Good News From Florida’s CRAs

Economic Development Summit for Florida City Officials

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffDecember 31, 2014

The FLC University presents JANUARY 14, 2015 – NOVA UNIVERSITY DAVIE CAMPUS TOOLS THAT WORK FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Effective economic development requires leadership.  Policy decisions, implementation strategy and economic reality ideally come together to achieve a community’s economic development goals.  This program provides real-world guidance on the fundamentals and tools of realistic economic development.  Elected officials can use them to guide strategies…

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Cape Coral Council talks redevelopment, Mid Cape CRA

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffDecember 17, 2014

The Cape Coral City Council met Monday afternoon. Here’s a capsule look: Who attended: Mayor Marni Sawicki, Council members Rana Erbrick, John Carisocia, Rick Williams, Lenny Nesta, Jim Burch, Richard Leon and Derrick Donnell. Major takeaway: In a 7-1 vote City Council approved a resolution of necessity that shows the existence of blighted areas in…

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New CRAs bring a ‘Happy New Year’ to 3 Volusia cities

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffDecember 17, 2014

Three Volusia cities are entering the New Year with solid plans for longterm redevelopment of their primary urban corridors. The Volusia County Council recently approved requests from Edgewater and New Smyrna Beach officials to create Community Redevelopment Areas (CRAs) that cover practically the entire stretch of US1 through the two Southeast Volusia cities – as well as certain adjacent tracts.  And last…

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Miami-Dade approves $9 million for SkyRise Miami

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffDecember 17, 2014

Miami-Dade commissioners backed tapping new property taxes to borrow $9 million for SkyRise Miami, a funding plan opposed by the project’s hometown mayor. With only three No votes, county support for the planned 1,000-foot observation tower passed by a comfortable margin Tuesday afternoon. The decision marked a comeback for SkyRise developer Jeff Berkowitz, since the…

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Lakeland DDA Director Seeks to Revitalize Downtown

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffDecember 17, 2014

LAKELAND | Julie Townsend once criticized the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority as having no direction. She even quit her post heading the Lakeland Downtown Partnership to protest the authority’s lack of funding to the partnership. JULIE TOWNSEND, the executive director of the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority, is now in charge of an agency she once criticized…

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Escambia Considers Creation Of Blighted Ensley Redevelopment Area

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffDecember 17, 2014

At a meeting next week, the Escambia County Commission is set to consider a portion of Ensley as a blighted area with a shortage of affordable housing for low and moderate income housing and that there exists a need for for the “rehabilitation conservation, redevelopment, or a combination of these in the Ensley Community is…

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After 20 years of fighting South Beach blight, taxing district seeks extension

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffDecember 16, 2014

Twenty years ago, Miami Beach’s hotel market was sleepy enough that Miami-Dade County created a special taxing district aimed at revitalizing a “blighted area” that includes Lincoln Road and the oceanfront off 16th Street. Today, that land has gained about $4 billion in value, but elected leaders don’t want to declare victory just yet. On Tuesday, Miami-Dade…

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New Smyrna seeks county OK on U.S. 1 redevelopment area

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffDecember 16, 2014

NEW SMYRNA BEACH — City leaders have acquiesced to the wishes of the Volusia County Council, shortening their request for a new Community Redevelopment Area that would run along a slumping section of U.S. 1 from a 40-year to a 20-year plan. County Council members have made it clear that 20 years is the limit…

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Volusia council approves U.S. 1 redevelopment district for New Smyrna

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffDecember 16, 2014

DELAND — The Volusia County Council by a narrow 4-3 vote Thursday approved a new Community Redevelopment Area for New Smyrna Beach that aims to renovate an ailing stretch of U.S. 1 and the city’s struggling Historic Westside Neighborhood. Over 20 years the CRA plan is expected to generate about $15 million for road, drainage,…

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Ocala Downtown beautification underway on S-curve

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffDecember 16, 2014

If the median at the S-curve leading into Ocala’s downtown looks a little bare these days, that is because the Downtown Business Alliance and the city of Ocala are in the process of sprucing it up. “The DBA and city have a joint beautification project there,” said DBA President Ted Schatt. “It is plants going…

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Temple Terrace: City severs ties with redevelopment developer

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffDecember 15, 2014

TEMPLE TERRACE — Following a two-and-a-half year standstill of the revitalization of a 29-acre site at the southeast corner of Bullard Parkway and North 56th Street, the city has severed all ties with Vlass Temple Terrace LLC (VTT), the developer residents hoped would see their decade-old vision of a new town center through to fruition.…

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New Port Richey officials support tougher codes to deal with increasing blight

Redevelopment NewsBy FRAstaffDecember 15, 2014

NEW PORT RICHEY — The city’s property maintenance codes are woefully inadequate to handle the blight that officials say is plaguing New Port Richey. That was the message from city leaders during a work session Tuesday night at which city staffers made a pitch to the City Council to tighten the city’s code ordinance. City…

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