Bradenton CRA advances Brownfield cleanup and streetscape planning; discusses lighting, logo and potential state limits

The Bradenton Community Redevelopment Agency board on Thursday moved forward on plans to clean up a Fourteenth Street property and advance a multiblock streetscape that agency staff said could be funded with a mix of state revolving loan funds and federal and local partners.

At the meeting the board approved the consent agenda unanimously. Board members and staff then discussed a pending Brownfield designation for the Fourteenth Street parcel and a contract with GeoCentek to remove a kerosene tank at the site, an action staff said is intended to clear environmental obstacles so the property can close and the proposed development — already pre-financed, staff said — may proceed.

The Brownfield matter matters to downtown redevelopment because it removes contamination that must be remediated before sale and construction, agency members said. "We had to clean it up anyway, so we're in the process to do that," CRA board member Minnie Lee Rogers said. Rogers added that GeoCentek will handle the tank removal and that staff member Scott had already processed the related contract documents.

Nut graf: Agency staff described a coordinated push this year to finish design and permit work for several downtown projects so the CRA can leverage low-interest state loans and Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) funding for construction. The board discussed branding and place-making work intended to support those projects, including a planned streetscape with stormwater treatment components and expanded decorative tree lighting.

The largest project discussed is a streetscaping and Low Impact Development…