[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6281547,"mediaKeyId","2603153-52c59c25c5569200bd5c1819d260b0b3","parentId",2603153,"title","Tampa CRA board directs chair to negotiate with interim director Cedric McCray for permanent CRA director role","audioSeconds",561,"startMs",7307000,"endMs",7868000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2603153-52c59c25c5569200bd5c1819d260b0b3&start=7307&end=7868","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2603153-52c59c25c5569200bd5c1819d260b0b3/thumbnail_7307000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6281547/Tampa/Hillsborough-County/Florida/Tampa-CRA-board-directs-chair-to-negotiate-with-interim-director-Cedric-McCray-for-permanent-CRA-director-role","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6281547-506cfa66bd4ecfcfaf5bf51478117aa5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771177759&Signature=P9-Id4pG-h49sQFbVeKizxHexpT1yjtxLmMpfb9bFy7RVnAEAnVnfAjcrQs8OusLdOmbGCCKpRjzlW48TG9Uwo8HBBj0-s-zrFNiaNrOmoEt7EaMYNSbPCvEwHYoHX-rI6yALL9-KptqtpXFYQpJKsLLstWcFynzh7rfkQt1L0dqAYHBoBce-4~Do4NsLnsBMJSfjnaA1ABI0s~hPY7X-jOO93k6-6U3vA2UAK~Sei9Dd14lERWLo7Ao0LkLWqbd7pTGbxwK2lFWwL3L9Mdv~lxchvxlGML1dx5Asana26jYj2U8d4Bvtzv-anWjsfaFRIF2ERPPX-QzVnQkhc546w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Tampa, FL","date","2025-02-28T18:16:10Z","article","The Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency board voted to direct the board chair to negotiate with city human resources and interim director Cedric McCray to offer him the permanent CRA director position.

Darlene Johnson, a legislative aide to the chair, read each board member’s ranked candidate preferences compiled after interviews of the top applicants. Cedric McCray received the highest aggregate ranking: six board members listed him as their first choice and one board member listed him second. Following a motion by board member Clint Clendenin and a second by board member Maniscalco, the board held a roll-call vote and approved the instruction to the chair to begin negotiations. The roll-call showed unanimous support for the motion.

“Thank you greatly,” McCray said briefly after the vote, noting his appreciation for the board’s support and expressing readiness to continue leading CRA work.

Board members praised the depth of the candidate pool and asked staff to ensure timely notification to non-selected applicants. Board member Don Carlson, who said he found the decision difficult because several candidates were strong, noted the need to build a “CRA culture” that supports staff and aligns city and CRA priorities. Board member Viera called McCray a “stellar public servant” and urged continuity.

Ending: The board’s approval authorizes the chair to negotiate terms with city HR; any formal offer and employment contract will follow HR procedures and require completion of background and negotiated terms.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Community Redevelopment Agency - 03/13/25","oneSentenceSummary","Following an interview process, the CRA board instructed the chair to negotiate with interim director Cedric McCray and HR to offer him the CRA director position; the motion passed by roll-call vote.","taxTitle","Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida","taxId",2914,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6281551,"East Tampa residents and preservationists urge CRA support for Sanchez Ejaya restoration; CAC recommended smaller subsidy",784,732000,1516000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2603153-52c59c25c5569200bd5c1819d260b0b3&start=732&end=1516","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2603153-52c59c25c5569200bd5c1819d260b0b3/thumbnail_732000.jpg","/articles/6281551/Tampa/Hillsborough-County/Florida/East-Tampa-residents-and-preservationists-urge-CRA-support-for-Sanchez-Ejaya-restoration-CAC-recommended-smaller-subsidy","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6281551-42a86a4b8fcea0cd738cecc076be9ca8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771177759&Signature=Ux4yhcDpSL6qi3gVoQSKz3Et7nfPmROvZvx1N0HVK6FaReQrPLG5E~3amGXMD~FaropTTG8etlnvmvS~hMvyuGsV~YDrJpbnD0D0WFOjc0dAq7rfCCXVliiDVV2dy~po95n5Hz278wUQyyQ359lvQebq3AqIzsW4Uhpgwhghc1af0QNCwxGlBlqhsalk6z-uvm0HuGUA5HEhdrE5Rsc8x3tpjoy9ovwSwDOC7Thp0ex64Cwz~P3TC83Ee62XdyHk5vi3zHUD7Wl6SCHqt2zyctKMS-tRazxXXPCHs9KC8fQDW8de93LYACpBrG2dWKVFKzslIZdbK-cHq1OSHZ644w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Speakers at the Tampa CRA meeting urged board members to support restoration of the Sanchez Ejaya (Sanchez y Haya / Sanchez e Haya) building, calling the structure historic and central to neighborhood economic revitalization. The project and the level of CRA subsidy prompted debate at the Community Advisory Committees (CACs) and during public comment.

