Florida Research Group needed room to expand. The company that develops food, health, and pharmaceutical products for animals had outgrown its leased, 8,000-square-foot manufacturing building north of Tampa International Airport. A search for new quarters led to an aging warehouse on East Diana Street, in the 56th Street Redevelopment Area. It’s one of four Pilot…
Zoning changes could protect the character of downtown neighborhoods, the Pensacola City Council and planning board heard during a presentation Monday. Pensacola’s Community Redevelopment Agencyhired the urban design and planning firm DPZ to develop new overlay zones to guide revitalization in the city’s three Community Redevelopment Agency districts. Marina Khoury, a partner at the DPZ firm,…
TAMPA —The University of South Florida and the City of Tampa agreed Tuesday to work together to apply technological advances to improving urban life. Styled “Smart Cities,” the initiative means Tampa is now the second Florida city vying to take part in the MetroLab Network, following Miami’s collaboration with Florida International University. The network has…
The 2018 Legislative Session concluded with no changes passed to the laws that govern Community Redevelopment Agencies! We want to thank our intrepid lobbyists, our members, our community leaders and the citizens of Florida for believing in #CRAs statewide. You are the reason #RedevelopmentWorks. To learn more about the 2018 session, read our latest newsletter here!
ST. PETERSBURG — Business owner Sarah Arrazola delivered the rallying cry Wednesday for those opposing a developer’s bid to open a Dunkin’ Donuts drive-through in downtown: “Please don’t Fort Lauderdale St. Petersburg,” she told the Development Review Commission. The Orlando developer, Jonathan Moore, defended the project from charges that it would dilute the city’s local…
CRA Board Approves the Purchase of 19 Housing Units at Town Park Plaza North The Southeast Overtown / Park West Community Redevelopment Agency (“CRA”) can now add homeownership opportunities to its list of goals for Overtown. On March 1, the CRA Board of Commissioners approved $700,000 to purchase nineteen (19) townhouses at Town Park Plaza…
UPDATE ON CS/CS/HB 883 House Vote March 6, 2018 The final vote on CS/CS/HB 883 (the CRA issue) is expected to take place this week. The Call to Action is to OPPOSE the “Caldwell Amendment” that contains the CRA language, which is proposed to be added to the bill – the amendment contains some…
Treasure Coast Newspapers Editorial Board Treasure Coast Newspapers Feb. 28, 2018 Sometimes, legislative bills metastasize. Case in point would be Florida House Bill 883, which started out as a measure designed to expand Community Development Districts, or CDDs, which are created by property owners who then sometimes use the CDD to borrow money, make improvements,…
Gabby Baquero OrangeObserver.com Feb. 14, 2018 ORANGE COUNTY – Local government leaders have accused state lawmakers of seeking to pass numerous bills — both in the 2017 and 2018 legislative sessions — that aim to erode home rule. And municipal leaders said they have had enough of Tallahassee’s continual attack on their authority and ability…
Steve Leary Orlando Weekly Feb. 15, 2018 Twenty years ago, crime and blight plagued an area west of Winter Park’s Park Avenue. It wasn’t a place you’d want to hang out after dark. But today, its residents and visitors linger into the evening at sidewalk cafes while locally owned businesses flourish behind restored facades. These…
David Minksy Miami New Times Feb. 12, 2018 The craft beer industry is so popular in Miami that many of the surrounding cities want a slice of the action. Among them is North Miami Beach, which announced January 18 that it created the state’s “first” brewery district. The city changed the zoning code for its redevelopment…
Peter Schorsch Florida Politics Feb. 9, 2018 For your radar — The Redevelopment Works campaign, spearheaded by the Florida Redevelopment Association (FRA), is spreading awareness about the importance of Florida’s community redevelopment agencies (CRAs), which are currently under attack by legislation under consideration in the 2018 session. In a video recently unveiled as part of the initiative, community…
Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners recognizes the Economic Development Department for receiving the 2017 Florida Redevelopment Association “Creative Organization Development and Funding” Award.
Michael Volk Gainesville Sun Feb. 6, 2018 As a resident of Gainesville, I have witnessed firsthand the encouraging impact and positive effects resulting from projects spearheaded by Gainesville’s community redevelopment agency (CRA). Newly renovated areas — such as Depot Park, Bo Diddley Plaza and the Helyx Bridge — have attracted significantly more residents, tourists and…
Gabe Grass Tallahassee Democrat Feb. 7, 2018 Supporting local growth from within communities is the formula for success, and community redevelopment agencies are a key part of this equation. Unfortunately, the Florida Legislature is seeking to impose an exhaustive list of regulations that will prevent CRAs from effectively rehabilitating the communities they serve. CRAs breathe new…
Sheldon Gardner St. Augustine Record Feb. 6, 2018 St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach officials have taken a stance on a number of topics at the state level, and St. Augustine officials traveled to Tallahassee to fight for, and against, several new proposals last week. The visit last week by City Manager John Regan and…
North Miami Beach, FL – City of North Miami Beach officials have improved the zoning districts, making it easier for investors to open and operate a microbrewery, distillery or winery in the Redevelopment Area, also known as the “Brewery District.” A microbrewery can now conceivably operate in a shopping center, regular commercial structure or on…
Jared Beck Naples Daily News Jan. 31, 2018 Traveling through the state, I am reminded of how many of our communities have been transformed from once-derelict and underused areas of neglect to thriving centers of business, tourism and community. Miami Beach’s Lincoln Road, Fort Lauderdale’s A1A and Tampa’s Channel District are just a few examples.…
Josh Cockrell Florida Times-Union Jan. 22, 2018 Picture this: A once-vibrant area within a local community overcome with blight and decay. Children no longer able to utilize youth programs. Public parks no longer accessible — even the lighting and infrastructure are considered hazards. Revitalization of these forgotten and neglected areas is made possible through community…
Business Report of North Central Florida Jan. 11, 2018 While the University of Florida helped put the quaint city of Gainesville on the map back in 1853, modern additions to the city have caught the attention of diverse waves of people beyond students, both prospective residents and tourists alike. With Depot Park, Bo Diddley Plaza,…
Mariel Carbone WCTV Jan. 11, 2018 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV)– Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum spoke out against what he called a “war on cities,” Thursday. Under his campaign, Defend Local Solutions, Gillum and several others spoke out against proposed bills that would preempt local government. Preemption is when a state law blocks local government from passing…