Good News From Florida’s CRAs

Feb232021

Fort Myers CRA Board of Commissioners Approves NEW CRA Home Preservation Program and Partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffFebruary 23, 2021

Fort Myers, FL. On March 17, the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is proud to announce that its new Home Preservation Program will partner with Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties (Habitat). Homeowners with outstanding code violations may qualify to have projects/repairs completed by Habitat. The maximum assistance is $25,000 owner-occupied dwellings…

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Feb172021

Winter Garden Launches Phase Two of Love Local Campaign

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffFebruary 17, 2021

                  The Love Local campaign, launched by the City of Winter Garden last fall, continues in 2021 with a line-up of programs and activities to help small businesses recover from financial losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The intent of the Love Local campaign is to build…

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Feb162021

Lakeland Art Infusion project will paint 100 murals on local businesses

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffFebruary 16, 2021

The City of Lakeland is using half a million dollars on a project to revitalize the downtown area. Pretty soon you’ll see more murals in Lakeland. On Monday, Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency launched its Art Infusion Grant program to bring more than 100 murals to businesses in downtown and Dixieland. “Basically a façade improvement on…

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Feb162021

Guest column: Successful public private partnerships

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffFebruary 16, 2021

We have heard a lot recently about public-private partnerships, most notably in the debate over the redevelopment agreement between Jacksonville and the Jaguars to develop Lot J. Broadly speaking, public-private partnerships or PPPs are collaborations between the public and private sectors to facilitate development projects and build public facilities and infrastructure. A few years ago,…

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Feb162021

Small rural counties and cities receive business development grants

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffFebruary 16, 2021

Fourteen small rural counties and cities recently received grants totaling $348,400 for site preparation projects designed to lure new businesses to the area. The awards are part of Enterprise Florida Inc’s (EFI) Rural Expansion Toolkit initiative to assist rural communities with broad-based economic engagement and capacity building efforts. “Many rural communities throughout the state that…

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Feb122021

Pompano Beach CRA Expands the “Love Always, Pompano Beach” Campaign

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffFebruary 12, 2021

The Pompano Beach CRA is proud to expand the “Love Always, Pompano Beach” campaign to include businesses in the Northwest CRA District. The vibrant marketing initiative launched in November 2020 as a pilot program with businesses in the East CRA District. The successful campaign saturated the South Florida market with enticing videos and photos via…

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Feb122021

CRA Board Approves Incentive to Coffee Roaster on the Park

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffFebruary 12, 2021

Homestead City Council meeting as the Community Redevelopment Agency Board approved a business incentive grant to a new business on Krome Avenue. Sips Coffee Roasters opened its first shop in Miami two years ago on Seventh Avenue. It plans to move its headquarters to Homestead occupying two of the three bays that were formerly the Paramount…

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Feb102021

Economic downturn forces CRAs to choose: Fund business growth or help start new companies?

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffFebruary 10, 2021

Many of South Florida’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) directors have two choices: Continue to sustain existing businesses through the pandemic, or return to attracting new entrepreneurs to their cities. With Option A, they can maintain jobs in the area, and with Option B, they bring in new jobs and increase the value of the city.…

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Feb82021

Lakeland CRA launches Art Infusion program for murals, facades along South Florida Avenue

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffFebruary 8, 2021

Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency is hoping it can inspire businesses and artists alike to show their love for the South Florida Avenue corridor this month. The Lakeland CRA will launch an Art Infusion Grant Program starting Feb. 15 to help bring new life and color to Dixieland and downtown Lakeland. It will fund approximately a half million…

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Jan212021

National Authors Share Cultural Insights with Delray Beach Audience Three Months in a Row

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffJanuary 21, 2021

Delray Beach, FL (January 8, 2021) – This spring, the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum, Arts Garage and the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) will welcome three nationally-acclaimed authors to share their insights on race and its impact upon American culture. From February to April 2021, one author will be featured each month, as part…

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Jan132021

Downtown Clearwater street closures will continue for outdoor dining

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffJanuary 13, 2021

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Outdoor dining has been the saving grace for local businesses trying to stay afloat throughout the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The City of Clearwater announced Tuesday in an email that it will be extending the closure of a portion of Cleveland Street in Downtown Clearwater through April 16. This announcement comes as good…

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Jan112021

Panama City Beach looking to improve street lights by applying for grant money

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffJanuary 11, 2021

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WMBB)– The city of Panama City Beach is looking to make improvements to their street lights on parts of Front Beach Road and South Thomas Drive. In 2020, the council had approved a contract to inspect the streetlights to determine the cost of repairing them after damage sustained from Hurricane Michael.…

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