The Englewood Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) is a special district the Sarasota County Board of County Commissioners created in 1999 on the Sarasota side of Englewood, Florida. The Board of County Commissioners is the Redevelopment Board. The Board also established a seven-member Advisory Board to assist with recommendations on the Redevelopment activities. The purpose of creating the district was to:
- improve poor conditions that existed (related to streets/sidewalks/storm drainage, faulty lot layout, unsafe conditions and inadequate parking),
- improve economic growth, and
- improve living conditions.
The CRA District is 5,465 acres (22.12 km2) in size and the boundaries are generally from Forked Creek on the north to the Sarasota/Charlotte County line on the south and from the Morris Industrial Park on the east to the western boundary which includes Manasota Key and borders on the Gulf of Mexico.
The Redevelopment Area was established as allowed by Florida Statutes 163, Part III and a Redevelopment Plan was adopted as required. The Sarasota Board of County Commissioners also established a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District to assist with the funding for improvements identified in the CRA Plan.
The current Redevelopment Plan has 24 projects identified as key projects.
Four of the five most critical projects identified in the Redevelopment Plan have been completed and the fifth is underway. These projects include: Provide a CRA Program Coordinator and Establish a CRA Office Install Decorative Pedestrian Streetlights on Dearborn St. Develop Architectural Design Guidelines Develop a Storefront Program (ongoing), and Develop Gateways into the Town Center (currently underway).