No love for the Panhandle: Survey shows Floridians don’t want to help with Hurricane Michael recovery

Public support for Hurricane Michael recovery efforts in the Florida Panhandle is lacking, according to a REBUILD 850 survey released Tuesday. The results showed nearly half of respondents would do nothing to help people affected by the hurricane and nearly 75 percent said they would not consider donating money to help with relief efforts. The lack of public support…

Apartment complex planned in east Fort Myers

A 420-unit apartment community is in the works at the corner of Seaboard Street and Michigan Avenue in Fort Myers, the first of its kind in an area that has laid dormant for many years. This project is also the first to be approved in the newly created Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard redevelopment area.…

Ethics commission approves settlement with Andrew Gillum

The Florida Commission on Ethics today approved a joint settlement agreement with 2018 gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum for accepting a gift over $100 from a city lobbyist while he was mayor of Tallahassee. After about five minutes of discussion, the commission by voice vote accepted the joint stipulated agreement announced in April, that dropped four…

Lakeland CRA board to reconsider its ways

A string of recent tough decisions and moral dilemmas in the sale of city-owned properties have left some questioning if it’s time to reevaluate the process. Members of the Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency’s advisory board asked city officials Thursday for suggestions on how to make the sale of city-owned land more transparent and consistent. The…

Redevelopment Progress at Risk By: Peter Altman

This session, Florida’s community redevelopment agencies (CRAs) are being targeted for an “overhaul” to institute reforms related to their operation. However, proposed bills in the Florida Senate and House, CS/CS/Senate Bill 1054 and CS/House Bill 9, go too far to limit the creation of new agencies, and to limit their terms. This proposed overhaul of…