Plans for a new community opera house and amphitheater near Naples are advancing. There is hope of securing the land for it by January, if not sooner. Opera Naples is pursuing the multimillion-dollar development — called Theater in the Garden — in partnership with two other nonprofits, Theater in the Garden Inc. and the Luciano…
✨ FRA Newsletter Highlights | October 1, 2026 🌴 2026 FRA Annual Conference Registration is Open 🗓 October 20–23 | Charlotte Harbor The 2026 FRA Annual Conference is just a few weeks away! Join redevelopment professionals from across Florida at the Sunseeker Resort for expert speakers and panelists, best practices, legislative updates, networking opportunities, and…
The Sebring Community Redevelopment Agency discussed and made a decision on gateway signs for placement on North and South Ridgewood Drive for a visual impact in welcoming motorists to downtown. Apparently now there is no big or small “Welcome to downtown Sebring” sign on Lakeview Drive nor South Ridgewood Drive. Mayor John Shoop said on…
The Community Redevelopment Agency is preparing to distribute money to 22 businesses for equipment and facility upgrades. The program is designed to help local businesses take on improvements that can otherwise be expensive. Back in 2024, Kena Bwembya, the Owner of Bwembya’s Market, received a CRA grant to help make improvements to her business. She…
The Bradenton City Council hosted a public hearing with their Community Redevelopment Agency identifying areas in the city that need to be redeveloped or rehabilitated in the interest of public health, safety, and welfare for the city. A 2023 study identified and documented the existence of slum and blighted conditions across 16 sites in the…
One of the more innovative strategies the city of Orlando has taken to help homeless people get off the streets is on track to surpass its goal of housing roughly 400 people over a three-year period. The city announced Thursday that the city’s “dignity bus” program — offering overnight shelter on two retrofitted Greyhound buses…
✨ FRA Newsletter Highlights | September 25, 2026 🎉 Thank You for an Incredible Redevelopment Week! FRA extends a huge thank you to Community Redevelopment Agencies across Florida for making Redevelopment Week a success! From sharing success stories to highlighting community transformations, CRAs across the state demonstrated how redevelopment strengthens neighborhoods, supports local businesses, and…
✨ FRA Newsletter Highlights | September 17, 2026 🎉 Celebrating Redevelopment Week! Communities across Florida came together September 14–18 to celebrate Redevelopment Week and highlight the projects, partnerships, and investments that demonstrate how redevelopment strengthens communities. FRA’s Redevelopment Week resources remain available for members to use and share. 🌴 2026 FRA Annual Conference Registration is…
Built in 1947 as the Ebenezer Methodist Church, the historic building in the heart of Overtown was redeveloped by the Overtown Community Redevelopment Agency a decade ago to become the Overtown Performing Arts Center, or OPAC. It has since become the heartbeat of the neighborhood. “One piece of the bigger picture was the CRA’s vision…
If you’ve ever dreamed of running a restaurant at historic McCollum Hall in Fort Myers, now is the time to act. The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is accepting proposals for a restaurant. The CRA also wants bids to operate a music and performing arts center at the hall. The agency said ideally that center…
A new riverfront hotel could soon grace the Downtown Jacksonville skyline. Gateway Jax is looking to build a hotel at Riverfront Plaza, and the Downtown Investment Authority is expected to vote to approve millions of dollars in incentives to bring it to life. City Councilman Jimmy Peluso, whose district includes Riverfront Plaza, believes this will…
The City of Gulf Breeze is taking steps to make daily commutes safer. The city is investing in a new multi-use paths in high-traffic areas. This is just phase two of the project. The idea is to create an entire network of paths throughout Gulf Breeze. Whether you’re walking by foot, taking an e-bike or…