City of Stuart CRA presents annual report, seeks priorities for $6–7M in next-year TIF revenue

The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) of the City of Stuart presented its annual report and a list of proposed capital-improvement priorities during the board's February meeting, with staff asking the CRA board to identify which projects to place in the five-year capital improvement plan.

"This is a report that we typically prepare around this time of the year, because we have to submit this annual report with all the CRA activities and financial statement to the state by March 31," CRA Director Pinal Gandhi Savdas told the board as he summarized 2024 activity and discussed projects and funding sources.

The presentation reviewed the CRA's history and finances, incentive programs, capital projects already budgeted, and proposed new projects for consideration. Savdas said the CRA deposited $5,300,000 in tax-increment financing (TIF) revenue to the CRA trust fund in fiscal year 2024 and estimated annual TIF revenue of roughly $6,000,000 to $7,000,000 for the coming year.

Why it matters: the CRA steers TIF funds and matching grants for downtown and East Stewart (also called Lincoln Park) revitalization projects, small-business incentives, housing rehab and neighborhood improvements. Board members emphasized that limited CRA funds should be used where they produce measurable community benefit and urged staff to present prioritized, costed options for near-term spending.

Key programs and figures cited in the meeting included: - Business Exterior Reimbursement (BERB): CRA reimburses up to 50% of exterior commercial improvements, capped at $10,000; 2024 awards totaled about $37,000 with property-owner matches of roughly $44,000. - Commercial Landscape Improvement Grant: reimburses 50% up to $5,000; the board allocated $25,000 and promotion began in January 2025; no applications received as of the meeting. - Mural matching grants: 50% reimbursement up to $3,000; three applications in 2024; one mural completed in East Stewart and others pending. - Residential façade/paint programs: 2024 reimbursements totaled about $4,500. - Residential street-tree program: 27 street trees planted in residential CRA areas to date. - AERS Property Assistance (title-clearing) program: up to $3,000 per property; staff identified about 31 properties lacking clear title (roughly half in East Stewart); interest but no completed applications as of the meeting.

Savdas also listed larger capital projects already budgeted or underway: Guy Davis Community Park (approximately $7,000,000 budgeted), downtown undergrounding and streetscape (budgeted at about $6,900,000; contract awards announced), Riverside Park neighborhood improvements (total project cost $2,500,000 with a $1,500,000 TAP grant), and the recently awarded $8,700,000 contract (Burkhart) for the Downtown Underground/Seminal Streetscape project with an expected completion in late 2027.

The CRA is also supporting Memorial Park improvements with about $1,000,000 in TIF funds (mostly ARPA-led construction led by Public Works), and the agency funds tram operations and tram drivers through CRA revenue; tram advertising generated about $4,000 in 2024, with additional private-event rental revenue of about $1,500.

Staff described a stalled job-training center project at 710 Southeast MLK Boulevard. The city acquired the site for $1,600,000 and advanced design and permitting; bids returned at about $6,400,000, leaving a shortfall. Savdas said he had asked Florida Commerce for an additional $4,000,000 to close the gap and was "pretty hopeful" for state support.

Board direction and next steps: Savdas asked the CRA board to identify which projects should be prioritized in the upcoming CIP. He said staff will produce a short-term and long-term priority list with cost estimates and timelines and return to the board for direction before preparing the CRA budget in May and formal CRB consideration in September. "If you come up with anything in the meanwhile, before our next meeting, please email me directly and I can get it on, you know, on the list," he said.

Public comment and outreach concerns: resident Betty Brinkley told the board she had her water service disconnected and said she faced difficulty with billing staff. "I had my water turned off this morning," Brinkley said during public comment, and she said city staff later helped her resolve the immediate issue. Board members acknowledged the complaint and directed staff to follow up.

Outreach for CRA programs drew specific discussion. Jordan Pinkston, CRA marketing and program manager, described promotion efforts for the commercial landscape grant: "We do all of our electronic newsletters," Pinkston said, and staff also distribute flyers, postcards to businesses within the CRA and use social media and code-enforcement outreach to notify property owners of programs.

Board concerns and proposals: members urged larger, more strategic investments rather than small-dollar reimbursements in isolation; suggested larger-area approaches (for example, doing an entire block or corridor at once for trees or façades); and flagged the need for a refreshed master/community plan to guide long-term priorities. The board discussed prioritizing projects that (1) can move forward without dependencies, (2) leverage grant funding, and (3) demonstrate measurable economic benefit to the CRA area.

On quiet zones and railroad crossings, Board members and City Attorney Lee Baggett discussed technical and cost considerations. Baggett warned that a true quiet zone requires "certain improvements" including intersection and crossing upgrades to meet federal/state safety criteria. The board noted quiet-zone work could be expensive because some crossings require substantial intersection redesign to meet the standards.

What did not change at the meeting: there were no formal CRA funding approvals or ordinance actions on the agenda; Savdas's annual report was presented for review and staff will return with a prioritized CIP and budget recommendations for the CRA board and City Commission to consider.

Ending: Savdas said staff would prepare cost estimates and a short- and long-term project prioritization and bring it back for further board discussion. The board asked staff to include lower-cost safety and streetscape measures (intersection safety, tree plantings, and interim pedestrian improvements) along with the larger, grant-ready projects.