Good News From Florida’s CRAs

Tax Increment Financing Quicknotes – Prepared by American Planning Association (APA) research staff and James Krohe, Jr. [Download – Tax Increment Financing in Florida]

Parks Can Be Central to a Great Redevelopment Project – Publication by Peter Harnik, Ben Welle, and Albert Pingree The Trust for Public Land When there’s nothing to conserve – create! Read the publication here: The Trust for Public Land

The Florida Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy has just release a Report analyzing Florida’s Taxation Policies. Florida’s new governor and legislative leaders have indicated that they will rely solely on spending cuts to balance the state budget in the legislative session beginning next March. Once again Florida faces a gap – this one estimated…

BB&T reported record revenues for 2010 and continues LENDING for 2011 BB&T Corporation (NYSE: BBT) today reported earnings for the fourth quarter of 2010.  Net income available to common shareholders totaled $208 million, or $.30 per diluted common share, compared with $185 million, or $.27 per diluted common share, earned during the fourth quarter of…

Garden a vine of hope for Boynton Beach neighborhood By Carlos Fras Palm Beach Post Staff Writer This garden started with a dream, too. On this, the city’s most blighted stretch, on the street named for the dreamer who imagined that people would come together, hope – and broccoli – springs eternal. Kelvin Rance takes…

Flood Insurance and CRA’s Businesses As you are aware, flood insurance is available to businesses within CRAs throughout the State. Premium costs vary depending on how much insurance is purchased and the property’s flood risk area (i.e., Flood Zone). For example, if a property is located in a moderate to low risk area (“X” zones)…

Property owners, town say Worth Avenue makeover a lesson in collaboration Photo by: Jeffrey Langlois Coconut palms and increased planting areas are among the improvements to the Avenue. By Robert JanjigianDaily News Fashion Editor Proposals to revamp the Worth Avenue streetscape from the ocean to Cocoanut Row had been floating around several years. Each renovation…

Pensacola CRA: Pelican Drop rings in 2011 Phaedra Harris was ready to ring in 2011 with a hoot and a holler. Strolling down Palafox Street on Friday evening, the 16-year-old Pensacola resident listed her Pelican Drop plans: enjoy some barbecue, find a good spot to watch the drop, then call family and friends to shriek,…

Doll shop’s leap to success shows merits of starter program By ANNIE MARTIN FLAGLER BEACH — Two local entrepreneurs have found a niche in the pint-sized world of dolls. This and That Treasures, a shop that specializes in the popular American Girl dolls, has twice upgraded to larger spaces since it opened for business last…

2011 Rural Economic Development Summit Florida’s Statewide Rural Economic Development Summit is back! The 2011 Summit theme is Florida’s Rural Economic Development Future in the New Economy and will focus on the economic development challenges and opportunities facing rural Florida communities in today’s technology driven, knowledge-based economy. Summit Date and Location: February 16-18th, 2011 The…

Roadmap to Florida’s Future: Statewide Strategic Plan for Economic Development In this global economic crisis, diversifying Florida’s economy is more compelling than ever and the statewide strategic plan for economic development is more relevant than ever.  By statute, Enterprise Florida produces the statewide strategic plan for economic development, Roadmap to Florida’s Future, on behalf of…

Downtown Miami could get a boost at revitalization this year. Six new restaurants and night life operators are expected to occupy 20,000 square feet on the ground floor of Macy’s west building, 2 W. Flagler St., in downtown Miami by June 1, said Bill Fuller and Martin Pinilla II, managing partners of the Miami-based Barlington…

New Smyrna Beach CRA: City eyes redevelopment area to boost economy OAK HILL — Creating a community redevelopment area along River Drive between Halifax and Canal avenues might help pump some much-needed funds into the local economy, the city’s mayor says. “I am pretty sold on the idea that it’s a good idea,” said Mayor…

New Push to Redevelop Prime Land on West Atlantic Avenue By Leon Fooksman Over the years, clusters of prime real estate along Delray Beach’s West Atlantic Avenue have stood undeveloped. Builders have proposed plans for shops, offices and housing units, but for various reasons, those projects never materialized. Now, a major landowner, the Delray Beach…

CRA SET TO RELOCATE HISTORIC HOUSE Harvel House moving to Historic Fifth Avenue DELRAY BEACH, Fla.—The Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency is relocating a historic single-family structure from 36 SE 1st Avenue to a CRA-owned lot at 186 NW 5th Avenue on Thursday, December 16th, beginning at 5am. The Harvel House, as it is called,…

Downtown trolley now award-winning downtown trolley by Andrew Abramson A trolley ride from CityPlace to Clematis Street just became more prestigious. The Florida Redevelopment Association honored West Palm’s Downtown Development Authority with the “Annual Award for Project Excellence in Transportation Enhancement.” West Palm was one of numerous cities around the country last decade to receive…

Downtown Miami is becoming the new hot place to live and play, with the population increasing and new businesses and entertainment spots popping up all over.

Tax increment financing is a unique tool available to cities and counties for redevelopment activities. It is used to leverage public funds to promote private sector activity in the targeted area. The dollar value of all real property in the Community Redevelopment Area is determined as of a fixed date, also known as the “frozen…

The Boynton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has teamed up with developer Cornerstone Group to include affordable housing at The Preserve, a new master-planned luxury condominium and townhome community under construction in Boynton Beach. Through the joint financing effort, income-eligible buyers can qualify for as much as $160,000 in financial assistance on a condo or…

Apopka The 1998 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Commercial Revitalization program began with an award of $750,000 for the downtown CRA District.  This grant provided funding for new sidewalks, underground utilities, trees and facade renovations.  More than 14,436 lineal feet of new sidewalks were installed, which included brick stamp inlay on 5′ of every 15…

Finding support for redevelopment efforts is more crucial than ever. Local governments are being forced to consider cutting back on spending even for successful programs that benefit the whole community. What should you do to be proactive, respond, or prepare? As an FRA member, you have several resources. One is a full menu of public…