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Opa-locka CRA warns House Bill 991 could curtail redevelopment authority; staff hire lobby firm
Summary
CRA staff told the board that Florida House Bill 991 would prevent CRAs from extending their terms or starting new projects and urged a lobbying response; the agency has signed a contract with Southern Group for representation in Tallahassee.
City of Opa-locka Community Redevelopment Agency officials told board members March 11, 2025 that House Bill 991 — a Florida legislative proposal then under consideration — would sharply limit community redevelopment authorities’ ability to extend their terms or undertake new projects if it becomes law.
Executive Director Jason Walker summarized the bill’s effect on CRAs, saying the draft language would prevent extensions and halt new projects after specified dates. "They are basically saying any CRA that's in existence as of 07/01/2025 will cease to exist on their charter ending, without any availability to extend," Walker said. "As of 10/01/2025, we would not be able to do any new projects." He told the board the proposal could jeopardize the agency’s pending property acquisitions and development plans.
Why it matters: The bill would not only stop future projects but, if enacted, transfer CRA assets to the city and limit the agency’s ability to use tax-increment financing for redevelopment. Staff described potential effects on two pending downtown property purchases and on ongoing projects the CRA is advancing.
Board members discussed next steps, including lobbying, outreach and a proposed workshop on CRA real estate strategy. Walker said the agency retained Southern Group, a Tallahassee lobbying firm, in a joint contract shared with neighboring cities for an initial fee staff described as roughly $16,000. He said the firm is preparing reports and talking points for the board and offered to circulate those materials to members.
Several board members urged in-person advocacy in Tallahassee. "We should go up and lobby," one member said; agency staff agreed to prepare a one-page summary of CRA accomplishments and talking points and to pursue an appraisal and market outreach for certain CRA properties before any sale or transfer decisions.
Staff said the Florida Redevelopment Association and local CRAs across the state were mobilizing against the bill. Walker told the board that prior attempts at CRA reform date back to 2019 and that this iteration was again drawing statewide attention; he asked members to consider traveling to Tallahassee to meet legislators and noted a committee hearing scheduled the next day.
Ending
The board asked staff to return with the Southern Group materials, an accomplishments one-pager, and a proposed schedule for a workshop or special meeting to prepare members for advocacy in Tallahassee.
