When 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…
The 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,…
Jimmy 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…
Downtown 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…
A 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…
Thanks 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…
A 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…
An emotional scene played out in the Daytona Beach City Commission Chambers as the Community Redevelopment Agency and the commission unanimously approved the donation of seven lots to Mid-Florida Housing Partnership Inc. The Aug. 16 decisions came with some tears and the calling out of a former commissioner for not developing properties she has owned…
The members of the Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board (CRAAB) were presented Thursday evening with a can that they don’t think needs to be kicked down the road. It’s a piece of waterfront land that has almost been protected from flooding, almost worked into a parking lot with the same spaces that were there all…
Earlier this month, Coral Springs approved a new “master plan” for the downtown area. It’s a state-required plan that offers ideas on improving 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 and retail…
The city of Orlando plans to provide funds to a new events space for the Downtown Arts District — one that’s slated to be a bit unusual due to its location and construction materials. Orlando’s Community Redevelopment Agency’s advisory board on Aug. 23 will consider a recommendation to provide $161,632 toward the costs of site…
Good riddance to one of Temple Terrace’s most glaring blights. That was the message the Temple Terrace City Council sent at its most recent Community Redevelopment Agency meeting, voting unanimously to demolish a dilapidated former restaurant at 8447 N. 56th St. and include the $50,000 cost to do it in the CRA’s fiscal year 2024…
The company selected to transform long-neglected city land overlooking the Hillsborough River is asking the city of Tampa for millions more in funding for a project that raised concerns over fairness when it was approved two years ago. Last month, Miami-based Related Group asked the West Tampa Community Redevelopment Area to provide $4.25 million extra…
The public art for Mineral Springs Park at Riverwalk East has been chosen by Bradenton’s Community Redevelopment Agency’s Public Art Advisory Board, according to a news release from the city. “The Singing River” by artist Reinaldo Correa will be installed in the park by next spring. Correa calls the project a “testament to the rich…
The Century Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) now has just over $92,000 in the bank and will soon begin to consider potential projects to improve blighted areas of the town. The five members of the Century Town Council currently sit as the CRA board. The town website indicates the CRA board will meet quarterly, but Tuesday…
The City of Cape Coral is hosting a webinar series as part of the Development Discussions outreach initiative. This series will help residents and developers connect with and learn more about the City’s Development Services Division. This monthly webinar series will begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 23, and will feature a different topic each…
Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency approved funding for Jay Seidl, owner of The Naples International Film Company Warehouse, to repave the existing parking lot at 2027 Monroe St. in Fort Myers in the not-to-exceed amount of $11,071 for eligible expenditures. The building is a warehouse downtown, originally built in the 1950s. The grant will allow…
Revitalizing Clearwater’s urban core with a new high-end residential development, Valor Capital’s latest billion-dollar contribution to the City’s economy. Valor Capital is proud to introduce an iconic project that not only redefines luxury living but also reinvigorates Clearwater’s urban landscape. With a tentative first-phase conceptual design of two 35-story towers (contingent upon a current environmental study Valor has commenced)…
The Homestead Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is excited to announce the launch of its newest initiative, “Rock the Block,” aimed at revitalizing the SW neighborhood and eliminating slum and blighted conditions in residential areas. The inaugural event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, August 26, 2023, from 8 am to 3 pm, on SW…
As construction is close to completion on the first phase of Bruce Beach, Pensacola is looking to begin the second phase of the project if the City Council agrees to transfer $1.8 million in Community Redevelopment Agency funds to the project. Transferring that money would require using approximately $859,278 that is budgeted for a streetscape project…
The Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is accepting applications for its new affordable retail space. The project works to revitalize the historically Black area of Delray Beach A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place Thursday for what’s called the 98 on 5th project. Groundbreaking took place in March 2022. The building includes five commercial bays as well as…