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Palatka awarded Florida Commerce funds for Port Consolidated redevelopment; board favors incubator use over storage
Summary
Palatka was named a recipient in a Florida Commerce grant program and staff said the city will use its award to advance a gateway redevelopment plan for the former Port Consolidated site.
City staff told the CRA on Nov. 10 that Palatka was included in a Florida Commerce grant announcement and that department heads were discussing short‑term uses for the former Port Consolidated property.
“Florida Commerce awarded 1,500,000.0 to 26 Florida communities… The city of Palatka was one of the 15,” staff said shortly before the meeting. Later in the discussion staff identified the specific award tied to advancing a gateway redevelopment plan for the former Port Consolidated site and said the award amount for Palatka is $75,000.
Board members reacted to suggested short‑term uses. “The last thing I want to see that facility be used as is a storage,” Commissioner Campbell said, expressing opposition to storage as a primary use. Commissioner Campbell and others suggested alternatives such as a makerspace, business incubator or an innovation center that could provide public access to computers and business supports.
Staff said ideas on the table included temporary storage or an innovation hub that would invite the community, a local college and entrepreneurs to collaborate. Commissioners asked staff to develop preferred uses and come back with recommendations consistent with CRA goals.
Next steps: staff will continue internal discussions and return with specific recommendations for reuse options tied to the Florida Commerce award and CRA objectives.
