Downtown Fort Myers is getting a new gateway. Nearly $116,000 is being set aside for its construction where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard meets Fowler Street. The project will be constructed on a property owned by the Florida Department of Transportation that the agency has agreed to donate, according to an agenda for the…
The Community Redevelopment Agency’s (CRA) Special Event Sponsorship application deadlines have changed. For events held between October 2023 to March 2024, application packets must be received by July 31, 2023. For events held between April 2024 to September 2024, application packets must be received by January 31, 2024. The CRA sets aside $90,000 annually to…
The City of High Springs sponsored a workshop on Thursday, May 18, to ask citizens, farmers, and vendors for input on the High Springs Farmers Market, 23517 N.W. 185th Road. Approximately 35 people attended the meeting to share their ideas on ways in which the farmers’ market might best address the needs of the community.…
The Clearwater Community Redevelopment Agency is hosting two new art exhibits at the Clearwater Main Library showcasing the beauty and culture of Cuba, featuring the artwork of legendary photographer Clyde Butcher and local Tampa Bay artists. “Cuba: The Natural Beauty,” by photographer Clyde Butcher, is the result of a commission by the United Nations to…
The funds raised from Rock the Block go directly back into the nonprofit’s Neighborhood Revitalization program, which addresses the need to preserve affordable housing and healthier living conditions through its critical repair and aging-in-place programs. The goal is to help homeowners stay in their existing homes, protect their financial investments, and improve their quality of…
Orlando city officials are seeing an uptick in graffiti along buildings in the downtown area. Now, business owners said they’re fed up. “As a small business owner, it’s difficult to have these things on the wall,” said Dr. Frederic Freeman, owner of Healthquest Chiropractic and Rehabilitation, Inc. “And it just really doesn’t do the community…
Most organizational leaders, including those in local government, focus on the “how” or the “what” of their actions. In 1999, as a newly elected 22-year-old Palmetto city councilman, my “why” was “improving the citizens’ quality of life.” Over those next four years, my “why” drifted into a lot of “whats,” like a wastewater treatment plant…
The Rock the Plaza event provides a spotlight on plazas located within the BBCRA area while encouraging community members to patronize local businesses and restaurants. The plaza activations feature live music and entertainment, as well as engaging activities in an effort to stimulate foot traffic and showcase the offerings of local businesses. This free business…
The City of Pensacola is opening the Pensacola Bay Pier at Community Maritime Park on Thursday. The Downtown Pensacola marina will provide free public waterfront access points for boaters visiting Community Maritime Park, Downtown Pensacola, and surrounding areas. “I’m excited to further activate our beautiful waterfront in Pensacola, creating more access for our residents and…
If you’ve ever visited the Polk County History Center & Genealogical Library in Bartow or the Kathleen Area Historical Society Heritage Park in North Lakeland, you might have encountered a friendly woman with short dark hair, an eager smile, and a brimming knowledge of the area. On Monday evening at the 2023 Historic Preservation Awards,…
The Clearwater Public Art & Design Program has multiple public art opportunities for professional artists to design and create artwork on several installations in the city. The city is seeking a muralist to paint two water tanks; a mosaic artist for the Mercado, a new community space in the city’s Downtown Gateway; and a sculptor…
Federal infrastructure funds are doubling the pace of transforming derelict sites. Over the last quarter-century, Florida has helped to transform almost 200 contaminated sites into clean community hubs. The pace of the redevelopment is about to pick up dramatically. Developer Roxanne Williams, who turns some of those derelict sites into places where she would be…
The Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) announces that it has signed a management agreement for the River District Farmer’s Market with Local Roots, LLC. The market will take place from 9 AM – 1 PM Every Thursday under the Caloosahatchee Bridge at 200 West First Street. The River District Farmer’s Market was put on…
The city of Clearwater is launching an events series called “Living the Culture,” which will celebrate cultural diversity and embrace living together in harmony. The first free event in the Living the Culture series, “Taste of Ethnicity,” took place Saturday, May 20, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., along the 600 block of Cleveland Street in…
The World Changers organization is bringing volunteers to Panama City in July. The organization is teaming up with the Panama City Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) to complete home improvement projects for the residents in Downtown North and Millville. The projects can range from painting to repairing a porch and more. However, in order to receive…
Pensacola’s Community Redevelopment Agency looks to be giving up on using tax revenue from the Downtown Improvement Board on affordable housing. In 2020, the CRA and the DIB entered an agreement where it would hold back $100,000 a year from the DIB to be used to address affordable housing, however, because of the state law…
A $14.5 million construction project that began this week intends to transform Hollywood’s entertainment district into a corridor that puts pedestrians over vehicles. But before the transformation, comes the mess: workers, heavy machinery, dust, and a possible impact on business. What will the new project on downtown Hollywood’s main street look like when it’s finished…
The Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) announces that it has awarded a tax increment rebate to Jackson Street FTM Hotel LLC in the not-to-exceed amount of $2.460 million. Jackson Street FTM Hotel LLC is developing Homes2 Suites hotel located at 1629 Jackson Street in downtown Fort Myers, expected to have 4-7 floors and 100-146…
MOCA will debut two exciting exhibitions opening this spring. “Lonnie Holley: If You Really Knew” invites visitors to experience the work of prolific artist Lonnie Holley in his first major exhibition in the South. The second showcases the work of 12 intergenerational South Florida artists selected to show their work in the “South Florida Cultural…
A week after she spoke at Main Street Winter Haven’s City Works (X)po, Lake Wales Main Street Executive Director Karen Thompson is bidding farewell to her position in Lake Wales – both as the Assistant CRA Director and the Lake Wales Main Street executive director – to take on a new opportunity – which has…
On Tuesday, May 2, the city of Pensacola celebrated the completion of the Blake Doyle Skatepark at Hollice T. Williams Park with a ribbon cutting and grand opening event. This commemorated a highly anticipated and monumental project for the Pensacola skate community. The Pensacola community joined Mayor D.C. Reeves and Upward Intuition to celebrate this…