Good News From Florida’s CRAs

Sepia Vernacular: Overtown Photography Exhibition Opens at Lawson E. Thomas Building

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffFebruary 3, 2026

A new photography exhibition spotlighting Overtown’s rich Black history has opened at the newly restored Lawson E. Thomas Building, offering the public a rare visual journey into one of Miami’s most influential communities. Timed to coincide with Black History Month, Sepia Vernacular: Overtown’s Photographic Journey, 1920–1950 is presented by the Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency (SEOPW…

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Neighbors Call for Action as McCollum Hall Redevelopment Moves Forward

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffFebruary 3, 2026

Robert Terrell has witnessed firsthand the evolution of Fort Myers’ historic Dunbar neighborhood—from a once-thriving, self-sufficient community to a place he now hopes is on the cusp of renewal. The 66-year-old lifelong resident fondly recalls growing up in the historically Black neighborhood during the 1960s and 70s, when Dunbar was filled with local businesses, restaurants,…

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Rays Could pay for Half of Stadium as DeSantis Plans to Meet with MLB Commissioner

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffFebruary 3, 2026

New details on the Tampa Bay Rays’ stadium plans are expected this week, with a possible meeting Tuesday between Gov. Ron DeSantis and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred as talks focus on Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus. Two weeks ago, the Hillsborough College Board approved an agreement with the Rays to redevelop the 113-acre site, including…

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Fort Myers Looks to Brighten Space Beneath Caloosahatchee Bridge

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffFebruary 3, 2026

Fort Myers city leaders are considering a proposal to install new lighting and design enhancements underneath the Caloosahatchee Bridge. The goal is to transform the underpass into a safer, more welcoming area for pedestrians and cyclists. The project is being advanced by the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency. Officials said the Caloosahatchee Bridge also serves…

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Apopka Families See Major Home Improvements Through Residential Renovation Assistance Program

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffJanuary 29, 2026

Families in Apopka are seeing major improvements to their homes, thanks to a residential renovation assistance program The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) invested nearly $1 million to help eligible homeowners with critical repairs and upgrades. For Apopka homeowner Tim Williams, the need for repairs was clear from the start. “I knew it was an…

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Lake Worth Beach CRA: WMODA Permits Filed, Utility Relocation Underway Downtown

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffJanuary 27, 2026

The Lake Worth Beach Community Redevelopment Agency says a long-planned downtown redevelopment centered on the Wiener Museum of Decorative Arts is moving deeper into pre-construction, with permit activity and utility work now underway. According to the CRA, WMODA submitted permit applications in October 2025, while the city’s Electric Utilities Department is relocating and upgrading power…

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The Arcadian Celebrates Ribbon Cutting and Time Capsule Ceremony at 640 NW 7th Avenue in Fort Lauderdale’s Sistrunk District

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffJanuary 27, 2026

A ribbon cutting and ceremonial time capsule installation recently marked the opening of The Arcadian, a mixed-use residential development at 640 NW 7th Avenue in Fort Lauderdale’s Sistrunk District. The project delivers 502 apartments across two eight-story buildings and represents a major investment in attainable housing and commercial activity, supported in part by a $10…

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Tarpon Springs Revives Main Street Program After 40 Years

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffJanuary 27, 2026

The City Commission unanimously voted Jan. 13 to reactivate Tarpon Springs Main Street as a Florida Main Street Community after a nearly 40-year hiatus. City Manager Charles Rudd, addressing commissioners seated as the Community Redevelopment Agency, said the designation culminates a long effort to reestablish the program. “There was a Main Street Program in the…

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Winter Park Launches $2.5 Million Refresh Of Iconic Park Avenue

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffJanuary 27, 2026

One of Central Florida’s most beloved downtown corridors is getting a major upgrade. On January 20, 2026, the city began Phase One of the Park Avenue Refresh, a multi-year, $2.5 million project aimed at improving safety, infrastructure, and aesthetics along the historic street. The first phase focuses on the stretch between Webster Avenue and Garfield…

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Overtown Affordable Housing Project Opens 44 Renovated Apartments Without Displacement

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffJanuary 27, 2026

Residents, elected officials and community leaders gathered this month in Historic Overtown to celebrate the grand opening of 16 Corner, a multi-family affordable housing development project that restored five aging buildings into 44 modern apartments without displacing a single resident. The renovation represents an achievement in a city grappling with rising rents and redevelopment pressure.…

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Haines City Seeks Community Input to Revive Oakland Business District

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffJanuary 27, 2026

Haines City is moving forward with efforts to revive its once-thriving Oakland neighborhood business district. Residents like Noel Marsh remember when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way was a bustling Black business corridor, a stark contrast to today, where only one business remains across seven blocks. “Anything that brings business back here would be a…

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Phase I of Magnolia Avenue Redesign to Begin this February

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffJanuary 27, 2026

The City of Orlando is preparing to begin Phase I improvements on Magnolia Avenue, a downtown street redesign that will convert the corridor from one-way to two-way traffic and change how buses, parking, and everyday travel work along the route. The project covers South Magnolia Avenue from South Street north to Livingston Street, near the…

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