Join us at our next CRA Advisory Board meeting!
Wednesday, January 6, 2021 at 5:00 p.m.
Fort Myers CRA Supports More Affordable Housing in 2021

The Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Board of Commissioners has approved a tax increment rebate of $4.9 million for the development of Towles Garden, a 140-unit affordable townhome community.

Towles Garden is a project that the redevelopment plan for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd./VSSB Plan supports and Florida State Statute 163.345(1) encourages working with private enterprise:

"Any county or municipality, to the greatest extent it determines to be feasible in carrying out the provisions of this part, shall afford maximum opportunity, consistent with the sound needs of the county or municipality as a whole, to the rehabilitation or redevelopment of the community redevelopment area by private enterprise."

It will be built on a 7.5-acre lot at corner of Edison Ave. and Veronica S. Shoemaker Blvd. in the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. redevelopment area. Developer Towles Garden LLC, proposes a $28.7 million investment of 67 affordable and 73 attainable townhomes, to be priced at $200,005 and $210,123 respectively. Units will range in size from 900-1,250 sq. ft.
Four-plex views of Towles Garden. (Images courtesy of Towles Garden LLC)
Farmers Market Restaurant selected for CRA Grant

The Farmers Market Restaurant, located in the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. redevelopment area, has been approved for a Commercial Property Improvement Grant of $10,000. Two new full-time jobs will be created, with the hope of hiring more individuals from the surrounding neighborhood.

The funds will be used to enhance the exterior of two new bays to the west of the current restaurant. The work, which will include new signs, landscaping, and outdoor furniture, will create a new area called "At the Market LLC" where fresh fruits, vegetables, barbeque, and other prepared foods will be offered. At the Market, LLC is located in a food desert, where people have limited access to a variety of healthy foods. As a result, At the Market LLC will accept SNAP payments that supplement the food budget of needy families.
Upper & Lower Left: Palmera on the River renderings. Right: Image showing location of project. (Images courtesy of Soho Sight Team.)
Palmera on the River Apartment Community Selected for CRA Rebate

The Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Board of Commissioners has approved a tax increment rebate of $9.535 million for Palmera on the River, an apartment community. Developer Soho Sight, LLC, will build the 7-story concrete block multi-family community that will feature 221 apartments and a 334-space covered parking structure.
Top: Living wall borders the roadway. Bottom: Street view of entrance to parking garage.
(Images courtesy of Soho Sight Team.)
SWFL Community Foundation Scholarships Now Open!

The Southwest Florida Community Foundation’s (SWFLCF) scholarship application is now open. Over 150 scholarship awards available for high school seniors, adult learners/adults returning to school, undergraduate students and graduate students. All scholarships are donor-driven, which means they all look for a different kind of student. As long as you live in Southwest Florida or graduated from a high school in Southwest Florida, and have at least a 2.0 unweighted GPA, there is a scholarship for you. For example, there are scholarships specifically for technical college.
 
Additional information:
  • Application is entirely online.

  • Application is available in multiple languages.

  • The beginning of the application includes prequalifying questions to filter out the scholarships you are eligible for, so you do not have to figure that out on your own.

  • Only one application submission is needed.

  • Detailed information on the application is available through a webinar recording, which is located on the SWFLCF's website.

  • SWFLCF awards Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students.

  • Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is required for all scholarships. If you are not able to complete the FAFSA, please email scholarships@floridacommunity.com.
CRA Office Closed December 25 - January 3
We will reopen on Monday, January 4 at 7:30 a.m.

Happy Holidays!
#REDEVELOPMENTWORKS