Good News From Florida’s CRAs

100 of Central Florida’s most influential people weigh in with their own predictions for 2030. Read the predictions here.

 Inevitably it seems that rivers are one of two things to a city: either a vital, vibrant artery stitching it historically together (think the Seine through Paris, the Sumida through Tokyo, or the Chicago River through the downtown Windy City), or an industrial, black water pipeline which, decade after decade, sacrifices a thriving, walkable waterfront…

Last year, Port Tampa Bay officials were excited to show off sleek, new designs featuring a $1.7 billion urban vision of a futuristic Channelside in downtown Tampa. Renderings showed 75-story high apartment and condo buildings surrounded by parks and a much bigger cruise terminal. But Thursday, Port Tampa Bay officials unveiled a farther-reaching master plan…

The city of Cocoa could see some serious upgrades in the coming months — not only to its streetscapes, but to its foodie and manufacturing scenes as well. A taco pub, a Texas-style barbecue restaurant, expansive Wal-Mart distribution center and Flying J gas station are among the most prominent additions coming to the city, said…

The Ybor City Development Corporation (YCDC) today announced the launch of a new, redesigned version of its website, www.yborcityonline.com, in addition to its new campaign, “More in Ybor.” The site was created to promote Tampa’s National Historic Landmark District’s growing assets, complimented by a catalog of stunning photographs taken by local photographer Gabriel Burgos. Key…

Construction is under way on a $5.6 million storm water project that will transform 8 acres in downtown Tavares into a park complete with wooden bridges and lush landscaping atop man-made ponds designed to treat storm water runoff before it discharges into Lake Dora. The stormwater treatment park, known as The Ruby Street Stormwater Improvement…

Don Paight, who led Fort Myers’ redevelopment efforts for the past three decades, has joined commercial real estate brokerage firm CRE Consultants. As executive director of the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency, Paight was instrumental in spurring nearly $1 billion worth of new private and public investment into the city’s downtown redevelopment area. Read the…

The city will reconsider its intent to revitalize Downtown along East Bay Street by adding more publicly owned real estate to its scope and nullifying a redevelopment proposal from Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan that was approved 19 months ago but never acted upon. At the request of the mayor’s office, the Downtown Investment Authority…

Home builder D.R. Horton advanced its plan to build a subdivision with as many as 224 single-family homes on a golf course in Sharpes, a small town in Brevard County. The Brevard County Commission unanimously approved a zoning change and an amendment to its comprehensive plan that would allow the conversion of an 18-hole golf…

The shuttered Fashion Mall in Plantation could spring back to life after the Plantation City Council approved a $300 million redevelopment plan for the 32.1-acre site on Nov. 30. Art Falcone, CEO of Boca Raton-based Encore Housing Opportunity Fund, said he plans to break ground on the mixed-use project in the second quarter of 2017.…

Melody Tower, a 497-unit high-rise residential and retail mixed-use project of the 27th Plaza Corporation in Miami has been certified as a Florida Green High-Rise Residential Building by the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC), after it successfully met the sustainability standards established in the FGBC Florida Green High-Rise Residential Building certification program. The designation represents…

Built more than six decades ago, the Sanford Civic Center is an antiquated facility that sorely needs to be replaced with a larger, modern events center, city leaders and many downtown business owners say. The acoustics in the main auditorium are so poor, they say, that visitors often have trouble hearing speakers or musical performances.…

The days when the nine-story Sweet Building dominated the downtown skyline are long gone. The 1926 office building at the north end of the Andrews Avenue Bridge was the city’s first skyscraper and downtown’s tallest structure for 46 years. Even its roof has history, serving as an observation post for enemy planes during World War…

STUART — A new apartment building on the west side  of the railroad tracks and the face-lift of a building on  Osceola Street are some of the changes coming to downtown. While many are eager for the developments, they have been bad news for others. “I’m really actually excited about the possibilities. I think the economy in the city will do pretty…

LAKELAND — A Tampa-based development group will get the first shot at negotiating for a project on the city’s downtown North Lake Mirror site if advisory recommendations are accepted by the City Commission on Monday. Framework Group beat Lakeland-based Broadway Real Estate and a team comprising the Orlando Neighborhood Investment Corporation and Lakeland’s Prestige Worldwide…

he Galley opens this December in a prime downtown area slated for major redevelopment Founded by two St. Pete natives – they call it “a long-term investment in the future of St. Pete” ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (November 21, 2016) — Two local leaders of the ever-expanding St. Pete hospitality scene have joined forces, with high…

Miami commissioners voted Thursday to borrow up to $45 million to restore historic Marine Stadium, pushing the city as close as it’s ever been to starting a project that has been batted around for years. By a 3-0 vote, with Frank Carollo and Francis Suarez away from the dais, commissioners allowed the city’s administration to…

WINTER GARDEN City officials marked another milestone of the redevelopment process Nov. 12 as they officially opened the brand new parking garage in downtown Winter Garden. As the downtown area has grown and attracted new businesses over the last several years, parking became increasingly limited. “The city decided to revitalize the sidewalks, landscaping, gazebo and the…

PANAMA CITY — There is a chance, albeit a small one, that some of the palm trees in downtown Panama City may be kept as part of the Harrison Avenue streetscape project. After months of delays to better coordinate with the marina redevelopment project, work is picking back up on the streetscape this week, starting…

Over the past week, a swarm of local and international artists have been working in parks and vacant lots in West Palm Beach, transforming the spaces into a giant outdoor museum. It’s part of a larger strategy by the city’s planners that goes beyond aesthetics. “I came out here to install a 25-foot metal paper…

An alternative set of regulations now applies to six thoroughfares where the Manatee County Commission wants to encourage urban development. The new codes allow for more density and building height for developers who want to build in an urban setting. The rules are especially intended to encourage walkable, mixed-use development that combines retail, offices and…