An alternative set of regulations now applies to six thoroughfares where the Manatee County Commission wants to encourage urban development. The new codes allow for more density and building height for developers who want to build in an urban setting. The rules are especially intended to encourage walkable, mixed-use development that combines retail, offices and…
DetailsLAKE WORTH – Doralea Asher knows what it takes to run a small business in Lake Worth. As the owner of All Good Things Antiques & Collectibles on North Dixie Highway, Asher has been operating her multi-dealer mall where more than 20 dealers sell a variety of antique products, for nearly 19 years. On Thursday,…
DetailsMayor Bob Buckhorn is thinking about recycling another piece of downtown Tampa from the 1970s. This time, it’s the annex behind the John F. Germany Public Library, plus the neighboring auditorium with the clamshell-shaped dome. Once people and the city’s mainframe computers are moved out of the annex — a process scheduled to start next…
DetailsA massive parking garage under construction on Independence Lane near City Hall serves as the first concrete sign of a downtown dream two decades in the making. City officials say the garage is crucial to the $68 million Maitland City Centre project, which is poised to transform the area into a pedestrian-friendly, urban core. But…
DetailsIn an attempt to bring tourists and young people back to aging downtown districts, many cities have legalized outdoor drinking – and it has been somewhat successful in revitalizing those areas, according to an article from The Pew Charitable Trusts. In 2016, cities in Mississippi and Ohio legalized “outdoor refreshment areas,” zones where patrons can…
DetailsWhen Fernandina Beach Utilities Department Director John Mandrick sat down to read the latest issue of Trenchless Technology, he was taken somewhat aback. There on page 68 of the October 2016 issue was his photo and the city logo. As he read on, Mandrick realized that his department’s work on rehabilitating manholes and pipes had…
DetailsUber and Lyft drivers will now be able to legally operate in Hillsborough County. The Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission voted Wednesday to approve a temporary operating agreement. The measure will allow the ride-hailing companies to work in the county. Uber and Lyft agreed to the settlement, but company officials maintain a state law on…
DetailsWhile Manatee County’s half-cent infrastructure sales tax will not go into effect until January, county officials are already looking through the list of projects that will be funded with the new revenue to see which can be started first. “We would like to, as we identify those projects, come back to the board and perhaps…
DetailsThe city will host an open house on Tuesday to educate residents about the $32 million groundwater replenishment project currently under design after seven years of study. Clearwater is the first city in Florida and one of only a handful in the United States to launch a facility that will purify wastewater to drinking standards…
DetailsHurricane Matthew washed away dunes and vegetation along Flagler Beach, and now the goal is to figure out how to rebuild. City, county, state and federal officials on Wednesday came together in a closed meeting to throw around ideas on how to fix the environmental state of the beach. Some of the ideas include dune…
DetailsThe City Council unanimously voted to accept a potential gift of 2.02 acres of land from the Frostproof Chamber of Commerce. The land, on the northeast corner of First Street and Oak Street, would be used for a public parking lot. “The idea would be to create an attractive parking area,” Mayor Rodney Cannon said…
DetailsWhile Hernando County officials have voiced concern that a proposed waste-to-energy project could cost taxpayers millions of dollars over the life of the project, the attorney representing the company that would build the plant told commissioners this week that it would instead save the county more than $1 million a year. County commissioners said they…
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