Omni CRA approves $2.9 million grant for Overtown rental rehab; UNITower amendment and procedural rule also pass

The Omni Community Redevelopment Agency board on June 26, 2025, approved three resolutions including a grant of up to $2,900,000 to developer Evelina Bessemer to rehabilitate 11 rental units at 1433 and 1435 Northwest First Court in District 5, with rents restricted for 30 years.

The board’s action matters because it directs OmniCRA funds to a small, mixed‑income rental project in Overtown that the agency says will preserve long‑term affordability for part of the building and because the meeting also approved a developer repayment option for a separate mixed‑income project and a procedural change for board meetings.

Executive staff read the three resolutions into the record at the start of the June 26 meeting. The first resolution authorizes a grant to Bessemer “for properties located within the District 5 portion of the OmniCRA at 1433 Northwest First Court and 1435 Northwest First Court for an amount not to exceed $2,900,000,” with rents restricted for 30 years as detailed in a restrictive covenant. The executive…