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Dade City CRA boosts land-acquisition fund, endorses concepts for second downtown alleyway
Summary
The Community Redevelopment Agency voted 5-0 to amend its fiscal 2024–25 budget, adding $200,000 for land acquisition to support a possible downtown parking-lot purchase; staff also won consensus to advance conceptual designs for a second downtown alleyway on Medill Avenue.
Dade City’s Community Redevelopment Agency on June 10 adopted a midyear budget amendment to increase the CRA’s land-acquisition line by $200,000 and endorsed concept designs for a second downtown alleyway on Medill Avenue.
CRA members voted 5–0 to approve Resolution 2025-01, which transfers $200,000 from CRA reserves to bring the current year land-acquisition allocation to $400,000. City staff said the funds would support negotiations to buy a surface parking lot behind Bonita’s Flower building on Seventh Street and Robinson Avenue.
"We recommend the additional $200,000 be transferred from the reserve fund of the CRA district to...bring a total of $400,000," said Miss Ralston, city staff, describing staff’s proposal and noting the city commission had authorized the manager to begin purchase negotiations on May 27. Ralston told the board staff envisions splitting the purchase price across two fiscal years.
CRA staff also sought the board’s consensus to move forward on a second alleyway project along Medill Avenue. The concept includes reconstructed pavers or brick where feasible, archways, benches, planters, bollards to protect pedestrians, string lights supplemented by additional light poles for minimum safety illumination, and a new pedestrian crosswalk on Seventh Street.
"This is an area that is currently a street. The police department didn't see a public-safety issue with closing it," Miss Van Erman, city staff, told the board as she described connectivity between the Eighth Street parking lot behind Del Carmen’s, Seventh Street and the county parking lot on Sixth Street.
Board members and staff said the alley project team will consult business owners and that the second-phase work would be included in next fiscal year budgeting after final cost proposals are collected. The Redevelopment Advisory Committee recommended soliciting bids on the alleyway elements to guide the next budget cycle.
Votes and follow-up: the CRA amended its FY 2024–25 budget (Resolution 2025-01) to add $200,000 for land acquisition; the vote was 5–0. Staff will (1) continue negotiations on the parking-lot purchase with the property owner, (2) pursue proposals for alleyway construction elements, and (3) return with final cost estimates as part of next fiscal year budget planning.
The board adjourned the CRA meeting and immediately called the city commission meeting to order.
