AVON PARK — It is a pleasure to recognize Gerald Snell as our Unsung Hero for September. Snell, an Avon Park native, is a vital part of his community, constantly helping his neighbors while reaching out beyond his own circle, volunteering his time and energy. Read the full article.
Community redevelopment agencies (CRAs) are incredibly successful tools for breathing new life into communities that have been neglected or forgotten. Their purpose is to eradicate physical blight in its many forms – through local leadership and a publicly vetted redevelopment plan. There are no state or federal monies spent by CRAs. Revenues used by CRAs…
Winter Haven, Florida, a city of approximately 40,000 in Polk County, was incorporated in 1911. It is located in the midst of Central Florida’s famous Chain of Lakes, a series of 24 lakes that lie at the headwaters of the Peace River basin. In the 1920s and ‘30s, the citrus industry expanded throughout the area,…
Background. Frenchtown Redevelopment Partners, LLC (“FRENCHTOWN REDEVELOPMENT PARTNERS”) is issuing a Request for Proposals for the redevelopment of Frenchtown, a key site in the growing revitalization of Tallahassee, Florida. Frenchtown is a short walk to Downtown and a short bike ride to Midtown and the universities. The Project will consists of approximately 4.55+/- acres of the “New…
FBC 301 focuses on formulating, adopting, and administering a form-based code. The course will offer an in-depth look at the relationship between the comprehensive plan and a form-based code, the mechanics of code adoption, the advantages and disadvantages of mandatory, parallel and floating-zone codes, and ways to avoid common pitfalls in the drafting and administration…
Natalie Kahler Tampa Bay Times Oct. 14, 2017 For the first time in the 17 years I have lived in Brooksville, every first-floor commercial space on Main Street is rented and open for business. The area’s look has changed from that of a rundown ghost town to a professional business district. Our Good Neighbor Trail…
During the recession, southwestern Manatee County experienced plummeting property values as businesses closed and homes went into foreclosure. After the recession, values there were slower to recover than in eastern suburban areas where construction and property sales resumed. Today, numerous commercial properties on major thoroughfares remain vacant in Southwest Manatee and some neighborhoods are still…
One of Florida’s top leaders and expected gubernatorial candidate, Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, is set to speak during the annual conference of the Florida Redevelopment Association – a statewide organization dedicated to assisting Florida professionals and volunteers in community revitalization efforts. Latvala’s plenary session will start at 11 a.m. on Thursday, October 19, and cover…
John Albright, president and CEO of Consolidated-Tomoka Land Co., threw out an audacious idea at Monday night’s monthly meeting of the Beachside Redevelopment Committee. “I think a bold move would be to shut down Main Street and make it pedestrian only,” suggested Albright, who serves as vice chair of the temporary committee. Speaking three days…
On October 23, 2017 the public is invited to attend the first of three community meetings that will focus on the City of Tampa’s Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) Strategic Action Plan for the West Tampa CRA. In 2015 the City of Tampa designated the West Tampa Community Redevelopment Area, per Florida statute. The next step…
San Marco Avenue’s look and atmosphere could be changed by a city effort to update the road’s design standards. The street is one of three entry corridors in the city, along with King Street and Anastasia Boulevard. The city adopted design standards for those streets in 2003, and in 2016 the city decided to update…
The Lake Placid Town Council, in a 2-1 vote, agreed to adopt findings from a study that confirms the town has blight in its downtown area. The study, a “finding of necessity,” is one of the steps toward establishing a Community Redevelopment Agency. Councilwoman Debra Worley was absent from the meeting, despite being a proponent…
Hernando Sun More than 220 CRAs operate in Florida. These are local initiatives, authorized under state law, that allow communities to target blighted areas for redevelopment. The money comes from something called “tax incremental financing” – basically, the agency captures any increased tax receipts arising from business growth attributable to its investments in the targeted…
If you follow the Florida Legislature, prepare to hear a lot of criticism about Community Redevelopment Agencies. As you consider these mostly unfounded complaints, I’d ask the people of Fort Pierce to think about a few of the revitalization projects that have been completed in our CRA district: The restored and enlarged Fort Pierce City…
In Tampa’s Channel District, construction cranes swing across the sky. Below, workers in hard hats mill about at the spot off Meridian Avenue and Madison Street where construction on the Channel Club building has reached the halfway point. When it is completed in 2018, the 21-story Channel Club will have 323 apartments and an adjacent Publix, the…
Locals poured into Popovers on Main at 11:37 a.m. The just-opened café went from having one table occupied to a full house within five minutes. Fall leaves, pumpkins and baskets lined all four walls, giving the impression that this little shop was picked up from the Adirondacks at the peak of fall and placed in…
For 33 years the city of Fort Myers’ downtown CRA district has enjoyed a money pot all its own, and officials aim to ensure it stays that way. On Wednesday, Stantec Consulting is expected to recommend the city continue the downtown district until 2046, combining it with neighboring midtown to fund developments in both areas.…
The Beachside Redevelopment Committee dug in deep into the homestead exemption and its effect on code enforcement in the beachside during their meeting on Monday, Sept. 18. “Homestead and the exemption that goes with it is constitutional, which trumps local requirements and local desires to get liens paid,” Volusia County Property Appraiser Larry Bartlett said. The…
The Cascades Project cleared a major hurdle with the Community Redevelopment Agency’s unanimous approval Monday to complete and execute a development agreement with incremental tax rebates. Early project images reveal a colossal mixed-use development unlike anything in Tallahassee’s downtown. It includes a waterfall staircase in the park’s plaza, room for a bakery, a coffee shop,…
MARATHON, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott is meeting with state and local officials in Monroe and Lee Counties to discuss Hurricane Irma response and recovery efforts. The Governor also visited a Hurricane Irma shelter in Monroe County with U.S. Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Elaine Duke. Read the updates here.
MARATHON, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott announced the state has been awarded federal Dislocated Worker Grants to provide temporary employment to Floridians affected by Hurricane Irma. The Dislocated Worker Grants, administered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, provide disaster relief employment in the form of temporary jobs that support storm response and recovery efforts.…