Author: CRAStaff

28 Jul

By Ben Crandell South Florida Sun-Sentinel July 29,2022 Patio Bar & Pizza is finally open at  the historic Progresso Plaza, after a  lengthy renovation of the nearly 100-year-old structure yielding a beautiful new indoor-outdoor space destined to be one of the “it” nightlife spots in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The first of three soft-opening nights on Tuesday drew a diverse crowd — friends of ownership, youthful in-the-bizzers and veteran east Fort Lauderdale tavernistas — dispersed around the 2,500-square-foot restaurant and its walled, turfed-and-tiled terrace. The vibe was decidedly laid-back: Kids and dogs, locals and lost tourists, the tattooed, the gray-haired, a stylish pair of Golden Goose sneakers, one Tupac T-shirt and one poor soul in a Red Sox jersey. Overhead, a muted soundtrack flowed algorithmically: ABBA’s “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight),” Harry Styles’ “Late Night Talking,” the viral yearning of Stephen Sanchez’s “Until I...

16:43 / News
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15 Jun

Broward College is expanding its program offerings to another location with the opening of a new L.A. Lee YMCA/Mizell Community Center, which officially opened on May 20. The College has been awarded $1 million in funding from the CRA over the next four years to offer free non-credit workforce training courses and workshops for residents in the district. This is the first partnership of its kind between a community redevelopment agency and a post-secondary institution. Broward College will occupy the fourth floor of the new L.A. Lee YMCA/Mizell Community Center at 1409 NW 6th St., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311. “It’s wonderful to see Broward College step forward and offer convenient educational development and workforce training to city residents that can help boost their career opportunities,” said Dean Trantalis, mayor, Fort Lauderdale. “With programs like this, we can further reduce unemployment and...

15:43 / News
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05 May

On May 3, 2022,  the Fort Lauderdale City Commission, acting as the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Board of Commissioners,  approved a  CRA incentive totaling $350,000  to Rhythms 2.0, LLC for the renovation and build-out of a soul food and seafood restaurant at 733-735 Sistrunk Boulevard. The new restaurant will provide a unique dining experience for its customers and add to the cultural diversity of the area. This is in line with the CRA’s goal to make Sistrunk Boulevard a place of destination for entertainment and cultural tourism. City Commissioners approved a forgivable loan from the Property and Business Improvement Program in the amount of $125,000 and $75,000 from the Non-Residential Façade Program. CRA funding will assist the owners with the renovation, remodel, and build out of a 1,200 square foot bay to include a commercial kitchen, equipment, a grease trap, air...

18:37 / News
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25 Apr

On April 19, 2022,  the Fort Lauderdale City Commission, acting as the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Board of Commissioners,  approved a $727,000 CRA incentive to Dale's Wheels & Tires Direct Inc., for the construction and renovation of a commercial development located at 200-250 West Sunrise Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311 . The proposed development includes the renovation and modernization of the existing Dale's wheel and tire business, the construction of a new two-story showroom, customer lounge, and warehouse, as well as the build out of an existing building into four rentable commercial units and storefronts. Dale's Wheels & Tires Direct Inc. will receive funding from the CRA's Development Incentive Program (DIP). DIP is a forgivable loan that seeks to  eliminate slum and blight by attracting new businesses to the CRA  area and retaining and allowing existing businesses to expand within the...

19:50 / News / News Article
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11 Jan

By Erik Bojnansky South Florida Business Journal An entrepreneur who has been assembling warehouse space near downtown Fort Lauderdale will break ground near the end of the month on a 5.3-acre arts district that will include spaces for artists, restaurateurs, entertainment venues, and even a brewery. Jonathan Fish, manager of Fish Property Management LLC, is marketing the future Thrive Progresso district as the "Wynwood of Fort Lauderdale." He expects to deliver on the first renovated warehouse space by June, and aims to have eight of the ten industrial properties encompassing around 80,000 square feet of space ready for 40 to 60 tenants by the end of the year. "This is not a small little project. This is an area that is going to be a new destination for people to go to in the Fort Lauderdale area," Fish told the Business Journal. Streetscape improvements such...

17:04 / News
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