Residents and local preservation advocates asked the board to heed CAC deliberations and prioritize projects for affordable housing and long-term community benefit. Several speakers noted the CRC’s original purpose to fight blight and urged that limited CRA funds be targeted to long-term community needs in East Tampa.

Mimi Martinez, an East Tampa resident and East Tampa CAC member, told the board the city’s CRA work faces renewed legislative pressure and that the CACs must unite to prioritize projects. “We need to focus on affordable housing,” Martinez said, and she urged funding for the Sanchez and Haya project on the grounds the applicants are established in the community and likely to deliver.

Harrison Hewitt, an East Tampa resident and business owner, asked that staff include CAC deliberations in the agenda materials and noted Florida Statute chapter 163 delegates advisory input to CACs when CRAs set priorities. Hewitt said the CAC had debated whether the Sanchez Ejaya project is properly an East Tampa project (it is located in Ybor City) and asked the board to weigh the CAC’s recorded recommendation.

Ivan Rivera, a community leader who attended the CAC meeting, said the CAC ultimately recommended a two-year subsidy of $250,000 and that some CAC members questioned awarding East Tampa funds to a Ybor City project. Several preservation advocates, including Julia Gortka Freeman of the Preservation Roundtable, urged restoration of the long-neglected building and argued CRA investment would create jobs and economic activity that benefit the neighborhood.

Other public commenters urged the board to prioritize small-scale, community-rooted investments such as home-repair grants and manufacturing job creation over large subsidies to hospitality or entertainment projects, noting the East Tampa CRA has limited remaining time and resources.

The Sanchez Ejaya item was among a package of approvals (items 10–18) the board approved by motion and vote; the packet vote passed during the meeting. The motion to approve items 10–18 was moved and seconded and carried on the board’s voice vote during the consent portion of the agenda.

Ending: Board members asked staff to respect CAC input and to provide clearer documentation of CAC recommendations in agenda packets so members and the public can assess how community advice was incorporated into CRA decisions.","Public commenters and some CAC members pushed the CRA to support the historic Sanchez Ejaya building’s restoration; the CAC recommended a $250,000 two-year subsidy while applicants requested up to $5 million, and the board approved a bundle of consent items that included the project.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6281556,"Tampa CRA boards reallocate $700,000 to keep streetcar fare-free through fiscal year",2158,4882000,7040000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2603153-52c59c25c5569200bd5c1819d260b0b3&start=4882&end=7040","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2603153-52c59c25c5569200bd5c1819d260b0b3/thumbnail_4882000.jpg","/articles/6281556/Tampa/Hillsborough-County/Florida/Tampa-CRA-boards-reallocate-700000-to-keep-streetcar-fare-free-through-fiscal-year","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6281556-9c955b240b13b38296c6ec34f34031d0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771177759&Signature=CkzcaJzwu53DlpLFuuvt0ngIBP~Vu7kMhNi-rfg2M0SdBmLUxAEWWd0rO6KOY1OKPTH9bi5pv3M5xwQbtDLmuLV1AwAdebt0hv1dSdbLRGvKGbhdujcnUKibJr2giX0~BYRJ-5ErccDPHc~GAMBj4B2p3QRPazt~IK9pFnIDnpV8iqtl8ZGPgdEM4ZID~~3wp3TCLF2Ou5m8tFYsW8YBQHJRJ4baTxXzDJcmO49GKwOEia6Xzft8YDa~gkG5LlPbDI97kX6YsPfkbc3hgcX6nZLtMTMJy~VK2-h6GJZgOxMCPUDnYk8N0VZlVSVwYIEh5wI~fJ7DHfYTTb7wC1qLUg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency board members voted to transfer CRA funds from multiple districts to cover a roughly $700,000 shortfall and keep the city’s historic streetcar fare-free through the end of the current fiscal year.

