Staff presented the downtown Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) budget and described capital priorities and operating items that will affect downtown maintenance and events.

Staff said the downtown CRA saw a revenue increase this year largely because the Land Commons apartments hit the tax rolls. That increase is offset by contractual requirements: staff said about $192,000 in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) revenue was returned under an agreement with the Land Commons developer. Staff reminded the commission that the downtown CRA terminates in February of the CRA life (date cited by staff in presentation).

Key capital items discussed included the Voorhees Avenue streetscape project (the biggest pending project in downtown CRA reserves), an elevator replacement at the FISH Building (staff estimated roughly $180,000), exterior painting and awning repairs at City-owned downtown buildings, and a renewed sculpture program ($35,000 for two additional years).

Staff described the SunRail shuttle partnership and said the current cost-share is about $6,000 per month (about $72,000 annually) if the city funds a full year; the CRA used about $60,000 from reserves in the past year. The county is planning route adjustments and increased signage to better align the shuttle with SunRail schedules; staff said the county plans to streamline the route to improve synchrony with trains and improve marketing and signage.

Commissioner discussion included questions about shuttle ridership and alternatives. Commissioner Piva described personal observations comparing on-demand rides (reported as VoteRide in the transcript) with the shuttle and requested ridership statistics and options for possible reimbursement models that would pay per rider rather than paying for a dedicated shuttle when occupancy is low.

Staff also noted grant-funded façade and awning projects for downtown properties and that the Museum of Art (FISH Building tenant) recently sold an offsite building and intends to consolidate operations into the FISH Building, which could prompt partner-funded improvements.

Staff proposed interim traffic-safety improvements for the Florida and Voorhees intersection, including a potential 4-way stop and lane adjustments to slow turning vehicles while the larger streetscape project remains unfunded. Staff said they will bid those interim improvements and return with cost estimates for commission approval.

Commissioners discussed reserves, the life of the downtown CRA and how shuttle expenses and streetscape work should be balanced against other priorities.