Good News From Florida’s CRAs

Delray’s Community Redevelopment Agency will move a 1937 historic home to its property and convert it into office space. The home, located at 215 NE 7th Ave., is poised to become the location of a new town house project. Instead of razing the two-story home, the agency will work with the developer to move it…

Escambia County is considering designating four Community Redevelopment Areas in north Pensacola and Cantonment as brownfield areas. The County Commission will vote Thursday to schedule two public hearings on designating the Community Redevelopment Areas in Atwood, Ensley, Oakfield and Cantonment as brownfield areas, which would allow properties in those areas to qualify for state and federal…

The legislation which passed in the 2019 session, CS/HB 9, is now law effective October 1, 2019. Although there are several provisions that tighten up reporting, auditing and training provisions in Chapter 163, Part III, there is also a part of the bill that deals with new rules for website postings. Due to the fact…

In an effort to make the Riviera Beach waterfront more accessible for everyone in our community, Riviera Beach CRA recently announced plans for new equipment designed to assist visitors who find it challenging to navigate the sand and water at Marina Village. First will be the installation of a 5-foot-wide ADA-compatible (Americans with Disabilities Act…

As our political discourse generates derision and dissension, our time in the virtual world crowds out our time in the actual one, and trust in our institutions and one another has plummeted, local places such as markets, libraries, and coffee shops can help. A new study shows that living near community-oriented public and commercial spaces brings a…

LAKELAND — The latest mural to be painted in the city is one artist’s way of permanently honoring the community that raised him. Lakeland native Ahmad Taylor started carefully painting the black outlines of the third and final mural commissioned by the Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency on the outside wall of Boring Business Systems overlooking…

Hillsborough County’s bus agency has approved spending up to $2.5 million in state grant money to study the possibility of a special bus lane connecting downtown Tampa and the University of South Florida. The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority board voted unanimously Monday to allow consulting firm Tindale-Oliver and Associates to start the first phase…

With all the talk of the urban core’s massive development over the last few years, we wanted to quantify exactly how much it has changed. The Tampa Downtown Partnership and HCP Associates, a marketing consulting company based in the Channel District, have partnered on the Worker-Resident Biennial Survey every two years since 2008 to learn more about who…

Under the leadership of the Southeast Overtown/Park West CRA Board Chairman Keon Hardemon and the CRA board, the SEOPW CRA has partnered with the City of Miami Department of Housing & Community Development to construct a Twin Homes affordable homeownership project to be located at 1900 NW 2nd Court, Miami, FL 33136. On May 16,…

On May 2 more than 100 interested people attended an open house presentation about the proposed 10th Avenue West Complete Street Project. Jennifer Marshall, left, projects manager for the Florida Department of Transportation District 1 10th Avenue West Complete Street Project, poses with Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant during a community informational open house on…

Since its inception in 1984, the Riviera Beach CRA has used every available resource to create jobs, advance infrastructure and improve the quality of life in the City of Riviera Beach, Florida. On its latest list of initiatives is encouraging residents to mark their valuable and meaningful belongings using an easy-to-use chemical coding kit that…

The Panama City Community Redevelopment Agencies (CRA) in Millville and Downtown North are partnering with World Changers and First Baptist Church in Panama City to help homeowners in the CRA areas make improvements to their homes. The CRA is currently accepting applications from homeowners in the Millville and Downtown North CRAs. World Changers is designed…

Florida Community Loan Fund has announced closing on a New Markets Tax Credit Transaction with Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County, to build a new family teen center. Here are links to more information: FCLF E-newsletter May 2019, FCLF & NMTC Financing Help Make Family Teen Center a Reality FCLF Meet Our Borrower:…

Most media reports about Detroit sound the same to Aaron Foley. A journalist might fly in for a day or two. They might speak with a few “Detroit experts,” a short list of economists recycled in all the major news outlets. But Foley says these writers don’t really know Detroit, and it shows. “People try…

Brian Sedar wants 5G access in San Francisco’s Upper Cole Valley neighborhood, where he lives. But then came the new utility pole with a bulky gray box that blemished his once-pristine views of the historic St. Ignatius Church and the waters of the San Francisco Bay. With the support of 115 neighbors, Sedar, a former…

In the most recent newsletter from Pinellas County, various topics are addressed and discussed. Take a look by clicking here.   

Mark Cleary, lead architect on all Phase I projects at the Riviera Beach Marina Village, has announced that the Marina Events Center has been awarded a Silver LEEDS Certification. LEEDS, an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. LEEDS provides a globally…

From bike lanes to better drainage, the Town of Lake Park held its second public meeting to reveal plans to improve Lake Shore Drive. At a workshop held at Town Hall, the plans included keeping Lake Shore Drive two lanes, but adding parallel parking on the west side of the street, sidewalks and bike paths,…