The Live Oak Community Redevelopment Agency decided on Monday evening to purchase a property near the downtown railroad crossing. CRA board members voted unanimously to offer a contract for the purchase of the property to the east of the passenger train depot at 206 Haines St. NE. The four acres of vacant land are owned…
DetailsJohn Workman had never heard of a Community Redevelopment Agency when he decided to open a chiropractic business in Live Oak. Now, he’s using grant money from the CRA program to help him renovate the building on Duval Street that will house his office. For every $10,000 Workman spends on renovating the exterior of the…
DetailsThe operators of Tri-Rail overcame some obstacles at the state level and finalized their plans for a downtown Miami passenger rail station. The passenger line, which currently runs from near West Palm Beach to Miami International Airport, would share the downtown Miami station of the All Aboard Florida/Brightline passenger rail starting in 2017. Right now,…
DetailsWhen we undertook this piece, we had a simple goal. Tell someone moving out of a particular city the coolest potential smaller community to live in nearby. In doing so, we weighed three major factors: 1) A good (or at least respectable) food/drink scene, with enough places to go close to home to not always…
DetailsBRADENTON — Ward 5 City Councilman Harold Byrd has been named the first Chairman of the Bradenton Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). City Council members, acting as board members of the newly-formed Bradenton CRA, voted 4-0 in favor of Councilman Bemis Smith’s nomination of Councilman Byrd as Chairman during a meeting on April 13. Read full…
DetailsISLAMORADA — The roughly 40-acre Parmelee Key property, in the midst of a pending sale that hinges on its subsequent redevelopment into a high-end resort community, is awaiting the state’s OK of land-use and zoning changes recently approved by the village. If given the OK from the Department of Economic Opportunity, and then again by the Village Council,…
DetailsBOYNTON BEACH — Boynton Beach is getting more apartments. Construction will begin this month on two buildings called Santorini — the last residential phase of Congress Avenue’s Renaissance Commons. Santorini, which will be built by Verdex Construction, will have 226 luxury units in two six-story buildings. Residents will have a 325-space parking garage, according to a news release from…
DetailsNo one wants a vacant Winn-Dixie blocking views of the Intracoastal Waterway, but residents aren’t pleased with what the plaza owner, Isram Realty, proposed: A 10-story building with 326 apartments. Why must it be 10 stories? More traffic? How are we going to be able to get around town? Those are some concerns community members voiced at…
DetailsCollier Commissioners rejected a request Tuesday to give part of the county’s casino revenue to the Immokalee fire district, and offered no insight on the future of the Immokalee Community Redevelopment Agency. During an annual redevelopment workshop, commissioners didn’t act on hiring for the short-staffed redevelopment agency that seeks state and federal grants to improve…
DetailsTAMPA — The lunch crowd was stunned to read the note posted on the locked door of their go-to seafood restaurant on Wednesday. “We have been blessed to be here for almost 81 years,” read the note at the Colonnade Restaurant, a Tampa landmark on Bayshore Boulevard. “Through many tears and much thought we have decided…
DetailsDade City, known for its quaint downtown and small town charm, is experiencing quite a development boom. New city hall and police station One of the biggest projects recently unveiled is a new municipal complex. The 22,000-square-foot building located on Meridian Avenue houses both city hall and the police department. Paid for with reserve funds,…
DetailsPLANT CITY The city has signed a $48,000 contract with an engineering consultant that will help find a developer for redevelopment of the 85-acre Midtown area. GAI Consultants, based in Orlando, has more than 55 years of experience in consulting and has offices in 10 states, City Manager Mike Herr said. He said GIA’s Thomas…
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