During the September 28, 2023 Board meeting of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) of the City of Bradenton, The CRA voted unanimously to enter into a public-private-partnership with Freebeeproviding free micro-mobility-on-demand service. Three vehicles will provide point-to-point service within the Downtown, Tamiami Trail, and Central redevelopment areas. Bradenton CRA residents and business customers may begin…
The city of New Port Richey bought the Harry Schwettman Education Center from the Pasco County School Board in September but has not decided what to do with the property. At its Sept. 5 meeting, the city council, acting as the Community Redevelopment Agency, heard from CRA Executive Director Debbie L. Manns. She told the…
A series of vacant storefronts in Downtown Homestead will soon be transformed into an entertainment and dining destination thanks to the revitalization efforts of the Homestead Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). The CRA recently purchased multiple retail storefronts on Krome Avenue north of Second Street in Downtown Homestead in the hope of attracting partners with significant…
Two development companies asked for $22.4 million in increment tax rebates from the City of Fort Myers, in exchange for building new housing and commercial projects. The Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) commissioners had lots of questions, but granted the rebates, to be paid over a period of time. First Alessio Development wanted $11.4…
The Florida Department of Transportation has awarded a $700,000 grant to the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) to permit the TECO Line Streetcar to remain fare-free for an additional year. The streetcar has routinely logged ridership records since FDOT awarded HART a $2.7 million Innovation Grant in 2018, enabling the streetcar to be fare-free and increase frequency and…
The multi-million-dollar reconstruction of Park Avenue is proceeding close to schedule, as evidenced by the hard-working crews who have been seen laying the thousands of bricks that will eventually form the surface of the new street and parking spaces. The new high-quality clay-brick pavers were selected as the most durable and traditional surface for the…
Jessica Newman Wauchula Community Redevelopment Agency Director Q: What is your best piece of business advice for a new FRA member? Jessica: My best piece of advice is to have patience with perseverance. Redevelopment can take time. There will be setbacks and unexpected obstacles; however, your work will make a lasting change and will be…
Clarence Woods CRA Manager, CRA – City of Fort Lauderdale Q: What is your best piece of business advice for a new FRA member? Clarence: Be collaborative and develop relationships with members in your area of business as well as those across different areas and disciplines. Sometimes relationship capital is just as important as financial…
The High Springs Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) met on Aug. 24 to address an update of the CRA’s Façade Grant Program and consider hiring a lobbying group to work with the City. City Manager Ashley Stathatos discussed the new application for the Façade Grant program and requested an increase in the amount of matching grant…
McDowell Housing Partners (MHP) has completed construction of Ekos Magnolia Oaks, a 110-unit affordable housing community including 1 Bedroom/1 Bath – 30 Units; 2 Bedroom/2Bath – 65 units; 3 Bedroom/2 Bath – 15 Units, catering to families in Tallahassee, FL. Apartments are reserved for families earning at or below 33%-60% of the area median income…
Walking across the heavily traveled Collins Street in downtown will soon get a little easier. At its last meeting, the Community Redevelopment Agency adopted a resolution approving a budget adjustment to appropriate $30,000 for pedestrian crossing improvements at Collins Street and J Arden Mays Boulevard. The crosswalk will feature pedestrian buttons and a solar-powered flashing…
The city has committed $25 million to the arts complex, which Thursday secured an extension to meet its contract requirements. Less than three weeks before a deadline, the Straz Center has secured a two-month extension to fulfill its contractual requirements with the city for its multimillion-dollar expansion. Tampa’s downtown Community Redevelopment Area committed $25 million…
After approximately $2 million in renovations, the City of Margate has unveiled a new Serino Park located at 5600 SW 8th Court. The Margate Community Redevelopment Agency funded the upgrades as part of its public purpose to improve parks, playgrounds, and other municipal facilities. Single-family homes surround the neighborhood park. The initial proposed renovations included a…
Just days before thousands of students will fill its halls, Miami Dade College Homestead Campus and the City of Homestead celebrated the grand opening of the Student Success Center. The new, modern facility serves as a connection between Downtown Homestead and the MDC Homestead Campus serving both the student and business communities. Dozens of…
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…
In 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…
The 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…
The 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…
The 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…
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,…