Delray Beach CRA Welcomes CRAs from Across Florida for the Annual FRA Conference
Each year, the Florida Redevelopment Association (FRA) Conference provides an opportunity for CRAs from across the state to come together and share ideas, best practices, and progress. This year, with the conference hosted locally, the Delray Beach CRA had the rare chance to experience the event from both sides—participating in sessions and networking while also showcasing some of their own completed projects.
“Over the last few years I have really wanted to have the conference in the South Florida area and I was thrilled for it to take place here during the year that I was President of the Association.” said CRA Executive Director, Renee Jadusingh. The conference takes place in a different city around Fflorida each year, and 2025 it was West Palm Beach’s turn.
For Grace Gdaniec, Program Director at the Delray Beach CRA, the event offered a unique opportunity for the full CRA team to attend. “Since it was in our local area, our entire staff was able to take part in sessions and engage with other groups from around the state,” she said. “It was a great opportunity for our team to experience and learn together.”
The local setting also made it possible for visiting colleagues to see recent CRA initiatives firsthand. Sites like the Arts Warehouse and the new Work Space on 5th were especially popular with visitors, many of whom shared positive feedback. “It was nice to see people engaging with the spaces that we’re proud of,” Gdaniec added. Beyond local pride, the conference served as a reminder of the importance of shared learning between CRAs. “As we’re inspired when visiting other cities, perhaps something that Delray Beach CRA has accomplished may help other cities,” Gdaniec said. “Every CRA area is different, but each project plays an important role in its own community.”
The experience also brought new ideas back to Delray Beach. “Hearing feedback from peers and learning about innovative projects happening elsewhere sparks ideas that we may be able to implement locally,” she said.
Renee Jadusingh felt that the featured speakers added to the experience. “As our populations increase, presentations from the two keynote speakers Jeff Speck and Veronica O. Davis on addressing mobility issues was certainly useful in how we approach our projects. Currently, we are working with the City of Delray Beach on large scale complete streets projects to help improve the infrastructure conditions in our District. Their insight provided very valuable information for us to think about as we work on these projects.” said Renee. “Another highlight was the amount of people who attended the conference. This year had the highest conference registration to date. From CRA professionals, City/County officials, Commission Members, and Consultants, everyone came together to learn from each other and grow in our profession.
With Executive Director Renee Jadusingh currently serving as FRA President, the timing of the local conference was especially fitting. As the CRA continues to prioritize community-first development, moments like these help reinforce the value of collaboration—and the impact of the work happening right here in Delray Beach.
