City commissioners, community leaders and chamber of commerce members gathered Friday morning to celebrate the reopening of Tallahassee south side landmark Earley’s Kitchen after a one-year closure. “Doggone it, it’s time,” Earley’s Kitchen co-owner Jay Morrell said. His restaurant’s expansion is part of the revitalization of the South Monroe Street commercial corridor. The eatery stood…
Clearwater residents had the chance to get a look at plans during a public meeting this week for a new park, known as the Mercado, planned for the corner of Cleveland Street and Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard. “We’re very proud of it. This is a community-led project that started about a year ago, and it’s right there…
The Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency has approved “Scope of Service” for the development of 26-single family homes at 2200 Jaylen Watkins Street. The approval authorizes the CRA staff to collaborate with the City of Fort Myers Procurement Services division to issue a Request for Proposals for the White Coral Homeownership project. The 11.43-acre site…
Now that the City of Orlando has approved a $500 million project for a sports and entertainment district in downtown Orlando, businesses in the area say this project could revitalize the community. The City of Orlando already has three incentive programs for business owners to take advantage of, but one new program will allow Parramore…
Lakeland’s City Commission voted unanimously on Monday to adopt the Community Redevelopment Agency’s Downtown West Action Plan — an ambitious outline of short- and long-term actions to nurture and uplift the area west of Florida Avenue, south of Memorial Boulevard, north of Lime Street and east of Lake Beulah Drive. The plan, which was a year and…
Ten acres of the former Hungerford School in Eatonville have been released from a lawsuit, paving the way for the land to be used for Florida’s first Black History Museum. The town is in second place amongst all the candidates vying for the museum. The Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community has agreed to release the ten…
The Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) invites creative minds from across the globe — visionaries, innovators, creators and futurists — to propose design concepts for engaging, transformational art installations to be built along the banks of the Caloosahatchee in downtown Fort Myers. The goal of Innovation Walk is to marry innovation with art, transforming…
High school students living in Winter Park’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) district have an opportunity to gain hands-on work experience through the 2024 Summer Youth Enrichment Program (SYEP). Presented by the CRA and the Parks & Recreation Department, the program places participants in paid internships that also give back to the community. “The SYEP allows…
A proposed $500 million entertainment complex that could be built across the street from the Kia Center in downtown Orlando could get the green light from the Orlando City Council on Monday. If approved by the city, the project will include a major hotel, retail, an event venue, meeting space, residential housing, and parking. The…
Downtown West Palm Beach will soon have a new team of workers patrolling its streets doing jobs usually done by city workers. The Downtown Development Authority has signed a five-year, $3 million a year contract with an outside company to do everything from picking up trash to giving directions. Half of the agency’s $10 million…
A public meeting held at Chipley City Hall on April 11 went over how Downtown Chipley’s look, features, and overall vibe can be developed to add to the area’s appeal and make it more pedestrian and visitor-friendly. David Baker with engineering firm Fisher Arnold led the meeting, which was attended by downtown business owners, residents,…
There have been beautification efforts around Avon Park by installing greenery into vacant planters and other containers. Main Street is soon to receive new flowers, shrubbery, and trees to beautify the historic downtown. Public Works Director Jason Atkinson has been overseeing Avon Park’s beautification and is currently in the process of getting approved to begin…
On March 18, Mayor Blake Bell and the Brooksville City Council met for a regular meeting to discuss and vote on a variety of topics, including Ordinance 972. This is an ordinance of the city council of Brooksville that provides for the establishment and administration of a community redevelopment trust fund for the expanded downtown…
On Monday, April 15, the Lakeland City Commission unanimously voted to adopt the Downtown West Action Plan. To recap, Downtown West will stretch east to west from South Florida Avenue to Lake Beulah Drive, and north to south from Memorial Boulevard to Lime Street. The area covers local landmarks like Bonnet Springs Park and the RP…
Lake Worth Beach, FL – The Lake Worth Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is excited to announce that the organization is the recipient of additional Federal funding to be dedicated towards affordable housing programs in the City of Lake Worth Beach. On March 6th 2024, Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL House District-22) announced that 13 local…
The Sunset Lounge, a 1920s-era supper club extensively restored with $16 million in taxpayer money, has sat idle for two years since its renovation, validating the complaints of some that West Palm Beach should never have purchased and rebuilt the iconic venue. Rather than hosting famous entertainment acts and igniting the revitalization of the city’s…
The Downtown Development Board and the United Arts of Central Florida teamed up to host local artists in and around downtown to make people enjoy the area all day instead of just at night. “I think that also we could find things that are maybe suited for many different age groups,” said Jordan Giles, an…
New Port Richey is updating its plan for redeveloping portions of the city, but not everything is a theoretical exercise of choosing the correct inspirational messages to bring the century-old city into an enticing, modern urban center. As City Council members parsed redevelopment themes for the community’s future late last month, they were also making…
The DeFuniak Springs Community Redevelopment Agency’s (CRA) Board met for its regular meeting on Wednesday, March 27. The CRA’s Executive Director Joshua Ervin started the meeting by announcing that after signing a new grant that morning, there has been a total of 11 grants awarded through the CRA’s Growth and Development Assistance (GDA) Program. Ervin…
As Haines City’s Hispanic population continues to grow, so does the need to educate the community on government resources. It’s why the Community Redevelopment Agency opened a first-of-its-kind office in an elementary school. Seventy percent of students at Eastside Elementary School are Hispanic, according to school leaders. They say those families and students are unaware…
Downtown has a few main ways it sees targeted improvements: the Community Redevelopment Agency and the Tallahassee Downtown Improvement Authority. The CRA recently approved $134,000 to go toward Hayward House for improvements. “I think that it’s a great use of CRA funds, you know,” Chaney said. “Like we are first-floor retail, and we’re really glad…