PANAMA CITY — City Manager Jeff Brown will not hire a Community Redevelopment Agency director for at least a year, saving about $60,000. Instead, Brown has appointed Stephen Cox as the program manager of the downtown district Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) and former administrative assistant Onya Bates to fill Cox’s current position as Millville district…
DetailsThe Martin County Community Redevelopment Agency installed a rain garden on Mapp Road in the Old Palm City Community Redevelopment Area. This attractive, environmentally-friendly project allows water to infiltrate into the soil rather than becoming runoff. This helps to protect the quality of water downstream by preventing runoff from entering storm drains and helps reduce…
DetailsOnce completed, Leesburg’s $3.8 million streetscape project will be the city’s centerpiece, Mayor John Christian said during a groundbreaking ceremony for the project Tuesday morning. “This streetscape is going to be the centerpiece of our great city,” he said. “We want Leesburg to be a thriving city. I commend all of you who has worked…
DetailsAn acoustic ceiling that was installed in the old city auditorium at Tuscawilla Park in the 1980s is being torn down to expose the original bow trusses. “We want people to see there is movement going on,” said Pamela Calero, the Ocala Symphony Orchestra’s executive director. “Everything has been approved with the city.” The full…
DetailsWEST PALM BEACH — The city is about to get more specific about how loud is too loud in downtown West Palm Beach — and not everyone is happy. The City Commission is expected next month to discuss a proposed ordinance that would regulate noise more downtown, from Flagler Drive to Tamarind Avenue and from…
DetailsThe Orchid Garden, a hidden gem in downtown Orlando, has undergone a $2 million renovation by Tremont Realty Capital and is back in business. The hall and meeting facility was created in the image of a New Orleans courtyard when Bob Snow built it in the ’80s. He spared little expense, using real marble, brass…
DetailsWhen most motorists pass through downtown Ormond Beach they might see an abandoned building or two. Lucia Fanning and Kristin Heron saw blank canvas. Now the artists’ large-scale works will serve as a backdrop for the inaugural Ormond Beach Granada Grand Festival of the Arts. Julia Truilo, executive director for Ormond Beach Main Street, said…
DetailsFORT WALTON BEACH — Bring up public parking in the downtown shopping district and you’re likely to get an earful. Bottom line? Folks want more of it. The city recently agreed to study the parking issue across the entire Community Redevelopment Agency footprint – something that hasn’t happened since 2007. “A lot has happened in…
DetailsWidowed and 84 years old, Julia Minors, and her puppy, Coco, had no one to complete even the most trivial repairs on their home until Minors heard about a paint voucher program from a friend. Minors’ home received renovations to her house at little cost through Partnership for Paint, a program sponsored by Gainesville’s Community…
DetailsPANAMA CITY — The Downtown Improvement Board (DIB) selected a new director Wednesday, but the public won’t know the name of the new administrator until the vetting process is complete. DIB Chairman Jim Hayden said the position has been offered and the top candidate has accepted the job. The new director will be announced at…
DetailsSARASOTA – Some local business owners and chain stores are flocking to University Parkway and Interstate 75 to be a part of the buzz surrounding the new Mall at University Town Center. Others want to avoid it completely. The only certainty is that Southwest Florida’s retail scene is undergoing a potentially seismic shift. How downtown…
DetailsThe United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Monday, Sept. 29, the award of $61,130 to the City of Live Oak Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) for a project to strengthen and expand the Live Oak Farmers Market through training and outreach. The grant was gifted through the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP), and it…
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