You’ve probably heard of development grants, activities, and events sponsored by the “Downtown CRA” or the “DDB,” but you may not know what they are. A CRA is a “community redevelopment agency,” and it is a tool urban planners and local governments use across the country to help redevelop struggling or blighted urban areas. They were…
DetailsIn August, Coral Springs approved a new “master plan” for the downtown area. It’s a state-required plan that offers conceptual ideas on improving and modernizing the 136-acre downtown corridor in the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency district. The 479-page plan outlines concepts for redeveloping buildings and street intersections, including already-in-the-works projects such as the new apartments…
DetailsThe Southeast Overtown/Park West Redevelopment Agency has come to the rescue of a historic Overtown church. Days before the historic property in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood was scheduled to be sold in foreclosure, a saving grace came Friday. The SEOPW CRA bought the property so its loan could be paid off, and will give repurchase rights…
DetailsThe Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater will commemorate 110 years of history, culture, and entertainment excellence on Nov. 18, at the iconic theater located at 819 NW Second Ave., in Miami. Under the theme “The Crown of Overtown,” the Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater is celebrating this historic milestone, paying tribute to its timeless legacy…
DetailsThe city known for its sunrises is proud as a peacock because of four outdoor murals. The Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency created the Peacock Arts District to do improvements with the goal to invigorate the once vibrant downtown and stimulate the economy. “This is extremely difficult actually to do especially in this heat. But I…
DetailsWhen Dorothy Scott Wilson was growing up in northwest Lake Wales, folks would buy their fruits and vegetables at a small business corridor that included Wade’s Grocery Store. As corporate chain supermarkets came in during the 1950s and 1960s, stores like Wade’s closed, leaving what Wilson calls a “food desert.” That desert, however, is now…
DetailsThe Homestead Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) kicked off its Southwest Neighborhood New H.O.M.E (Home Ownership Made Equitable) Initiative and Rock the Block neighborhood beautification on SW 6th Street. On Saturday, August 29, 2023, dozens of volunteers, city employees, and elected officials gathered to clean up SW 6th Street from 6th Avenue to 10th Avenue. Participants collected trash,…
DetailsJimmy Buffett, the singer-songwriter who died at 76, has deep connections to South Florida, including a cruise ship branded with his song “Margaritaville,” based in Palm Beach County, and a resort in Hollywood. Next door to the port, developers want a Margaitaville-branded hotel. “It’ll be a hotel restaurant,” Riviera Beach Councilman Douglas Lawson said. “It’ll be a…
DetailsDowntown Gainesville’s signature outdoor gathering spot, the 32-acre Depot Park right at the junction of Depot Avenue and South Main Street, is hard to miss. In a way, it is Gainesville’s equivalent of New York’s Central Park. There’s something for everyone – regardless of age or physical ability. Runners, walkers, joggers, picnic-goers, families, including those…
DetailsA proposed affordable housing project planned for an 18-acre city-owned lot in Allapattah could benefit from tax increment financing since its inclusion in the recently expanded Omni redevelopment agency boundaries. In July, the City of Miami authorized the continued existence of the Omni Community Redevelopment Agency (Omni CRA) throughout 2047 with an increased area spanning…
DetailsThanks to a new app designed by the University of South Florida, you can now watch three murals come to life in Downtown Clearwater. It’s called Artours Clearwater (stylized “ARTours”), and it’s a fun, free new way to explore downtown Clearwater before you attend your next concert at The Sound. The City of Clearwater commissioned…
DetailsA trend born out of necessity during a global pandemic is becoming permanent in downtown Winter Haven. “I go to and frequent St. Pete quite a bit as a vendor, and I love the option to sit outside,” said Prima Burney. Burney is the co-owner of Agape Agora and Obscure Wine Company, two companies located…
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