Winter Haven Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA)
Third Street Reconstruction Project
Work on the Third Street Streetscape Project is scheduled to begin March 5, 2008, when City Utility Services workers will begin improvements to underground utility lines. This $350,000 portion of the project will last about two months.
A bid for the streetscape project has been published and will close March 13, with construction exptected to begin in mid-April. The end result of this portion of the project, budgeted at $1.5 million, will be a streetscape similar to that completed on Central Avenue in 2002. The project scope includes new lighting, brick pavers, roadway resurfacing, benches and trash receptacles. New landscape will be installed by City staff at the completion of the project.
The entire project is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Avenue “T” Improvement Project - Phase I
The Avenue “T” Improvement Project, the second major redevelopment project for the CRA, is complete.
The contractor (Gibbs & Register) installedg new curb, gutter, storm structures, sidewalks and driveway aprons on both sides of Avenue T Northeast from First Street to Ninth Lane. Sub-contactors completed all directional boring of the conduit for the new pedestrian electrical crossings, irrigation and utility service drops. TECO set all new power poles. New concrete medians and center turn lanes were also part of the project. Landscaping and site amenities followed.
Avenue “T” Improvement Project - Phase II
In 2004, the City was awarded $600,000 from the U.S. Highway Administration for Phase II of the Avenue “T” Improvement Project. The funding request was made to Representative Adam Putnam, Senator Bob Graham and Senator Bill Nelson in 2004 and was included in a budget bill signed into law on Dec. 7, 2004. Funds became available in July 2005. The Florida Department of Transportation is the grant administrator and is preparing a Local Agency Program (LAP) Agreement. FDOT indicated the funds can only be utilized on Avenue T as streetscape amenities. No infrastructure or roadway improvements will be permitted since this portion of the road is a state highway. Staff contracted URS to prepare a scope-of-work for the development of the necessary construction documents and work has started on the project.
Transportation & Parking Master Plan
Kimley-Horn continues work on the Transportation and Parking Master Plan. Upon review of the work completed a public workshop will be scheduled to receive public input. This project is funded through a $100,000 federal grant to study and recommend parking improvements in the Downtown CRA District.
Winter Haven Community Redevelopment Agency
The Winter Haven Community Redevelopment Agency, established in 2000, fosters and promotes community redevelopment activities in two designated districts: Downtown and Florence Villa.
The CRA is a “special district” under Florida Statute. The activities of the CRA are detailed in redevelopment plans customized for each district and include:
Infrastructure Improvements
Streetscaping or Beautification
Affordable Housing
Recreation & Park Facility Improvements
Economic Development
Transportation
Neighborhood Enhancement
The CRA, operated by a Board of Directors, includes the five current City Commissioners and two City residents. The board receives input from two advisory committees, one for each district.
CRA is primarily funded through Tax Increment Financing (TIF), a process of capturing property tax revenues that would normally go to Polk County and the City. TIF funds are deposited into a Redevelopment Trust Fund that can then be spent on specific projects or used to leverage additional financing for larger projects.
The Central Avenue and Central Park Improvement Project was the first major project completed by the CRA. The project goal was to rebuild the aging infrastructure in the Historic Downtown District, providing a more conducive atmosphere for small businesses. The project consisted of reconstructing eight blocks of City sidewalks with new, decorative concrete paver bricks and installation of site amenities. Total project cost was $3.5-million. |
Dale Smith
