New and slick and shiny objects are attractive in their gloss, but need time to develop depth and spirit. This is true for places as well as people. Much of Florida is too newly minted to have this patina, so if we value character, we need to stop demolishing and paving over our older neighborhoods.…
Visitors and residents in Lake Worth Beach will soon have a new way to get around town in an environmentally friendly way. The Lake Worth Beach Community Redevelopment Agency on Jan. 30 unanimously approved a one-year contract to fund new electric shuttles in the downtown historic district. An agreement between the CRA and the Circuit…
The fifth annual community event celebrates the impact of Black Americans on arts and culture by amplifying South Florida’s brightest artists and performers. Focused on celebrating African-Americans and the arts, the fifth annual HERITAGE FEST features hip-hop, musical theater, dance and yoga workshops for all ages; a live mural on the plaza with Picardo Colours (@euphorical_colours); a reading nook…
The South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF) is one of THE MOST anticipated events of the year and the City of Hallandale Beach’s Community Redevelopment Agency (HBCRA) has once again partnered with SOBEWFF to host its annual Hallandale Beach Event Series. This year’s enchanting Food & Groove “Festival of Lights” themed evening will feature…
Lealman’s inaugural Honey & Arts Festival was a resounding success in 2023, bringing more than 3,000 visitors to the leafy and vibrant unincorporated area of northwest St. Petersburg. The second annual festival takes place this Saturday (Feb. 10), and for co-producer Zelda O’Connell, the fact that several organizations came together, pooled their talents and resources…
RocaPoint Partners, the firm tasked with developing a new downtown, will be here to get input from members of the community. The two scheduled sessions are Feb. 7, 6 p.m. at the Cultural Center, 50 W. Atlantic Blvd., and Feb. 8, 6 p.m. at the Emma Lou Olson Civic Center, 1801 NE 6 St. The…
The Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency has awarded a $30 million tax increment rebate and approved a $700,000 purchase of land for single-family housing. The tax increment rebate was awarded to JAXI CMD LLC for The Royal Palm Hotel & Residences at 2424 Edwards Drive in the not-to-exceed amount of $30,170,000. The rebate will be…
Downtown Orlando’s Community Redevelopment Agency voted to approve changes to the city’s Downtown Restaurant and Retail Stimulus Program on Wednesday. The changes would now allow for franchises to cash in on financial incentives should they choose to open up shop in Downtown Orlando. Prior to Wednesday’s meeting, franchises were not eligible for the stimulus program.…
Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency Board of Commissioners voted 4-3 to grant a 15-month extension of the tax increment financing agreement for the long-awaited development of Towles Garden. The affordable 140-townhome community will be at the corner of Edison Avenue and Veronica S. Shoemaker Boulevard. The development on 7.5-acres is intended to provide new and…
A month after backing away from a decision to demolish the Malcolm Yonge Gym, the Pensacola City Council, meeting as the Community Redevelopment Agency board, voted to move forward with the demolition of the city-owned building in a 4-2 vote. The Council also voted 6-0 Tuesday to spend between $125,000 and $175,000 to conduct a…
A decade ago, when Cascades Park debuted and became the crown jewel of the city’s parks, a newspaper column by the late Gerald Ensley followed and inspired a grand idea. He thought a statue of John Lee Williams, one of the city’s founding fathers, should be erected in the park, steeped with its own unique origin story.…
The city’s amphitheater is getting a fresh coat of paint. Sanborn Square, the city park that fronts on Federal Highway, will be getting planters and barricades around the park perimeter in the spring “to enhance security from vehicle intrusions,” the spokesperson said. “Procurement will take two to three months for the planters and barricades, and…
The ribbon is cut and new tenants have moved into the Island Cove Apartments in Delray Beach. The apartments are the area’s newest affordable housing complex initiative by the city, the Delray Beach Housing Authority and the city’s community redevelopment agency (CRA). Maria Velasquez is among the residents who are calling the apartments home. “I…
While the ribbon-cutting and dedication of the newly reconstructed portions of Park Avenue and First Street remain in the planning stage, the newly completed stretches of West Park Avenue and North First Street are now open to two-way traffic. The opening comes concurrent with the closure of the eastern portion of Park Avenue, a situation…
The City of Opa-Locka announced the unveiling of two new affordable housing units, a significant step towards addressing the community’s housing needs. The units are at 15070-80 James Street, Opa-Locka, Florida. Two families have a new home for 2024. The unveiling ceremony was attended by all elected officials of the City of Opa-Locka, emphasizing the…
The former brewmaster at Big Bear Brewing Company has proposed opening a brewery of his own at the new Cornerstone development in Coral Springs. Jeff Evans approached the Coral Springs Community Redevelopment Agency this week to explain his idea and seek potential assistance in covering expenses for his new business called Coral Springs Brewing Company.…
The decades-old Festival of the Arts is being rebranded this year as Art Stroll, a juried exhibit on Feb. 17 and 18 on Ocean Way. The show is being held in conjunction with Pioneer Days in a well-defined area between Southeast 2 and Southeast 4 streets with space for 40 artists and food and drink…
On December 8, 2023, the Boynton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (BBCRA), in partnership with the City of Delray Beach, Town of Hypoluxo, and Town of Lantana, hosted the 51st Annual Holiday Boat Parade. The event, which featured 35 festively decorated vessels, lit up the Intracoastal waterways throughout Lantana, Hypoluxo, Boynton Beach, and Delray Beach. Thousands of…
From a distance, the brick-covered building in New Port Richey can be unassuming. Especially, when it’s empty and in need of some sprucing. But look a little closer, like at the base of the flagpole outside of this place, and you see bricks showing the hundreds of memories that fill this 102-year-old structure. For people…
As the city of New Port Richey approaches its 100th anniversary next October, residents have urged city leaders to save a critical piece of its past by preserving the red-brick building that once housed Gulf High School. Former students, longtime city residents and those who saw potential to put the building to a new use…