I rode Tampa’s historic streetcar the other day. And it was … Sad. It wasn’t sad just because only a few silver-haired tourists and I rumbled along the 2.7-mile stretch between the southern edge of downtown east and north to the Latin Quarter of Ybor City. Yep, just us — even though it was a…
HIGH SPRINGS – While High Springs City Manager Ed Booth has been acting in the capacity of Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Executive Director for more than a year, he says he is “delighted” to now turn over the day-to-day administrative duties. Amanda Rodriguez joined the staff on Dec. 8 and was introduced to the public…
INVERNESS — From security cameras at the Inverness Government Center and boardwalk lighting at Cooter Pond Linear Park to the grand opening of the Valerie Theatre and a master plan regarding fire services within the city limits, the city of Inverness is gearing up for a banner year in 2015. What will 2015 look like?…
Now deeply into construction, Tampa’s next mega-mansion will rise three stories tall and spread out over a 47,000-square-foot space, roughly half the size of some Publix grocery stores, and likely feature rooftop gardens, fountains, and a dozen bedrooms, bathrooms and living rooms. Luckily for guests and visitors, the mansion will have an open-door policy and…
The FLC University presents JANUARY 14, 2015 – NOVA UNIVERSITY DAVIE CAMPUS TOOLS THAT WORK FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Effective economic development requires leadership. Policy decisions, implementation strategy and economic reality ideally come together to achieve a community’s economic development goals. This program provides real-world guidance on the fundamentals and tools of realistic economic development. Elected officials can use them to guide strategies…
The Cape Coral City Council met Monday afternoon. Here’s a capsule look: Who attended: Mayor Marni Sawicki, Council members Rana Erbrick, John Carisocia, Rick Williams, Lenny Nesta, Jim Burch, Richard Leon and Derrick Donnell. Major takeaway: In a 7-1 vote City Council approved a resolution of necessity that shows the existence of blighted areas in…
Three Volusia cities are entering the New Year with solid plans for longterm redevelopment of their primary urban corridors. The Volusia County Council recently approved requests from Edgewater and New Smyrna Beach officials to create Community Redevelopment Areas (CRAs) that cover practically the entire stretch of US1 through the two Southeast Volusia cities – as well as certain adjacent tracts. And last…
Miami-Dade commissioners backed tapping new property taxes to borrow $9 million for SkyRise Miami, a funding plan opposed by the project’s hometown mayor. With only three No votes, county support for the planned 1,000-foot observation tower passed by a comfortable margin Tuesday afternoon. The decision marked a comeback for SkyRise developer Jeff Berkowitz, since the…
LAKELAND | Julie Townsend once criticized the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority as having no direction. She even quit her post heading the Lakeland Downtown Partnership to protest the authority’s lack of funding to the partnership. JULIE TOWNSEND, the executive director of the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority, is now in charge of an agency she once criticized…
At a meeting next week, the Escambia County Commission is set to consider a portion of Ensley as a blighted area with a shortage of affordable housing for low and moderate income housing and that there exists a need for for the “rehabilitation conservation, redevelopment, or a combination of these in the Ensley Community is…
Twenty years ago, Miami Beach’s hotel market was sleepy enough that Miami-Dade County created a special taxing district aimed at revitalizing a “blighted area” that includes Lincoln Road and the oceanfront off 16th Street. Today, that land has gained about $4 billion in value, but elected leaders don’t want to declare victory just yet. On Tuesday, Miami-Dade…
NEW SMYRNA BEACH — City leaders have acquiesced to the wishes of the Volusia County Council, shortening their request for a new Community Redevelopment Area that would run along a slumping section of U.S. 1 from a 40-year to a 20-year plan. County Council members have made it clear that 20 years is the limit…
