The city of Kissimmee and Kissimmee’s City Hall are being recognized for overall city beautification projects to the downtown area. This week, they were presented with the 2025 Downtown Beautification and Innovation Award. City leaders say a huge factor in receiving this recognition was the addition of roughly 30 murals to Kissimmee and its downtown…
PulteGroup, one of the nation’s largest home builders, in partnership with the Boynton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), will officially break ground on July 17 on The Cottage District, a standalone workforce housing initiative located within the City of Boynton Beach’s “Heart of Boynton District” close to downtown. The community will feature 41 single-family homes…
The Margate Community Redevelopment Agency recently completed the purchase of a parcel of land at 1100 State Road 7 for $3.8 million. It was announced at the July 8 meeting that the CRA had closed on the property that contains the Country Haven Motel. The structure is now vacant and awaiting demolition. Mayor Arlene Schwartz…
The Long Meeting Short segment with City Clerk Vanessa Joseph, Esq. on July 8, 2025, provided a comprehensive overview of the recent meetings held by the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) board and the city council of North Miami. The CRA board initiated the session by approving a $200,000 business attraction expansion and rehabilitation grant for…
The Orlando City Council has approved À La Cart to oversee the operations of Art², a new park opening this fall at the corner of Orange Avenue and Robinson Street. Art² aims to serve as an innovative public space that encourages community connection and engagement. The park will include rotating food vendors, a craft beverage…
The distinctive, white, curved, three-story building at 228 N. Ridgewood Drive in Sebring was a Wachovia Bank branch when it closed 15 years ago this month. Now its being cleaned up and fixed up and soon renovated into modern office space for short term or longer term rentals for various business needs. The Blackmon family…
The Niceville community redevelopment agency voted to accept bids from various contractors for the construction of the pier and dock project at the old town Landing on Boggy Bayou. The agency also announced that they would begin cost estimating the beginning of the upland portion of the community redevelopment area – which would eventually include…
As its 10th anniversary nears, the Sebring Soda & Ice Cream Works will soon have a new owner, a familiar face in the cafe business in Sebring – Yunii del Cueto of Sophie’s Cafe. The purchase of the ice cream and soda shop was announced at Tuesday’s gathering of downtown business people during the coffee…
The Cape Coral Community Redevelopment Agency has awarded its first Demolition Assistance Grant to Nautilus Equity Group, LLC, to remove a severely deteriorated structure at 4528 S.E. 15th Ave. The new Demolition Assistance Grant Program accelerates the removal of blighted buildings within the CRA district by reimbursing a portion of demolition costs. It aims to revitalize properties,…
A roughly 6-mile stretch of Memorial Boulevard traveled by 20,000 to 40,000 vehicles a day is a “corridor of opportunity” to Lakeland officials. Valerie Vaught, manager of Lakeland’s Community Redevelopment Agency, offered a first look at the city’s Memorial Boulevard Economic Development Strategy at the July 7 commission meeting. The 61-page report from consultant Ayres…
RMA, a leading economic development firm, has been awarded a contract by the City of Lakeland to spearhead the strategic modification of the Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Midtown District Redevelopment Plan. This initiative will encompass a thorough analysis of existing conditions, the implementation of performance measures, and the establishment of updated goals and objectives.…
A plan to help homeless people get off the street is currently in motion with the 407 Connect project, a partnership between the city of Orlando and the Christian Service Center for the Homeless. As the 2025 Point-In-Time count revealed that 2,781 people were found living in shelters, inside their cars, or outdoors on a…
Major construction at the Cornerstone development in downtown Coral Springs is expected to wrap up by September, the project’s developer told the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency this week. While work will continue on the retail spaces, more than 700 apartment units in the north and south buildings are slated for completion by that time, according…
John Teixeira and his business partner, Devon Tillman, own Outpost Neighborhood Tavern. They described the menu as American with a Southern-inspired twist. “Our community has really been screaming for new restaurants and new safe spaces,” said Teixeira. “I’m really hopeful that this restaurant will add a lot to the Lake Eola and Thorton Park neighborhoods.”…
A new plan by the city of St. Augustine aims to bring new life to a part of town that hasn’t received the same attention as the rest of the historic city. That’s why city leaders agreed this week to adopt a 30-year plan to funnel money into the community and revitalize it. Community Redevelopment…
For more than a century, Tampa Union Station has served as the city’s grand gateway for passenger trains. Now, with an eye toward the next 100 years, the city of Tampa’s Community Redevelopment Agency has committed $4 million to restore the national and local historic landmark — including new windows, updated restrooms, roof repairs and…
Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency issued a Request for Statement of Qualifications for its planned Walk of Innovation. The riverfront project will reimagine public space from the Edison to Caloosahatchee bridges, culminating at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates. Goals include a master plan that integrates augmented reality and virtual reality elements, honors historical and cultural…
The restoration of Tampa Union Station is quite literally bringing back a long-gone piece of the downtown landmark’s history. Thanks to community contributions, the nonprofit Friends of Tampa Union Station bought the historic train station’s original door handles and knobs from a collector in Miami. These collector’s items from a bygone era when rail ruled…
A new, affordable housing community is coming to Fort Myers, marking a significant step forward in addressing the region’s pressing need for attainable housing. Located at 2010 Hanson St. in Fort Myers, Bloom is being developed by Renaissance Development Group, in collaboration with Lee County and the city of Fort Myers. The 336-unit community will offer affordable rental…
Developers plan to transform the vacant lot that once housed Bradenton’s city hall into a 7-story luxury apartment building with nearly 400 units. The City of Bradenton’s Community Redevelopment Agency Board unanimously supported the idea at its June 11 meeting and moved the application forward. The action directed staff and legal counsel to create a…
In an area of downtown Tampa that was once part of the bustling Central Avenue Black business district, a historic building has undergone a powerful transformation. Kid Mason Community Center, which opened during segregation in August 1946 as the city’s first recreation center for Black residents, has emerged from a top-to-bottom renovation as a revitalized…