Leaders, citizens discuss revitalizing blighted areas and slums at lunch forum

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The Florida Economic Consortium on Violence and Crime (FEC) hosted a lunch forum to discuss the role of community redevelopment agencies (CRAs) and how they can be leveraged to address blighted areas and slums in Apopka.

Attended by city and county officials and community members, the lunch forum took place at the Fran Carlton Recreation Center on North Forest Avenue in Apopka on Tuesday, February 28.

Participants gave background information on CRAs as they relate to Florida statutes and local communities, followed by a question and answer session and a panel discussion.

The FEC focuses on addressing the issues of violence and crime through the urban renewal of economic development.

Two local communities with CRAs had elected officials attending the forum: Apopka and Eatonville. Whereas Apopka’s designated community redevelopment area is only a section that spreads across U.S. Highway 441, Eatonville is a rarity in Florida because the entire town is designated.

“I think what we have here is an opportunity to look at … thinking how we can make the economics work better for these areas that we know have needs,” said Orange County Commissioner Bryan Nelson, who represents Apopka and Eatonville.

By Florida state statute Chapter 163 Part III, the Community Redevelopment Act of 1969 was enacted to prevent and eliminate slum and blighted areas, address affordable housing shortages for low- to moderate-income earners, and to promote safer, healthier, and self-sustaining communities. The Apopka CRA was created in 1993 under this state statute.

One issue that had come up at the forum was the Miami-Dade grand jury report. According to Greg Jackson, the FEC general counsel, this document criticized that for the past 40 years, CRA funds have been misused instead of going toward the original intention of battling blight and slum in local communities.

The Apopka Chief will have an expanded version of this story in the Friday, March 3, edition.