FRA EXCLUSIVE: Can Local Government Snatch CRA Funds for Community Policing? Cities and counties often look at the pros and cons of providing community policing services using Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) funding. Chapter 163, Part III specifically allows this, with the caveat that the funds from the CRA trust fund must be expended for purposes…
VHB Project Wins 2013 IDA Downtown Achievement Award in Boynton, FL ORLANDO, FL – (September 3, 2013) – VHB, a recognized east coast planning, transportation, land development and environmental consulting firm with Florida offices in Orlando and Sarasota, announced that the International Downtown Association has presented a VHB project with the prestigious award: the 2013…
Downtown Jacksonville redevelopment plan slated for early 2014 The Downtown Investment Authority has spent the better part of a year plodding through the creation of a set of plans that will become the framework for the latest attempt at revitalizing the city center. This time, advocates hope, what the city comes up with won’t become…
Land in Palatka Sold for New Hotel, Marks Latest Development in Riverfront Revitalization SHP Hospitality LLC bought two blocks of land on St. John’s River in Palatka for $169,000, with plans to construct a Hampton Inn. Palatka city commission authorized the sale of 1.69 acres on 100 Memorial Parkway block near the St. John’s River and…
Three to be interviewed for Live Oak CRA director Live Oak — The Live Oak Community Redevelopment Agency selected three candidates to interview for the director position at their board meeting Tuesday night. Three individuals, Lisa Kiernan (Jacksonville), Ronald Vanzant (Lawtey) and Timothy Williams (Wellborn), tied with five votes each and were selected to be…
West Palm Beach mulls private CRA This northern Broward County city and West Palm Beach have about the same population. Both have great weather, palm trees, and a mix of well-to-do, middle-class and blighted neighborhoods. And Kim Briesemeister. Briesemeister was, until last week executive director of West Palm Beach’s Community Redevelopment Agency since 2004. At…
New Smyrna Beach’s downtown revival – from the ashes: New building occupies prominent NSB location The site at the southeast corner of Canal and Orange streets ran the gamut of businesses over about 90 years — home to five-and-dime and dollar stores, a restaurant and most recently a furniture shop. Since 2008, however, the prominent…
St. Petersburg creates master plan for downtown waterfront Beneath the overwhelming noise of debate over the future of the Pier and the Tampa Bay Rays, a project that could be even more important to the city’s future is about to begin. On Sept. 9, almost two years after voters decided St. Petersburg needed a new…
New restaurants spice up downtown Fort Walton Beach It wasn’t long ago that downtown was really struggling. Many storefronts were empty and pedestrian traffic was low. But in recent years the area has undergone a transformation of new businesses that have brought new life. Downtown now is becoming known for its eclectic mix of restaurants offering…
LaSalle company purchases Southernmost Hotel Collection $184M (Key West) Sweeping changes to the lodging landscape of Key West continued this week with the $184.5 million sale of a downtown hotel collection. LaSalle Hotel Properties announced in a statement released Wednesday its purchase of the 260-room Southernmost Hotel Collection, which includes the Southernmost Hotel, Southernmost on…
FEMA to partially fund Warren sinkhole remediation in Live Oak On Tuesday night at the Live Oak Community Redevelopment Agency meeting, Live Oak’s engineer Lane Lucas informed the board the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would not be fully funding the remediation of the sinkhole on Warren Street. “FEMA won’t pay for the full project…
Climbing out of the Channelside morass (Tampa) The effort to turn around Channelside Bay Plaza in Tampa was daunting enough before this week’s news that its Irish owners have moved the property under the protection of an out-of-state federal bankruptcy court. This is bad news for the Tampa Port Authority, which owns the land under…
