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Cocoa Beach approves $50,000 CRA facade grant for Dirty Birds after council debate; nearby owner cites lawsuit
Summary
The Cocoa Beach Community Redevelopment Agency approved a $50,000 commercial visual improvement grant for Dirty Birds Tiki Bar (Dirty Birds Grill LLC) despite a contested public record and a pending lawsuit from a nearby property owner who says permitting was improper.
The Cocoa Beach Community Redevelopment Agency voted 5-0 to approve a $50,000 commercial visual improvement grant for Dirty Birds Tiki Bar (Dirty Birds Grill LLC), a redevelopment at 142 Minute Maid Causeway, during a CRA meeting that immediately preceded the city commission session.
The grant is intended to pay for exterior improvements; staff presented the item and recommended approval. The motion received a second and passed after brief public comment.
The vote followed public testimony both for and against the award. Orson (public commenter) described the Dirty Birds project as a visible renovation of a property that had been vacant for years and urged support. Oshrigal, who identified himself as owner of OG Enterprises and Wave Developments LLC, told the commission he has filed a lawsuit against the city and Dirty Birds Grill LLC over alleged errors in site-plan and building approvals and urged the council to delay or deny public funding while the legal challenge is pending. Oshrigal read an email into the record and said he exhausted administrative remedies before filing suit.
Mark Granger, identified as a partner in Dirty Birds, responded in public comment that staff had reviewed the documents and did not find the alleged improprieties. Granger asked the commission to approve the grant and said project partners believed the development would benefit local businesses.
Commission discussion was brief; the mayor called for the vote and the CRA approved the grant 5-0. The commission returned to its regular agenda immediately afterward.
The grant award does not resolve the separate legal claims Oshrigal said he has filed; the council’s approval applies only to whether to allocate CRA funds for improvements and does not adjudicate the lawsuit.
Proponents said the grant aligns with CRA goals of removing blight and supporting downtown investment. Opponents argued that awarding public funds while permit-related litigation is pending could signal uneven enforcement of planning rules.
The CRA staff record and the resolution approving the grant will be retained in the CRA docket. Any change in status stemming from the pending lawsuit was not part of the CRA vote and would proceed through the court system.
Ending: The CRA award is final; the legal dispute about permitting remains active, according to public comments at the meeting.
