[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_25":26},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5},"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","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_27":28,"_29":30},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[31,75,87],{"_32":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,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6059666,"mediaKeyId","3293564-fa77c6d1ac708c66d2a70be5a04b5435","parentId",3293564,"title","Developer asks CRA for $750,000 toward rehab of 16-unit Alibaba Ave. complex; board flags parking and budget timing","audioSeconds",1582,"startMs",4189000,"endMs",5771000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3293564-fa77c6d1ac708c66d2a70be5a04b5435&start=4189&end=5771","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3293564-fa77c6d1ac708c66d2a70be5a04b5435/thumbnail_4189000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6059666/Florida/Developer-asks-CRA-for-750000-toward-rehab-of-16-unit-Alibaba-Ave-complex-board-flags-parking-and-budget-timing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6059666-187d8c178220044be4afb8fb9294b6db/orig.mp4?Expires=1769767022&Signature=oKzHpSSmjkrWA2U~bev2Ku~JSfV6lBZY3mg6pJrxi91oHsTlJ0lyyRU0BWxAvEUP6EjwZGdxBRAFqyV~kj30IpAwmq~yFRAEhWP3~oy2e4IvHliEoa9Rjx14cQj8vpKOHrMw~T1V6KtyR4ncT2u8qPeXhVgO~dTQSzprLGcN93-b8jYI0avdMvUnyXS4o8lkWrTxBbB2GuvoJHE1QKzB350x27E6u3-mUGQApIXc~mkxe4yn1FJABmqpTTFdjowMKlVh47z6vlwPcnqT~fAWGDIoF1x4q2ebzjV-~oGqB7j3gw8U8VYVdqIi~O-V5T2q7MTNeD6ofpIAxIJCfNpb4w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Opa-locka, FL","date","2025-05-13T22:00:07Z","article","A developer seeking CRA assistance presented a plan on Tuesday to renovate a 16-unit courtyard apartment complex at 1900 Alibaba Avenue and requested the agency consider a capital subsidy of about $750,000; board members said they will not commit funds this fiscal year and raised parking and timeline concerns.

The owner told the board the building, acquired in 2017, needs substantial rehabilitation and that total renovation costs are about $1.4 million. The CRA director said the agency’s historical approach to similar projects ranges from about $30,000 to $45,000 per unit and that a $45,000-per-door metric would translate to roughly a $750,000 contribution in exchange for a covenant on the property for an agreed term.

“Usually, we put in $800,000, towards helping people either do infill stuff or rehab large projects,” the director said, describing the usual developer-assistance budget line. But he cautioned the CRA reallocated funds this year to purchase properties downtown and will only know next year’s budget after county property-tax roll numbers arrive beginning June 1; final budget preparation follows July 1.

Board members focused on parking and zoning constraints. Several members said the property currently has roughly 10 parking spaces while the proposal calls for 16 residential units, which could lead to on-street parking that the city and neighborhood would find unacceptable. “We don’t want to allocate money, and then they come back to us and say, well, y’all told us y’all were gonna give us some money if there’s a problem with the logistics,” Board member Bass said, urging that parking be resolved before any commitment.

The board did not vote on funding. Members directed staff to continue individual meetings with commissioners to refine priorities, consider whether off-site parking or other zoning solutions are practicable, and return with a formal recommendation during the next budget cycle. The director said he will include any viable project in next year’s budget discussions if the board indicates interest and if parking and regulatory issues are resolved.

The project remains at the proposal stage; no binding CRA commitment was made at the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Opa-locka | CRA Board Meeting | May 13, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A developer presented plans to renovate a 16-unit courtyard apartment at 1900 Alibaba Avenue and requested potential CRA support; board members expressed concerns about parking adequacy and said any funding decision must wait for next fiscal-year budgeting and resolution of parking and zoning issues.","taxTitle","City of Opa-locka, Miami-Dade County, Florida","taxId",71258,"location","Florida","headline","","shortSummary",{"_32":76,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":77,"_40":78,"_42":79,"_44":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6059671,"Opelika CRA says it has closed on two downtown properties, considers property management options",644,2595000,3239000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3293564-fa77c6d1ac708c66d2a70be5a04b5435&start=2595&end=3239","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3293564-fa77c6d1ac708c66d2a70be5a04b5435/thumbnail_2595000.jpg","/articles/6059671/Florida/Opelika-CRA-says-it-has-closed-on-two-downtown-properties-considers-property-management-options","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6059671-7be4281162018378feada048728d04c3/orig.mp4?Expires=1769767022&Signature=ljZiZXvwaarDi79dknmaZDMWLwf2l~pUvmN6SX8-TqS~uhbahSTrMuPzwKaKLEJP3Hvva-SXpHyVPdj5W9b1C8biLYHizRCKCTfHRCNQ7IFqDJSXsSsVNzmNcvm3QewnxzmYJJf5pCZSgELcJ4RY8tQrT~nzdxMT-rFKIThfGxBmCY-9dQKHAuKtcE90gpOoAqXExr7RbKCxhGeC2irOEu45xnkmx6F44~N756v4~oNEvZQqv9f2mxBrZH7mnb5X9Dh3CkD9WM4VIdeIyHJWoYyCU1Qxnk1H0apfFCcid98WM1T-tvtDNlfzAXm0IIMj6L2d8XCUBAzWKenze6XydA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At its May meeting the Opelika Community Redevelopment Agency told the board it has completed purchase of two downtown commercial properties and outlined short-term landlord responsibilities and next steps on property management.

Agency staff said the CRA has closed on 391 Opelika Boulevard and 879 Fisherman Street and now holds the deeds. “We own it now. We own both the front and the back,” the CRA director told the board, adding that the agency has the keys and is arranging transfers of utilities and records.

