanimously Wednesday night to sever ties with the developer of a planned $375 million waterfront project in the city. It’s been nearly two years since Viking Developers and the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency announced the massive mixed-use project, Marina Village. However, Riviera Beach and Viking have been unable to agree on…
Ideas for Apopka’s future were taped across the walls of one of its most historic homes Wednesday, as officials convened in the century-old Highland Manor to do some brainstorming. The job before the City Council: Winnow down these lists of goals, strategies and suggestions so that a cohesive, long-range plan can take shape in coming…
The fate of a proposed headquarters hotel for the soon-to-be-renovated Miami Beach Convention Center now rests with the city’s voters. Miami Beach commissioners on Wednesday unanimously voted to hold a public referendum in March whether the city should lease the land behind The Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater. The lease needs 60…
A bad reputation is a hard thing to shake. Gainesville has long had a reputation as being unfriendly to business. It hardly matters whether the reputation is fair at this point. Perception is reality. If Gainesville wants to best be able to attract businesses and encourage local entrepreneurs to start businesses, officials must do something…
TAMPA — A tug of war is shaping up between downtown and Ybor City. The prize: A cut of the new property taxes that would be generated by the development of the Gas Worx — a multistory project proposed just north of the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway, next to Channelside Drive. As it stands, a…
DUNEDIN — A developer is moving forward with a hotel project near Honeymoon Island State Park that city officials hope will bring in tourists. The plan: A five-story, 90-room hotel and 4,000-square-foot restaurant will sit at the northeast corner of Causeway Boulevard and Michael Place. The property is being developed by Benedikt Fritzsche and his…
ST. PETERSBURG — A decadeslong wait to redevelop a key block on Central Avenue might be nearing an end after a city commission approved the demolition of most of the historic 89-year-old Union Trust bank building. The redevelopment of the block downtown was a priority for Mayor Rick Kriseman. The developer, Art Village I LLC…
Rules governing signs and new construction in Key West’s Historic District might be getting a revamp. The city’s Historical Architectural Review Commission will tackle possible changes to building standards at a workshop scheduled for 5:30 p.m. today at the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center at the Truman Waterfront, at the end of Southard Street. HARC Historic…