Newtown Redevelopment
Office
September 2009 - Quarterly Newsletter
Volume I - Issue I
Servicing Our Community
The
City of Sarasota’s
#1 Priority
Redevelopment Plan
Focus Areas:
- Administration
- Economic Development
- Housing
- Infrastructure
- Community Health,
Safety & Welfare
- Urban Design & Parks
- Transportation
- Land Use
The Newtown Redevelopment
Office (NRO) was established
in 2002 for the purpose of
supporting and strengthening the
Newtown community in areas of
economic and business development, administration, neighborhood strategic alliances, and
redevelopment management.
Through economic and financial
stability, it is also our mission to
ensure the creation and implementation of initiatives and
programs that are enriching to
the physical, mental, educational, and social well-being of
the Newtown residents.
With a dedicated team, the
Newtown Redevelopment Office
seeks to build
relationships
that will enhance partnerships
and
community
outreach
opportunities for the betterment
of all demographics.
Newtown Redevelopment Office—1782 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Sarasota, 34234
NRO Services/Programs:
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CEO Business Classes
Community Health, Safety, & Welfare
Economic Development
Enterprise Zone Incentive Program
Marketing and Communication
Neighborhood & Development Services
Newtown CRA/TIF Program
Newtown Workforce Database
Storefront Grant Program
Teen Summit 2009
Urban Design and Parks
A Message from North Sarasota’s General Manager
“During my first three months on the job, I’ve met various individuals and
through our discussions I have been learning the history and gaining an
understanding of the needs of our community. As the Newtown Redevelopment Office moves forward as a team, we will incorporate those opinions and
values to strengthen the Newtown community. There are several major
projects, which you will read about in this newsletter, that are slated to start
in the fall and will positively impact our community. We strongly encourage
each of you to get involved and become part of our team. Working together
we can improve and promote economic development in Newtown. Thank you
for your support and God bless you.”
For more information :
Newtown Redevelopment Office:
Office: 941.365.2200 ext. 3200
Sarasotagov.com/newtown
Twitter.com/cityofsarasota
For questions regarding the NRO
Newsletter or advertisement
please contact::
Shavon Reed-Agard
Phone: 365.2200 ext. 3221
Email: [email protected]
‘
Lorna Alston
“Where people of goodwill get together and transcend their differences for the
common good, peaceful and just solutions can be found, even for those problems
that seem most intractable”- Nelson Mandela
Page 2
NRO Newsletter
Briefing for Newtown Community on U.S. 301 Downtown
Sarasota Project
Florida Department of Transportation
On Thursday, August 13th
at the Robert L. Taylor Community Complex, The Florida
Department of Transportation
(FDOT) and its partners
teamed up to provide a special
briefing for the Newtown
community regarding the $15
million U.S. 301 Downtown
Sarasota roadway improvement project.
Representatives from FDOT,
Prince Contracting, LLC, AIM
Engineering & Surveying, Inc,
and the City of Sarasota were
available to provide detailed
information on the project and
answered questions from the
citizens.
Robert L. Taylor,
$10 million project,
scheduled to start
October 2009
The project, providing
major improvements along a
2.6-mile stretch of U.S. 301
from Myrtle Street to Wood
Street, is set to begin in
October and will take about
570 days to complete.
Improvements near the
Newtown community include widening of U.S. 301
from four to six lanes from
Myrtle Street to 12th Street,
as well as the construction of
bicycle lanes and sidewalks.
Additional improvements
include new lighting and
signalization.
The project also includes
reconstruction of the U.S.
301/Fruitville Road intersection, a new southbound right
turn lane leading from U.S.
301 to Fruitville Road, a
new left turn lane leading
from eastbound Fruitville
Road to southbound U.S.
301, a new traffic signal at
10th Street, a third
southbound lane on U.S. 41
westerly to Osprey Avenue
and curb ramp/sidewalk
enhancements in the downtown area.
For more information contact,
Ken Nelson, AIM Engineering
PIO at 941-362-0490.
Robert L. Taylor Community Complex Plan for Redevelopment
A new and enlarged Robert
L. Taylor Community
Complex is planned to
replace the existing aging
buildings and common areas
with a beautiful state-of-theart community center with
amenities including recreational, social and community
service needs across the multi
-generational population of
the Newtown community.
The master plan includes: an
exercise path, a grand lawn to
host events, an amphitheater,
two pedestrian bridges over
an enhanced stream, a softball field, a multi-purpose
field, a volleyball court,
fenced playground, picnic
area, area for a future minigolf course, horseshoe area,
indoor basketball court, a
room for a future computer
lab, a room for a future recording studio, a lap pool
with room for a future waterslide. Architects have completed design concepts for the
$10 million project which is
scheduled to start in October
of 2009. Since the 60’s,
youngsters, adults, and
seniors have gathered at the
Robert L. Taylor Community Complex for an array
of recreational activities
including community meetings, dances, family reunions, and more.
Be a Voice in YOUR Community: Board Vacancies
NOTICE OF
BOARD
VACANCIES
Take an ACTIVE
role in our
community!!!
The City Commission of the
City of Sarasota is seeking
individuals desiring to serve on
the Newtown Community
Redevelopment Agency
(CRA) Advisory Board. The
Newtown CRA Advisory
Board has two vacancies with
the following seat requirements: 1) *Newtown CRA
resident, and 2) