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Midtown advisory board presents five-year gains and pushes for CRA extension
Summary
Pastor Eddie Lake, chair of the Midtown Redevelopment Advisory Board, summarized multi-year Midtown investments — lot donations, grant awards, events, brownfield cleanup and fee waivers — and urged continued land purchases, affordable housing, flood mitigation, a police detail pilot and extension of the CRA beyond its 2036 sunset.
Pastor Eddie Lake, chair of the Midtown Redevelopment Advisory Board, presented the board’s five‑year record and a set of priorities to the Daytona Beach Community Redevelopment Agency on April 15.
Lake highlighted earlier and recent accomplishments including sidewalk repairs, 23 donated lots for first‑time homebuyers (approximately 17 already built), recurring community events (the Crab and Seafood Festival, Midtown concert series, MLK and Juneteenth observances), public‑art murals, brownfield cleanup at 990 Orange Avenue and permit and licensing fee waivers for Midtown businesses. He said Midtown’s CRA grants totaled tens of thousands of dollars in recent years and cited specific figures for multiple years (examples cited during the presentation included $32,830; $11,254; $50,587; and $102,003 in various CRA grant awards across different years).
Lake set out a list of priorities he urged the commission to support: continuing land purchases for a Midtown town center; demolition and thoughtful redevelopment of the former Campbell Hotel site while maintaining historical recognition; support for affordable housing for both buyers and renters; flood‑mitigation measures tied to new development; a pilot using off‑duty police officers for targeted patrols on Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard, Dr. MLK and Orange Avenue; sidewalk, lighting and landscaping improvements; relocating overhead utility lines underground; free public transportation for teenagers and seniors; and small‑business workshops and partnerships to strengthen local enterprises.
The presentation also identified partnerships and projects the board supports: an electric vehicle charging station on Cherry Street, a Choice Neighborhood grant partnership with the housing authority, purchase of several town‑center parcels including the former Shiloh Church property, and a proposed remodel of the city‑owned building at 875 Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard. Lake said the Midtown plan is grounded in the city master plan and an earlier Midtown master plan developed by Florida A&M University.
Lake urged commissioners to back efforts to extend the CRA beyond its scheduled 2036 sunset, saying the district still has work to finish and that county stakeholders will need to be persuaded to extend the agency’s authority. He also asked for increased resources for people experiencing homelessness and more funding for the city’s affordable housing trust.
Commissioners and the mayor praised the Midtown presentation and thanked Lake and advisory board members for their work. Project manager Michelle Toliver later reported that of the 23 lots donated, about 17 have been built and are occupied by first‑time homebuyers, and that 20 of the 23 lots are located within Midtown.
The CRA took no formal vote on Lake’s priorities during the presentation; commissioners asked staff to follow up on procurement and other administrative items later in the meeting.
