St. Pete Beach approves $21,720 study to test CRA eligibility for resiliency-focused tax-increment financing

The St. Pete Beach City Commission voted to authorize a $21,720 contract with Stantec to prepare a finding of necessity (FON) and related study examining whether part of the city qualifies for a community redevelopment area (CRA) that would use tax-increment financing to fund resiliency and infrastructure projects.

Laura Canary, community development director, described the request as an early, statutory step to document whether an area meets the blight criteria in Florida law and to assemble evidence for a potential CRA. "The primary purpose of tonight's discussion is to get your approval to move forward with a finding of necessity to assess whether we even come close to being considered for a CRA designation," Canary said.

City planners described the proposed study area as a contiguous band along Gulf Boulevard bordered roughly by 8th Avenue on the north and 30th Avenue on the south; staff said the initial boundary aligns…