Good News From Florida’s CRAs

More than 175 community leaders, environmental advocates, educators, business professionals, students and residents gathered April 30 at Willoughby Golf Club for the 2026 Environmental Stewardship Awards hosted by Keep Martin Beautiful The annual event recognized individuals, businesses, nonprofits and public-sector organizations for contributions related to conservation, environmental education, beautification, sustainability and community improvement efforts throughout…

The Boynton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency will receive $1,145,144 to replace the commercial seawall at Boynton Harbor Marina. City officials said the project is intended to protect surrounding homes and businesses, marina operations, and public access areas from flooding, storm surge, and the ongoing effects of sea-level rise. The funding was announced at a news conference in Lake Worth…

Back alleys — long treated as little more than service corridors and shortcut routes — have emerged as a centerpiece of Dixieland’s new redevelopment vision. A 113-page “Restore the Core” plan presented to the Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency’s advisory board on May 7 shifts the neighborhood’s focus beyond historic preservation and beautification toward connectivity. It…

Members of Clermont City’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) unanimously voted their support for the proposed Clermont Center Lake Botanical Garden. The development is part of Clermont’s Main Street’s larger Phase 2 streetscape, a continuous corridor running from SR50 to 8th Street and onto Lake Minneola. Main Street is a non-profit driven by Clermont business owners…

A Fort Myers community staple since 1965 may soon get a facelift. First steps are underway in an effort to expand and upgrade the Edison Mall. The Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency recently approved an agreement with Bowman Consulting Group to conduct an air rights study on the mall. The cost is $100,000. The Cleveland…

Dunedin’s proposed downtown parking garage cleared a major hurdle April 21 when Pinellas County commissioners unanimously agreed to amend an agreement with the city governing the use of Community Redevelopment Agency tax increment financing funds. The amendment raises the authorized indebtedness cap from $6.594 million to $7.35 million, enabling the city to take on additional…

The city of Lakeland prides itself on showcasing art throughout the city. Now, city officials are hoping to use art to draw even more people to local businesses. They’ve launched a “Mural Passport” that highlights both art and businesses. Bob Fisher owns Southside Dry Cleaners in Lakeland, a family business established in 1954. He took…

With major public and private investments underway, officials are working to turn Manatee County’s oldest city into a destination of its own, one that balances growth, tourism, and redevelopment with the charm of its historic roots. The Palmetto Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is leading several projects designed to improve the downtown area and waterfront while…

Over the past two years, the Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency has purchased roughly half a dozen properties across the city — the majority in the Midtown area. What exactly is the CRA doing with these properties? Valerie Vaught, the CRA manager, said that is the question constantly asked by the public and elected officials. Vaught…

 A new piece of public art was officially unveiled as Osceola Arts, in partnership with the City of Kissimmee’s Kissimmee Community Redevelopment Agency, hosted an Earth Day ribbon cutting for the latest addition to the city’s ARTisNOW Public Murals collection. The ceremony took place at Mosaic at Lake Toho, located at 110 Lakeview Drive, where community…

A splash of color can make a huge difference in attracting people downtown and to other districts.A new initiative in Lakeland is enhancing culture and driving economic development. At By the Chef Pizza, don’t call their pie Sicilian or Detroit-style.”We call it our focaccia deep-dish pizza,” Peter Garces, owner and executive chef of By the…