![The Community Redevelopment Agency district encompasses downtown Crestview, shown in this aerial photo. State Road 85 is roughly horizontal in this photo, intersecting with U.S. Highway 90 near the center left. Main Street is below S.R. 85. The county courthouse is on the left. [BRIAN HUGHES|NEWS BULLETIN]](http://127.0.0.1/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ghows-DA-6a0c085b-7c57-1ae2-e053-0100007f3572-60012fb7.jpeg)
CRESTVIEW — If you don't have any idea what a Community Redevelopment Agency is, you’re not alone.
Crestview has had one for more than 20 years, but CRA director Alisa Burleson is concerned that many residents don’t know just what it is the CRA does.
“The purpose of the CRA, the sole mission and purpose is to get rid of slum and blight,” Burleson said.
Florida state law allows local governments to designate Community Redevelopment Areas for revitalization projects. The majority of these areas are downtown areas that have seen businesses shut down and move to other parts of the city. Crestview enacted its CRA plan in 1995.
“When you see all these cities across the country and downtowns are being revitalized and redone, that’s the result of some of those (CRAs),” Burleson said. “We go in and try and evaluate the area and see what can be done that can build it back up and make it look good and make it vibrant for the community as a whole.”
The original CRA district covered all of Main Street, as well as Highway 85 from the center of town to the point where Main Street empties into it. It also covered the adjacent parts of Wilson and Spring streets. After three expansions, it now covers more of Wilson Street, much of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue to the west, and the Twin Hills Park area.
The CRA board currently consists of the five sitting city council members and two other appointed members who work in the CRA district. The board will soon be expanding to add an eighth member, who may be seated on the board as early as the next meeting in May.
Agreement with Okaloosa County
Earlier this month, the CRA, the city and the Okaloosa County Board of Commissioners all agreed to enter into an interlocal agreement regarding the CRA. Among other things, it renews the CRA until 2040, another 15 years beyond its original expiration date of 2025. It also requires that a county commissioner be seated as a non-voting member of the CRA board.
Nathan Boyles is the county commissioner for District 3, which encompasses most of the CRA district. He also owns Main Street Land Title Company and Main Street Eats in the downtown area. Boyles said there’s an expectation that he will be the commissioner named to the CRA board at the county commission’s April 17 meeting.
“I love downtown Crestview, which is why we invested heavily, probably over-concentrated frankly, in downtown Crestview,” Boyles said. “I saw tremendous potential with that downtown district. So I’ve been, I think, a proponent of trying to capitalize on that potential since I bought my first building downtown.”
Boyles said he feels that having a county commissioner on the board will facilitate communication between board members and help leverage the additional resources the county has.
“If I am appointed, I’ll have the opportunity to work in much the same way that the mayor does currently in the city council structure, which is to work both before, during and after the meetings with the members of the CRA to move us towards progress and towards good decision-making,” Boyles said.
“If I’m the one sitting up there, certainly I’m not shy about sharing my opinion, and I fully intend to do so.”
Current Projects
The CRA is currently working on various projects with the goal of making the downtown area a livelier, more business-friendly area. There are limitations on what it can do though.
For example, the CRA can’t replace the bulbs in the street lights on Main Street, as that falls under the city’s responsibility. The CRA can, however, repaint the light poles or undertake other beautification projects.
One misconception, Burleson said, is that the CRA can spend funds anywhere in the city. The CRA can legally only spend funds within its district. It can’t, for example, bring in most big-box or chain retailers, because they have too large a footprint to fit into the downtown area.
The most recent project to receive approval from the board is new gateway signs for the downtown area. Burleson said the signs will be an invitation for both businesses and the public to come downtown.
“If I can do things in that area that provide the citizens a positive experience, whether it be shopping or just the atmosphere or restaurants, it’s just a positive experience,” Burleson said. “That’s what I’m shooting for.”
Challenges
Redeveloping Main Street Crestview is not without its speed bumps and roadblocks. Burleson said the biggest challenge she sees is downtown property owners sitting on empty properties.
“The biggest challenge is we’ve got vacant properties downtown that people want to sell, but they’re valuing way more than what they’re worth,” Burleson said.
“I have had people … that if they would come down on the price, I would have something there tomorrow. But they want too much for the property, and they don’t need the money, and they would rather let it sit there than let somebody come in and buy it or even rent it.”
Boyles identified other challenges, such as consistent leadership and the changing retail landscape.
“One (challenge) has been a lack of leadership. I think we’re working through that issue to kind of regain some focus on the district and focus on a plan for success,” Boyles said, citing turnover at the position of CRA director.
“The continuing changing landscape of the retail market has been, and will continue to be a challenge. That’s one that can be overcome, but it requires a consistent and dedicated approach. And really what it requires is building a destination.”
An eye to the future
The interlocal agreement extends the CRA’s mandate to 2040, giving it another 22 years to try to revitalize downtown Crestview. The state of Florida is pushing to bring an end to future CRAs, which means the prospects of extending that mandate past 2040 are increasingly unlikely.
Burleson said her vision for 2040 is “an 18-hour day with people living in apartments above the shops and shops downstairs. It’s a place to where everybody of all ages can live, work, play, eat and enjoy.”
Boyles also hopes to see a revitalized downtown.
“What I believe it can be, what I believe it will be, is a vibrant business district that consists of a mix of retail shops and restaurants and professional businesses and governmental entities,” he said. “I believe it will also have a substantial component of homes, whether those are apartments or condos or single family homes.
“You’ll have a substantial population who values living in a city center and values doing business in a city center. I think you will have adequate green space and connectivity to places like Twin Hills Park so folks can exercise and enjoy the outdoors and yet still be in a location where they can walk to get most of the basic amenities that they need to live.
“I believe that district will be a major economic engine, creating jobs and providing tax dollars to support the community as a whole. I think it will be a place that we are really, really proud of.”
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Downtown redevelopment board looks toward the future