Supporters said the fare-free policy has boosted ridership and taken vehicles off congested roads; opponents cautioned the arrangement is temporary and urged the city and outside beneficiaries to identify a sustainable funding plan. The board approved the transfer with one recorded no vote.

The board discussion and the CAC-level deliberations leading to the proposal centered on a funding gap Hanorg estimated at about $700,000. CRA staff presented a plan in which downtown, the Channel District and the two East Ybor (“EBOR”) CRA budgets would contribute partial shares to make up the shortfall for the remainder of the fiscal year. Courtney Orr, CRA development manager for the urban core, described a three-way split presented to the CACs and said the CACs endorsed reallocating their available funds to keep fares free until September.

“After the motion was made at the last meeting, we immediately started working with Justin and his team to figure out how we could make this work,” Orr said during the meeting. “We split that into thirds” to cover approximately $700,000 so fare-free service can continue while longer-term funding is considered.

Justin Willett, director of planning and scheduling at the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART), told the board THA/Tampa HART expects the projected shortfall to come in under earlier estimates and that the $700,000 would be sufficient to bridge the gap through the fiscal year while planning continues.

Board members debated whether HART, the city or other outside entities that benefit from the streetcar — including hotels, the port, or tourism-related businesses — should share ongoing costs. Board member Viera said the service benefits a range of users and urged outreach to apartments, property owners and other beneficiaries; board member Miranda and others urged caution about committing ongoing CRA money without a long-term plan.

Brenda Thror, Ybor City CRA manager, clarified how the EBOR CRAs split their base contribution: EBOR 1’s base allocation is larger and EBOR 2 contributes a smaller share, producing the distribution reflected in the CAC recommendations. Specific CAC-recommended dollar allocations presented at the meeting included EBOR 1 contributing $188,000 and EBOR 2 contributing $37,000 toward the combined amount; the downtown and Channel District shares were presented in the packet and to their CACs as the remaining portions to reach the $700,000 total.

Board member Clint Clendenin moved to authorize the transfer of CRA funds from the four CRAs to cover the shortfall; board member Viera seconded. The board approved the transfer; one member recorded a dissenting vote. The board then approved a bundled set of consent approvals (items 10–18) that included related authorizations.

Members noted this is a stopgap measure: staff and board members said they will pursue longer-term funding solutions during the next budget cycle and through outreach to other public and private beneficiaries. Attorney and staff briefings during the meeting warned that state legislative proposals under consideration could limit CRA authority in future years, increasing pressure to identify sustainable funding sources outside the CRA tax increment.

The board asked staff to include the streetcar funding in next year’s budget deliberations and to pursue conversations with likely beneficiaries about how to share ongoing costs.

Ending: The fare-free policy will remain in effect through the current fiscal year under the CRA reallocation approved by the board; longer-term funding remains unresolved and will be the subject of staff work during upcoming budget and interagency planning efforts.","Tampa CRA members voted to reallocate roughly $700,000 from four CRA budgets to cover a shortfall in the fare-free streetcar program through the end of the fiscal year; board discussion highlighted the program’s ridership gains, long-term funding uncertainty and calls to broaden the revenue base.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Tampa CRA board directs chair to negotiate with interim director Cedric McCray for permanent CRA director role

East Tampa residents and preservationists urge CRA support for Sanchez Ejaya restoration; CAC recommended smaller subsidy

Tampa CRA boards reallocate $700,000 to keep streetcar fare-free through fiscal year