Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 02-14-12 cra — reading text

Packet Pg. 14  7. 1. a 2012 Community Redevelopment Plan With the passage of the Community Redevelopment Act of 1969, the Florida Legislature acknowledged that older areas of the state needed a means to address these deteriorating conditions and to facilitate economic development in these communities. Under Chapter 163, Part III of the Florida Statutes, local governments are able to designate areas as Community Redevelopment Areas when certain conditions exist. The foresight of the City to establish its first redevelopment area and created the Fort Walton Beach Redevelopment Agency in 1977 that included a " slum and blighted area" located between Beal Parkway and Eglin Par , y and the portion of Downtown, located betweet 1[ $ arkway and Brooks Bridge. In 1982, the :. yy Council established a Redevelopment Trns uu*-`: ...d developed the first Community Redevelojiiitent P his was an important step in protecti , & ty value removing blight. Only recentl as the City exper7" "" d a decline in property vi: resulting in a strain on conomy. Prior to tHis "' t rec . decline, the s" a economic It ited impact om vulnerable forces around the City have helped to sustain its prose market forces and the national economic climate.' a: k crisis, the` alignment and Closure As the rest of the nation has faced an BRAC) initiative allowed Eglin AFB to 9 * w re in prom "' ce. BRAC assigned the F- 35 fighter program to Eglin AFB and reloce< ial W' rces group from Fort Bragg, North Carolina to the local , which resultid mfi' ' ousands of new residents to the area. The Base continue ent a signift° E econorr0 impact to Fort Walton Beach and the region. The Ai ame mer at EE AFB and Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field contiiiiia _ ake ilitary the employer in the region. The Community Redevelopment Area is located within the most historic section of the City and includes portions of two of the City' s waterfronts — Santa Rosa Sound and Choctawhatchee Bay. The initial size of the CRA was 222 acres in 1982, and was expanded to 607 acres in 1998. expanded CPA Insert maps of original & areas) In 2007, the CRA Plan designated eight ( 8) community subzones, with each subzone having unique characteristics and issues. Two of these subzones, the Historic Downtown and the Uptown District, have created Merchant Associations to assist with the redevelopment efforts in the CRA. The other subzones, include the Comet / Crescent Circle area, Beal Parkway Corridor, City of Fort Walton Beach February 2012 Packet Pg. 15  7. 1. a 2012 Community Redevelopment Plan Central City, Midtown, West Miracle Strip, and East Brooks Street and all consist of a mixture of residential and commercial developments. The Downtown Arts & Entertainment District is located along Miracle Strip Parkway SE ( U. S. Highway 98) and Brooks Street SE. The Downtown area hosts the Indian Temple Mound Museum, the Public t Library, several waterfront condominiums, and a variety of unique shops and restaurants. Downtown Pert Walton aro &E The Uptown Shopping District is loctLitheEglin Parkway corridor north of Fourth Street SE, an made up of primarily commercia , VN This area was a large portion of the area added to the origina boundaries in 1998. The Uptown Shopping District met a TRr1 national retail tenants and restaurants and hosts eralina...,, events throughout the year attracting thousands of A le. p1 The Comet Street / Crescent Circle District is bound - ,; k;Ify&iod Boulevat"d to the north, Robinwood Drive to the west, the property line of the Fo n Beach Housing Authority to the south, and Bass Avenue to the east. intensity commercial uses, such as auto rd" area consists o gjs, used ca NsWIC.. single- family homes and high - m evardo the north, Bass Avenue to The Bea] Parkway Corridor is bounded by Ilyw..., the west, First Street to the nd Shell v ' Ue to ` s[. The properties abutting Beal uses, ran g from office complexes to high Ndev commer Parkway are developed intensity uses, such a "` to ps, used Cargales, eta Along the perimeter roads to the east and west, there are ,;;, jpin nts and si all oMee complexes or businesses. The Central G tric i a >: artin Road to the north, Shell Avenue to the t west, Firs , Martin ` ad and HoIY' uth,' ` d Bo f.. upelo ,Av nue to the to the east. The properties along Walter rd are primarily commercial uses. Properties along First Stre eveloped as _ or q : public uses, such as religious institutions, the Okaloosa County 1 District ad . trativ, offices. The remainder of the areas is almost exclusively residential. The Midtown Di biscgt the Historic Downtown and Uptown Districts and is bounded by Fourth Street [ o the upelo Avenue to the west, First Street to the south, and Chicago Avenue to the east A w f the properties along Eglin Parkway are commercial. Throughout the remainder of the district is a mix of medium- to high -density residential and small commercial uses. The West Miracle Strip Parkway District is bounded by Coral Drive to the north, Memorial Parkway to the west, Santa Rosa Sound to the south, and Harbeson Avenue to the east. Miracle Strip Parkway is a State highway that is a regional transportation corridor and the major east to west highway in the City. The properties along Miracle Strip Parkway are a mixture of mostly commercial uses north of the road, ranging from office complexes to high -intensity uses, such as February 2012 City of Fort Walton Beach Packet Pg::16  F7.1. a 2012 Community Redevelopment Plan car dealerships, hotels, etc., and a mixture of smaller businesses, marinas, restaurants, and condominiums on the south side of the road. The East Brooks Street District is bounded by First Street to the north, Florida Blanca / Alconese Avenue to the west, Santa Rosa Sound to the south, and Elm Avenue to the east. This area is primarily residential with large -lot low -density single family homes to higher intensity medium - density townhome and condominium developments. Current CRA Boundaries 7 Fort Wat " "'' ach is the o ity located along the Gulf Coast between Pensacola and Panama City that in an downtown ". Additionally, the downtown area is located within the boundaries k.;.:., anthela'.Ensuring the continued vitality and success of the CRA Area is CRA necessary to the e " is " 7th of the City and the surrounding region. The Fort Walton Beach CRA serves as the City' s social and economic core. The area thrives today through a CRA characterized by: A vibrant waterfront offering entertainment, dining and recreation to seasonal visitors and permanent residents; Residences ranging from single -family detached to duplexes, townhouses, condominiums and apartments, available for all ages, incomes and lifestyles; City of Fort Walton Beach February 2012 Packet Pg. 17  7. 1. a 2012 Community Redevelopment Plan Retail and service businesses; Unique cultural opportunities, including theater, dance, art galleries and museums