With ownership established, staff said immediate tasks include collecting back rent, ensuring leases are in writing (many tenants are month-to-month), making modest repairs and cosmetic improvements, and addressing occupancy in both front and rear spaces. The director said four of six front storefronts show occupancy on paper, though only two appear active when visited.

Board members urged the director to explore hiring a professional property-management firm to handle rent collection, lease drafting and tenant relations. The director said he has begun informal outreach to firms and recommended a fast option called \"piggybacking\" (using an existing government contract) to speed procurement; some board members favored piggyback as a quicker path than a full RFP.

Several board members asked for individual, one-on-one meetings with staff to share their priorities before staff returns with a formal recommendation; the director said he will develop options for the board, including a draft scope for an RFP and piggyback choices, and bring a resolution or recommendation at a future meeting.

The board did not take formal action at this meeting to hire a manager or to set a procurement path. Staff said they will continue interim maintenance and tenant communication and will return with procurement options and a recommendation.","The CRA reported that it has taken ownership of two downtown properties and discussed landlord responsibilities, tenant leases, and plans to seek property-management solutions, including RFP or piggyback contracting.",{"_32":88,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":89,"_40":90,"_42":91,"_44":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6059676,"Opelika CRA reallocates savings from Rose Titus Prayer Garden, agrees short maintenance handoff to city",1635,783000,2418000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3293564-fa77c6d1ac708c66d2a70be5a04b5435&start=783&end=2418","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3293564-fa77c6d1ac708c66d2a70be5a04b5435/thumbnail_783000.jpg","/articles/6059676/Florida/Opelika-CRA-reallocates-savings-from-Rose-Titus-Prayer-Garden-agrees-short-maintenance-handoff-to-city","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6059676-ca317a8493ca5b70043e4881d1b0826d/orig.mp4?Expires=1769767022&Signature=J4UcW8NtWFBCkjQIFV7QIL06unR9fMSgrZmyVOvQ2NsRx2apiDORSptSrpigK4j3MNees-kATztG3vPT0MAIflH8O6MXvXLbkJV-hIadVzkgIE~Gi-DF74GfZjHavLETqwtxVu3RjPJDOdjPxAgrl0~iRbmew3GdmVnCyynRoq7CxTpeCpmycB9N69OgAMisQm6aPjTbQXuxbLO5Ab2fp8jXcyW~bLRbDk-rBdXQ5pS6rb8PjV3YymLlZ3zMb0X2RXSACyj4jdzwIs06SImnDyb~ds2MyvxPQVG5VRfaK2AmNCfsKD4SoWPt8xXJkmisT~pAATT0CNnMWSMXQo3rLg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Opelika Community Redevelopment Agency on Tuesday approved an amendment to its FY2024–25 tax increment funds budget to move leftover money from the Rose Titus Prayer Garden to other contractual services and to buy new computer equipment for staff.

The action follows months of cleanup and improvements at the site, and agency staff told the board the park came in roughly $31,000 under its original $60,000 line item, leaving funds available for reallocation.

Agency director (staff) said the CRA had repaired plumbing and electrical, installed lights, benches and fountains and “completed the installation of hundreds of flowers, to create the butterfly garden.” He told the board: “I think the final cost for the park is gonna run up to to $29,000. So we’re $31,000 under budget, and we’d like to move that to other contractual services.”

Board members praised the work. “I saw the garden today, and it is absolutely beautiful,” Board member Bass said. Several members said the garden is complete and that future ceremonial tasks such as a ribbon cutting and any larger public program should be handled by the City of Opelika.

The resolution that the board passed — moved by Board member Bass and seconded by Board member Taylor — amends and re-adopts the CRA’s general operations budget for the year beginning Oct. 1, 2024. The roll-call vote was unanimous. The resolution directs the interim executive director to transmit the amended budget to the state oversight authority, and it describes the specific reallocations in an attached exhibit.

During discussion the board directed staff to continue the current maintenance arrangement for a short, transitional period and to coordinate with the city manager on a long-term handoff. Director (staff) said the CRA has been hiring the crew that planted and will continue maintenance every two weeks “as we’re doing right now,” and estimated the current maintenance cost at about $200 every two weeks. Multiple members said that two months of continued CRA-funded maintenance would give city crews time to take over and to receive training.

Board members also asked staff to arrange horticultural training for city beautification personnel so the plantings and butterfly-host species are maintained correctly. The director said Flamingo Nursery, the contractor that planted the garden, could be asked to provide training and occasional follow-up maintenance.

Board members debated setting aside a small amount of the savings for a ribbon-cutting event. Some favored $500 from the saved funds; others suggested $5,000 to cover event costs and a short maintenance window. The board did not amend exhibit language on the floor; the director said the money will move into the CRA’s “other contractual services” line item (which funds consultants for programs such as commercial façade and home rehabilitation) and that event and maintenance expenses will be paid from that line as discussed.

The board’s vote approved the budget amendment as presented. Next steps: staff will 1) transfer the approved amounts into the identified line item, 2) continue twice-monthly maintenance for a short period while arranging training with the city’s beautification crew and the nursery, and 3) transmit the amended budget to the state oversight board as required by the resolution.","The Opelika Community Redevelopment Agency approved a budget amendment at its May meeting to reassign savings from the Rose Titus Prayer Garden to other contractual services and staff equipment; the CRA will maintain the garden for a limited period, then hand it to the city.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Developer asks CRA for $750,000 toward rehab of 16-unit Alibaba Ave. complex; board flags parking and budget timing

Opelika CRA says it has closed on two downtown properties, considers property management options

Opelika CRA reallocates savings from Rose Titus Prayer Garden, agrees short maintenance handoff to city