FRCA  |  Forward Newsletter  | December 2019/January 2020
Treasure Coast RPC Assists with Coastline Redevelopment 
  
The Treasure Coast RPC has been working with the City of Fort Pierce over a number of years to facilitate the redevelopment of the former site of the H.D. King electrical power plant. Beginning in 1912 and continuing for almost a century, the city generated electrical power on the site. After moving production to a new facility in 2008, the plant was decommissioned and eventually demolished. Over the last decade the Treasure Coast RPC has assisted with the redevelopment efforts, initially by conducting a community planning charrette to envision a future for the site and then utilizing its Brownfields Assessment program and Revolving Loan Fund in the assessment and cleanup of contamination on the property. 
   
After attempting to secure a suitable redevelopment partner consistent with the community's vision, the city engaged the Council to help conduct the evaluation of proposals as well as assist in the negotiation of the agreement with the selected developer. The City Commission unanimously approved the development agreement for King's Landing on November 12, 2019. This redevelopment project will return the property to the tax rolls and spur improvement of a significant area adjacent to the downtown area and the Fort Pierce City Marina.
Central Florida RPC Convenes the Region to Address Mobility   
 
On October 30, 2019, the Central Florida RPC and the Heartland Regional Transportation Planning Organization hosted the Heartland Mobility Forum in Lake Placid, Florida. The event brought together more than 50 elected officials, non-profit organizations, agencies, and concerned citizens to address mobility in the rural six-county area, including DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, and Okeechobee counties. In over 5,000 square miles, only two circulator fixed-route transit systems are available. The community transportation coordinators aim to meet the transit needs of the community through door-to-door services utilizing the limited Transportation Disadvantaged funding and rural public transit funding.
 
Florida Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged Executive Director David Darm spoke on the future of coordinated transportation, and the two Community Transportation Coordinators that serve the region shared the progress made in the 2018/19 year. Then, attendees engaged in discussions exploring critical needs, barriers, and future possibilities.  Informed by the forum, the Central Florida RPC will focus on enhancing communications, customer service, and partnerships as the cornerstones of the Council's Mobility Program in 2020.
 
The event concluded as staff unveiled HeartlandRides.org. Designed to be easy to use, the website and find-a-ride resource will provide riders with the options that are available to them and connect them to services and programs that may enhance their mobility.
Tampa Bay Region Unites to Combat Climate Change 
 
More than 300 people on the front lines of climate change gathered January 7 - 8, 2020 in St. Petersburg to attend the Tampa Bay Resilience Leadership Summit. The Summit was hosted by the Tampa Bay RPC which partnered with 29 sponsors in order to organize the event. Council leadership was the driving force in organizing and forming the Tampa Bay Regional Resiliency Council with a mission of addressing the problems of climate change facing the communities in the Tampa Bay region.
 
During the Summit, the Tampa Bay's Regional Cooperative Alliance received a grant to spearhead issues concerning affordable housing and resiliency in the Tampa Bay area. The Alliance will integrate affordable housing, neighborhoods and community redevelopment into climate vulnerability assessments and resilience planning. The Resilience and Energy Analysis of our Communities and Housing or REACH project will provide local governments and community organizations with critical data and new tools to quantify risks and support decision-making.
 
FRCA Partners Meetings Schedule 2019 
 
Listed below are the upcoming Partners Meetings hosted by FRCA throughout the year.  If you would like to attend or present at one of the Partners Meetings, please contact Denise Imbler  at [email protected]
 
February 14, 2020 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. City Hall, Tallahassee
March 13, 2020 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. City Hall, Tallahassee
Contact: Denise Imbler  |  850.487.1426  |  flregionalcouncils.org