Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 04-10-12 cra — reading text

important economic factor. mE r These geographic factors, the rich history of the area, and the large military presence in the area created a unique economic environment for the growth of the community; but as with most cities, the explosive growth seemed to leave certain areas vulnerable to neglect and blight. In the late 1960s, and early 1970s, the City began to experience a decline in economic prosperity, some of which can be attributed to the utility and transportation infrastructure getting older and commercial and residential structures becoming deteriorated. New development began to take place in the surrounding communities. The City, having nearly run out of developable land, 2012 Community Redevelopment Plan Packet Pg. 21  8. 1. a started to focus attention on finding ways to induce private enterprise investment in the City and thus capturing a greater share of the local and regional market. 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. As the rest of the nation has faced an economic crisis, the Base Realignment and Closure BRAC) initiative allowed Eglin AFB to grow even more in prominence. BRAC assigned the F- 35 fighter program to Eglin AFB and relocated the 7'" Special Forces group from Fort Bragg, North Carolina to the local area, which resulted in an influx of thousands of new residents to the area. The Base continues to represent a significant economic impact to Fort Walton Beach and the region. The Air Armament Center at Eglin AFB and Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field continue to make the military the top 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. 2012 Community Redevelopment Plan Packet Pg. 22  B. t. a cm of MRT wkTN 8W cm AA r I rb I J° I mFlil Original CRA boundaries ( 1982) Expanded CRA boundaries ( 1998) 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, 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 Library, several waterfront condominiums, and a variety of unique shops and restaurants. Downtown Fonl Walton an. a Fmemmmem Dictum The Uptown Shopping District is located along the Eglin Parkway FNF • • A corridor north of Fourth Street SE, and is made up of primarily commercial uses. UPTOWN This area was a large portion of the area added to the original CRA 1 boundaries in 1998. The Uptown Shopping District includes several slatrrncpls r niq national retail tenants and restaurants and hosts several major events throughout the year attracting thousands of people. ~ The Comet Street Crescent Circle District is bounded by Hollywood Boulevard to the north, Robinwood Drive to the west, the property line of the Fort Walton Beach Housing Authority to the south, and Bass Avenue to the east. This area consists of both single- family homes and high - intensity commercial uses, such as auto repair shops, used car sales, etc. 2012 Community Redevelopment Plan Packet Pg. 23  8. 1. a The Beal Parkway Corridor is bounded by Hollywood Boulevard to the north, Bass Avenue to the west, First Street to the south, and Shell Avenue to the east. The properties abutting Beal Parkway are developed primarily as commercial uses, ranging from office complexes to high intensity uses, such as auto repair shops, used car sales, etc. Along the perimeter roads to the east and west, there are residential developments and small office complexes or businesses. The Central City District is bounded by Walter Martin Road to the north, Shell Avenue to the west, First Street to the south, and Tupelo Avenue to the to the east. The properties along Walter Martin Road and Hollywood Boulevard are primarily commercial uses. Properties along First Street are developed as public or quasi -public uses, such as religious institutions, the Okaloosa County School District administrative offices. The remainder of the areas is almost exclusively mR residential. n The Midtown District bisects the Historic Downtown and Uptown Districts and is bounded by UaANcr Fourth Street to the north, Tupelo Avenue to the west, First Street to the south, and Chicago Avenue to the east. All of 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. ON The West Miracle Strip Parkway District is bounded by Coral Drive to the north, Memorial rm Parkway to the west, Santa Rosa Sound to the south, and Harbeson Avenue to the cast. 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 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. 10 2012 Community Redevelopment Plan PadtM Pg. 24  F8 1— . Current CRA Boundaries a aN I, rc UN N nb Fort Walton Beach is the only City located along the Gulf Coast between Pensacola and Panama City that includes an authentic " downtown ". Additionally, the downtown area is located within the boundaries of the CRA Area. Ensuring the continued vitality and success of the CPA Area is necessary to the economic health of the City and the surrounding region. The Fort Walton Beach CRA area 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 both seasonal visitors and permanent residents; Residences ranging from single- family detached to duplexes, townhouses, condominiums and apartments, available for all ages, incomes and lifestyles; Retail and service businesses; Unique cultural opportunities, including theater, dance, art galleries, library, and museums highlighting the City's rich historical background; and Public parks, plazas and open spaces. 2012 Community Redevelopment Plan Packet Pg: 2S  F- 8. 1. a Major public improvements within the Fort Walton Beach CRA have proven important to the redevelopment effort. Sound Park was constructed across from City Hall in 2007, Chester Pruitt Park received a major upgrade in 2009, Phases I -V of the Downtown Strectscape project were completed in 2009, and many commercial property owners have taken advantage of the matching streetscape grant program to improve the rights -of -way along major corridors. Significant private redevelopment efforts have included transforming an outdated strip shopping center ( Fort Walton Square) into Uptown Station, filled with national commercial tenants and bustling with customer activity as well as the construction of several new large -scale waterfront condominiums downtown. Continued attention to fagade