Good News From Florida’s CRAs

Survivors rebuilding their lives from Hurricane Hermine have until Monday, November 28, to register for federal disaster assistance. The storm caused widespread damage along Florida’s western coastline, and the State of Florida, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) continue to support individual and family recovery efforts. Individuals who…

On Tuesday, November 15, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to deny a proposed change in law that would have allowed development of 1,999 homes on 1,400 acres of property in rural east Orange County, beyond the Econlockhatchee River. If approved, the rule changes would have been a departure from planning practices Orange…

On November 8, 2016 the Murdock Village CRA and the Charlotte County Board of Commissioners approved a purchase and sale agreement with Private Equity Group LLC for 452 acres of property in the Murdock Village Community Redevelopment Area. The agreement puts in motion a development that is projected to create up to 2,400 residential units,…

LAKELAND — The City of Lakeland is transforming nearly two acres of land near downtown into a hub for artists. Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency funding project Hub will be called ‘Mass Market’ Facility will also include events space, gallery for artists “Mass Market,” as the hub will be called, is a $2.5 million project funded by…

MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. – “I see mega-growth here. There’s more and more condos, more subdivisions,” said Jane, a lifelong Bradenton resident. That’s what Jane has witnessed, and she feels there’s a lot more of the same by the year 2037. For her friend Pat, she’s seen the same growth in a part of Manatee County…

Chipley’s Redevelopment Agency (CRA)  Steering Committee met in another round of discussion this week to develop strategies for improving the Historic Downtown Business core. Concerned with the declining viability of the old business community, CRA members are looking for ways to attract both businesses and visitors to the area. Read full article

The owner of the proposed iPic luxury movie theater in downtown Delray Beach received a seventh extension of a purchase contract from the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency. The agency extended the contract until Jan. 31 to allow time to reach an agreement with the city on the parking garage. “I feel strongly we need to…

When city leaders embarked on a multimillion-dollar beautification project along Federal Highway 12 years ago, their goal was to create an inviting atmosphere to emulate the charm of Atlantic Avenue. Since then, locals are pleased. And this week city officials learned that the Florida Redevelopment Association has recognized the project as an outstanding redevelopment achievement in…

A cool commercial project here, another there. That’s great. But it’s easy to miss the critical mass gathering in Tampa Bay without looking at the area’s best and biggest commercial real estate developments now under way (or about to be) at the same time. Wow! From the frenzy of downtown projects in Tampa and St.…

PANAMA CITY, Fla. – Since 1974, the Panama City Downtown Improvement board has been responsible for promoting and developing the downtown Panama City area. For most of the last 4 decades, that’s included everything from advertising, planning events, recruiting businesses and just about anything else associated with helping the area succeed. However, times have changed…

After nearly a year at the drawing board, city officials finally have their vision of Ocoee’s new downtown on paper. City officials and GAI Consultants Inc., an engineering and environmental consulting group, hosted a presentation revealing the final draft of the downtown Ocoee master plan during the Oct. 18 Ocoee City Commission meeting. The master…

TREASURE ISLAND – As Treasure Island voters consider the proposed changes to the Land Development Regulations, many have asked about the potential economic impact if the regulations are approved. City leaders assessed the possible impact in advance of introducing the Planned Development Zoning District. While there is no way to predict with certainty how the…

Once there were parking lots. Now it’s a huge train station. Or it will be by next summer, when MiamiCentral station — the southern hub for the new Brightline express train service to Orlando — opens for business smack in the middle of downtown. If you’ve been downtown lately, it’s that giant erector set of…

ST. PETERSBURG — For a decade, the big question about the 400 block of Central Avenue was: How do you get rid of the decrepit old buildings there to allow room for redevelopment? Now that demolition is underway and the site soon will be cleared, the question is: What kind of redevelopment would be best…

The nine volunteer members of the Sarasota Bayfront Planning Organization (SBPO) were announced this week by the group that has been working on a master plan for about 42 acres of bayfront property owned by the City of Sarasota. The organization will build on the foundation laid over the past three years by Sarasota Bayfront…

BOYNTON BEACH — Downtown Boynton Beach will be transformed into Hobb’s Cove, a bustling old world port brimming with pirate superstitions … shipwrecks off the coast of Boynton Beach and Merlandia, a mysterious oasis where the sirens of the sea lure you into the depths with their song. It’s almost Halloween, and in Boynton Beach,…

Busy Park Boulevard in Pinellas Park is not where you would expect to find a “Creative District.” But past the heavy traffic and the older retail shops and restaurants, slow down and you’ll see Clayton Swartz’s colorful abstract metal sculptures at the 5600 Block. The sculptures are strategically placed to draw attention to Swartz’s new…

Bill Wilson and Michele Hartson have been married for 20 years. They share a house in the Woodland Drives neighborhood yet they’re spending much time in South City, a neighborhood thirsty for change. South City – one of Tallahassee’s most troubled neighborhoods – is in dire need of adequate housing, new economic opportunities and a…

The Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has been recognized by the Florida Redevelopment Association (FRA) for outstanding redevelopment achievements in the Transportation/Transit Enhancements Category. The FRA presents awards annually to projects that exhibit best practices in Florida redevelopment over the past year. This year, the Delray Beach CRA and the City of Delray Beach…

All that remains are a permitting process and working through minor site plan details before downtown Bradenton will see a new Marriott-owned Spring Hill Suites rise into the air. The city council finalized the development agreement Wednesday. There are minor changes to the initial proposal from when the city entered into a purchase agreement in…

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. /Florida Newswire/ — The Pompano Beach CRA announces the groundbreaking ceremony for the City Vista Apartments will take place on October 19 at 3:30 p.m. According to Redevelopment Management Associates (RMA), the development will include 111 apartments and 3,800 square feet of ground floor commercial space. This development is the next step…