Good News From Florida’s CRAs

One of the more innovative strategies the city of Orlando has taken to help homeless people get off the streets is on track to surpass its goal of housing roughly 400 people over a three-year period. The city announced Thursday that the city’s “dignity bus” program — offering overnight shelter on two retrofitted Greyhound buses…

Built in 1947 as the Ebenezer Methodist Church, the historic building in the heart of Overtown was redeveloped by the Overtown Community Redevelopment Agency a decade ago to become the Overtown Performing Arts Center, or OPAC. It has since become the heartbeat of the neighborhood. “One piece of the bigger picture was the CRA’s vision…

If you’ve ever dreamed of running a restaurant at historic McCollum Hall in Fort Myers, now is the time to act. The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is accepting proposals for a restaurant. The CRA also wants bids to operate a music and performing arts center at the hall. The agency said ideally that center…

A new riverfront hotel could soon grace the Downtown Jacksonville skyline. Gateway Jax is looking to build a hotel at Riverfront Plaza, and the Downtown Investment Authority is expected to vote to approve millions of dollars in incentives to bring it to life. City Councilman Jimmy Peluso, whose district includes Riverfront Plaza, believes this will…

The City of Gulf Breeze is taking steps to make daily commutes safer. The city is investing in a new multi-use paths in high-traffic areas. This is just phase two of the project. The idea is to create an entire network of paths throughout Gulf Breeze. Whether you’re walking by foot, taking an e-bike or…

Construction is underway on the massive renovation of Camping World Stadium, but the stadium itself isn’t the only thing changing in the area. The City of Orlando has expanded the boundaries of its Downtown Community Redevelopment Area, adding roughly 20 acres surrounding the stadium. That change could eventually allow Community Redevelopment Agency, or CRA, money…

After homes flooded for decades, one of Naples’ historically Black neighborhoods will become a city priority, with more than $38.2 million targeted for streets, stormwater and other improvements. Naples City Council on Sept. 16 ranked Pape-Dawson Consulting Engineers the top bidder and approved paying it $2,031,448 as a professional services consultant overseeing street, stormwater and…

Just over a year ago, the owners of six businesses gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Styx Promenade in the Historic Northwest District, just blocks north of downtown West Palm Beach. The cluster of nine buildings, designed in the shotgun architectural style, is the home of a town-square collection of urban entrepreneurs, including a…

‘The need for quality, affordable housing in communities like Hallandale Beach is profound, and it’s growing.’ Hallandale Beach is ordering its next 53 affordable apartments off a production line. The Hallandale Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (HBCRA) and Vessel Technologies announced a partnership to build two affordable housing developments totaling 53 homes on agency-owned land. One…

The Apopka, Bartow, Orlando and Winter Haven Community Redevelopment Agencies recently participated in “Where Redevelopers Meet – Orlando CRA Connect 407 Tour,” an opportunity for community redevelopment professionals to explore innovative redevelopment and housing initiatives taking place in Central Florida. The tour brought together CRA representatives for a firsthand look at projects and programs addressing…

Cape Coral City Council, sitting as the South Cape Community Redevelopment Agency commission, is expected to vote on a Tax Increment Rebate Agreement of more than $45 million between the city and Crowne Development, Inc. and Bimini Basin Redevelopment Company, LLC Wednesday. According to Resolution 11-26, “the city intends to convey the right, title and…

The City of Bradenton and its Community Redevelopment Agency are prepared to invest millions of dollars into a university building in downtown Bradenton. Pittsburgh-based Point Park University and the City of Bradenton recently announced plans to bring a satellite campus, focused on performing arts, to downtown Bradenton, and the City of Bradenton could spend up…

Work is proceeding on the Margate City Center project. At the September 9 Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) meeting, the board passed a resolution approving Brookfield Holdings’ final concept design for the Margate City Center project. When complete, the new mixed-use development is projected to produce $1.7 billion in economic impact through lease payments and tax…

The next phase of Tampa’s Rays stadium deal will have to wait a little longer after the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) board postponed action on a series of redevelopment-area changes tied to the project. The Tampa CRA continued the item until its Nov. 12 meeting. The proposal would direct CRA attorney Clifford Shepard to…

A stretch of MLK Boulevard in South St. Pete is getting a new look, with old buildings being reimagined as businesses and community spaces. The developer behind the project says this is about bringing investment back without pushing out the people who already live there. In the Roser Park neighborhood of South St. Pete, some…

Pompey Park in Delray Beach was born out of segregation — a safe haven for Black residents who faced legal discrimination. Today, it remains the heartbeat of the city’s historic Black community, and local leaders are investing millions to secure its future. Pompey Park, an anchor of “The Set” — the city’s historic Black neighborhood…

A new electric vehicle transport service intended to fight traffic congestion is being launched in West Palm Beach, Florida, with fares as low as a dollar. In order to address traffic and provide “convenient alternatives” to driving one’s own car, the city has developed West Palm Move, a “public transit network” composed of electric vehicles…

The Jackson House Foundation is vowing to move forward with plans to restore the historic Tampa building, even after a piece of the structure fell off over Labor Day weekend. The foundation’s president, Dr. Carolyn Collins, stood before the Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency Thursday to reassure board members that the project remains on track. She…

The Cape Coral City Council, sitting as South Cape Community Redevelopment Agency commissioners, approved a $45.7 million tax rebate for the Bimini East project on Wednesday. Assistant City Manager Mark Mason took the board through a presentation to shed some light on Tax-Increment Financing, and the proposed agreement with Crowne Development. Mason said when a…