The Carrabelle Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) was established in 1992 in accordance with Chapter 163, Part III of the Florida Statutes, commonly known as the Community Redevelopment Act of 1969. Prior to its establishment, the City of Carrabelle adopted a Finding of Necessity that formally identified blighted conditions within the proposed targeted area. This area was identified as the boundaries of the CRA District.
After Carrabelle’s CRA was established, the CRA Board adopted a Community Redevelopment Plan which addressed the needs within the targeted area and included goals for redevelopment and specific projects within the CRA District. That plan was revised in 2013. Click here to download the current CRA Plan.
The mission of the Carrabelle CRA is to identify areas of blighted conditions and in need of economic development within the CRA District. Redevelopment increment revenues are then directed to those areas to fund public infrastructure projects and programs that aid in rehabilitation, conservation, and redevelopment.
CRA projects and programs are funded through annual contributions from the County and City to Carrabelle’s Redevelopment Fund. This Fund was established to finance any community redevelopment undertaken in accordance with the CRA Plan and has provided funding for removal of blighted conditions and supported economic development and infrastructure projects within the CRA District since 1992. Often, redevelopment funds are leveraged with other grant funding sources that will produce large project outcomes.
Since its inception, the CRA is credited with improvements in the CRA District including boat ramps, a staging dock, fish cleaning station, Riverfront Pavilion, streetscape improvements, Downtown Pavilion, landscaping, and general parking and site improvements.
In 2011, CRA funding was used to purchase the historic Moore House. The Moore House along with a portion of the original land purchase was subsequently sold to a private sector entrepreneur for rehabilitation and redevelopment in accordance with the Community Redevelopment Plan. Carrabelle’s CRA retained 4 of the original 10 City lots purchased with Moore House.
In 2013, the CRA Board Members revised the initial CRA Plan of 1992 and pushed forward with additional infrastructure and beautification projects in 2014 and 2015, including sidewalk and boardwalk construction, park renovations, road resurfacing projects, and a Façade Grant program for CRA District property owners, as specified by the Florida Statute and within Carrabelle’s Comprehensive Plan guidelines.