PANAMA CITY — Members of the Downtown Improvement Board (DIB) heard signs of a positive outcome for their debt woes during a special meeting Thursday. Board members originally discussed selling downtown parking lots owned by the DIB to pay its $58,789 in outstanding debt. About $50,000 of the debt is accruing interest at 4.75 percent. DIB members…
DetailsWhen you see Fort Lauderdale’s new free downtown transportation, you might do a double take: It could be a bus masquerading as a trolley. It’ll have bigger windows and a boxier shape more typical of a standard bus. It’ll also include a cupola, bell and design finishes typical of a trolley. The trolley-style bus also…
DetailsOn a ragged stretch of downtown Fort Lauderdale straddling the railroad tracks, a rebirth is coming. All Aboard Florida, the company that plans to launch Orlando-to-Miami roundtrip passenger rail service, has been quietly assembling land in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The scope of its deals — covering a large swath north of Broward Boulevard near the…
DetailsSARASOTA – A building boom unlike any the city has seen in almost a decade could soon be underway in Sarasota’s urban core. Some two dozen potential developments in or adjacent to downtown’s Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) are in some stage of construction or planning — and many are stalled projects from the housing bubble of…
DetailsIf all goes according to plan, Homestead’s somewhat forlorn downtown will get a $60 million facelift in the next decade or so, with a new city hall, police station, library and parking garage, and a restored Art Deco movie theater. In addition, there is talk of building a 556-foot observation tower, akin to Seattle’s Space…
DetailsLAKE ALFRED | The downtown business district in Lake Alfred is getting closer to hav ing long-desired signs to help guide people around both sides of the business corridor. The City Commission will be asked to choose a sign design and accept proposed sign locations when it meets at 7:30 p.m. Monday. Since U.S. 17/92…
DetailsVENICE – Business and city leaders regard Venice’s vibrant downtown shopping district as their city’s centerpiece. If downtown experiences an economic decline, they believe the consequences will be felt citywide. That is why City Council member Emilio Carlesimo says he wants a public discussion about the concept of a “community redevelopment area” for downtown. When…
DetailsMOUNT DORA — A mound of dirt and a handful of shovels lay in the middle of the historic downtown area where city officials, residents and merchants joined Mayor Cathy Hoechst today in a ground breaking ceremony to kick off phase two of the streetscape construction project. The $3 million construction effort calls for updates…
DetailsORLANDO, FL, (May 6, 2014) – on March 18, 2014, a strategic vision plan created by VHB for an East Town Center District in central Florida was adopted. FRA member VHB, a national planning, design and engineering firm, has its Southeast headquarters in Orlando. The East Town Center Strategic Vision Plan study area is 47…
DetailsFlorida Brownfields Association Applauds Legislature’s Passage of Brownfield Legislation April 30, 2014 – The Florida Brownfields Association (FBA) applauds the Florida Legislature’s passage yesterday of new Brownfield legislation designed to further the cleanup and redevelopment of Brownfield sites, create jobs, and improve Florida’s communities. The legislation will soon be sent to the Florida Governor. “The…
DetailsAUBURNDALE | City officials want more restaurants, multifamily residences, offices and manufacturers downtown, and they’re willing to pay. Over the past 12 years, the city has been sprucing up its downtown with the help of its Community Redevelopment Agency. The focus has been on maintaining the area and making aesthetic improvements. Now, the CRA is…
DetailsST. PETERSBURG — On a budget, the City Council will have to decide which parts of St. Petersburg’s coastline are worth including in long-term plans. Last month, the city contracted with AECOM, a Los Angeles-based global consulting firm that worked on Vision 20/20 to develop the city’s land use regulations, to devise a similar plan for…
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