If you live, work or play in Delray Beach, you’ve certainly seen the Community Redevelopment Agency’s logo throughout the city. But what exactly is the CRA and what exactly does the CRA team do?
The Delray CRA was created in 1985 by the City Commission to do just what the name says, help develop the community. The main goals are to help eliminate blight in the city as well as guide the city in redevelopment efforts. As you can imagine, the CRA has been busy since day one!
“The Delray Beach CRA has made such an impact on our CRA District and Palm Beach County as a hole. The impact of our CRA did not start with us. The visionaries in the past that created our CRA in 1985 and everyone on the Board and Staff after played a major role in where we are today. When I was working for a CRA in Miami, I always heard about Delray Beach CRA being the model CRA and I wanted to be a part of it,” said Renee Jadusingh, executive director for the CRA. “When I started working here, I could see why. Our CRA touches on so many different aspects of redevelopment from infrastructure to the arts to affordable housing. We have done it all. I am honored to be part of such a well-run organization and extremely grateful to be part of the leadership for the future. We only have about 20 years left before our CRA sunsets. There is still so much on the horizon for us to complete. We are in a great position to continue our success into the future.”
The CRA District includes a total of 1.961 acres, approximately 20% of the city, and includes the entire Central Business District; the adjacent neighborhoods east of I-95 between Lake Ida Road and Southwest 10th Street; and much of the area north of downtown, east of Seacrest Boulevard, and along the U.S. 1 corridor to the Boynton Beach city limits.
Some of the most recent projects the CRA has been a part of include:
- Island Cove affordable housing
- 98 N.W. Fifth Ave. affordable office space
- Pompey Park renovations
- Rock the Block 2024
- SNAP/FAB at the GreenMarket
The purpose of the CRA is to revitalize the physical environment and the economy of the Community Redevelopment Area. The CRA’s activities are designed to solve the underlying problems of slum and blighted conditions through planning, redevelopment, historic preservation, economic development and affordable housing so that the tax base can be protected and enhanced by these mutually supportive activities.
The mission of the CRA is to foster and directly assist in the redevelopment of the Community Redevelopment Area, thus improving the attractiveness and quality of life for the benefit of the CRA District and the City of Delray Beach as a whole.
To achieve these goals, the CRA collaborates with the community — most recently with after-hours CRA Socials — to foster redevelopment, create a sustainable downtown and encourage economic growth, improve the quality of life for residents and visitors, and grow the city’s local businesses.
The CRA is currently comprised of 12 dedicated team members who oversee all of the CRA’s operations. There are also two team members who help to further the Arts Warehouse’s mission and goals, as well as one GreenMarket manager.
Together, we do a lot, and we look forward to continued progress both for our CRA District and Delray Beach as a whole!
