An abandoned alley in Lake Worth, Fla., was re-developed into an attractive greenway through team work and perseverance by a researcher, school district employee, city staff, and the community. The greenway, which is located near a school in a predominantly Latino area, will increase the area’s walkability and connect two neighborhoods to a nearby high…
DetailsAs completion for Bonita Springs’ ambitious downtown redevelopment project nears the midway mark, local business owners and developers are gearing up to move into the revamped Old 41 Road corridor with projects — big and small. The city’s investment into the area — $18.6 million in stormwater drainage, parking, roundabouts and road improvements — is…
DetailsMANATEE COUNTY — Roughly 1,800 to 2,000 homes are built in Manatee County each year, mostly in areas east of Interstate 75 such as Parrish and Lakewood Ranch. Meanwhile, what is considered the county’s “urban core” — much of which dates to the 1950s and 1960s — experiences scant new development and noticeable decline, such as vacant…
DetailsTAMPA — For the second time in a year, the City Council on Thursday sided with neighborhood activists, voting 5 to 1 to urge that the planned Tampa Bay Express interstate expansion be taken off a local priority list of transportation projects. Several council members said the $1.2 billion reconstruction of the downtown interchange would…
DetailsThe University of Florida’s emerging, long-term growth plan includes ideas to transform the area between campus and downtown — and one that could mandate UF students spend their first two years living on campus. During Thursday’s Board of Trustees meeting at Emerson Alumni Hall, consultants described a future that could include a light rail line…
DetailsLAKELAND — Five new homes owned by five homesteaders could help turn an underdeveloped corner of the Parker Street neighborhood into an example of restabilization. Prestige Worldwide Group, a boutique historic real estate firm in Lakeland, will donate materials and labor to create old Lakeland-style bungalows on five empty lots on Vermont Avenue north of…
DetailsThe parent company of The Florida Times-Union has put its riverfront property on the market and a list of options on the table. But the most likely future of the 18-acre parcel is as a site for apartments and retail shops, local developers and brokers say. “We’re open to anything and everything,” said Times-Union Media…
DetailsA collaborative local effort lost out in its bid for Promise Zone designation from Housing and Urban Development. The city of Pensacola acted as the lead agency in a partnership with Escambia County, the University of West Florida, Pensacola State College and Escambia County School District. The group applied for the designation in an effort to bring additional resources…
DetailsWASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration has added nine communities to its effort to ease access to federal aid and cut red tape for areas beset by joblessness, crime and poor housing. The newly selected so-called Promise Zones include neighborhoods in Nashville, south Los Angeles, the west side of Atlanta, parts of Evansville, Indiana; San…
DetailsThe Florida Times-Union property at 1 Riverside Ave. is on the market for possible sale or redevelopment. Morris Publishing Group, parent company of the Times-Union and Jacksonville.com, said Saturday that it will consider proposals to sell the 18-acre property on the St. Johns River, or consider possible partnerships to develop the site for mixed use,…
DetailsOrlando, FL—GAI Consultants (GAI) welcomes Planning and Urban Design Manager Andrew Sheppard, ASLA, PLA, LEED®AP to the firm’s Community Solutions Group. Mr. Sheppard brings over 16 years of experience in Master Planning for new communities as well as redevelopment sites. In this role, Andrew will focus on expanding GAI’s capabilities with community master planning and urban…
DetailsIn 2014, a special act of the Florida Legislature combined the Pinellas County Metropolitan Planning Organization and Pinellas Planning Council into a single entity with a 13-member governing board of elected officials representing the different communities in Pinellas County. After extensive consideration about its mission, role and responsibilities, the organization has been officially rebranded as…
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