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…
The heart of Coral Springs is set to experience a transformative shift after the city commission green-lighted the revamped Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Master Plan, spotlighting a vision for a 136-acre area centered around Sample Road and University Drive. On August 2, the commission dove into restructuring plans, presenting an innovative concept refocusing from five…
Publix Supermarkets Inc. has proposed plans to build its technology campus in downtown Lakeland, bringing hundreds of new jobs to the area. To do so, it wants permission to level a building and pave a parking lot. The Lakeland-based grocery chain has come back to Lakeland commissioners seeking to demolish the former Florida Citrus Mutual building…
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, District 4 City Commissioner Patty Sheehan, and City Commissioners invited the community to celebrate the groundbreaking of the expansion of Orlando’s signature at Lake Eola Park. Located at the northeast corner of Central Boulevard and Rosalind Avenue, the .12-acre expansion will bring new features to the park, such as artwork, updated…
A million-dollar reconstruction of block-long stretches of Orange and Crystal Avenues is anticipated thanks to a federal grant and an intergovernmental agreement. The dramatic change will see new streetlights, street furniture, curbing, and the installation of numerous trees and other plants installed in rain gardens that will help absorb stormwater, The work will include the…
West Tampa is undergoing major changes to the tune of $8.5 million. It’s thanks to the Community Redevelopment Agency funding. The program allows tax dollars to funnel back into the community. West Tampa is the latest area to receive the cash flow. Jesus Nino with the City of Tampa has been working to do that…
The towering shells of new high-rises and uprooted pavement of Hollywood Boulevard attest to the changes in downtown Hollywood. But as the strip enters a new phase, so do the historic buildings that have endured over the last century. One of those sites, at 1928 Hollywood Blvd, is the Joe’s Tropical Café building, which is…
Rafiki Tiki has been the only restaurant at Riviera Beach’s Marina Village waterfront for years. But that could soon change with the addition of a Margaritaville brand hotel, according to city Mayor Ronnie Felder. “It means everything for this city. We haven’t had development like this for probably the past 50 years,” Felder said. Felder…
Joan Oliva Executive Director, CRA – City of Lake Worth Q: What is your best piece of business advice for a new FRA member? Joan: New FRA members should take advantage of the wealth of information provided on the FRA website, FRA emails, and links to stories about other cities and towns. The FRA is…
For Sarah McNamara, Ybor City history is family history. She’s a Tampa native whose Ybor roots stretch back to the arrival of the first family member from Cuba in the early 1900s. McNamara’s also a historian, an assistant professor of history at Texas A&M, whose first book, “Ybor City: Crucible of the Latina South,” explores…
The Panama City Community Redevelopment Agency, or CRA, met Tuesday morning to discuss future projects and a possible reorganization of funding. The CRA gets its funding by marking community redevelopment areas. If approved by the state, the property taxes from the area go directly into the fund rather than to the county. The Panama City…
Brooksville is more than doubling the size of its Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) plan area. That will allow properties in the new area to benefit from projects specifically designed to address blight conditions. The existing CRA is approximately 119 acres, and the target area is approximately 128 acres. David Hainley, community development director, said they…
The re-growth of a business district in the heart of the Northwest Neighborhood is the goal of a $1.2 million investment of American Rescue funds by the City of Lake Wales to spur the creation of a business incubator. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is now scheduled for noon on August 1 to mark the grand opening…
An agency responsible for the redevelopment of some of Miami’s downtown neighborhoods has been renewed for another 15 years with expanded boundaries including areas of Allapattah and Watson Island, both now officially listed as blighted. On July 13, City of Miami commissioners who double as board members for the Omni Community Redevelopment Agency (Omni CRA)…
The Florida Redevelopment Association is offering a CRA Board Training course in the Florida Panhandle area. The date is September 1, 2023, from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm at the Fort Walton Beach Recreational Center. This session is designed for elected and appointed officials, volunteers, and advisory board members. It provides a succinct overview of…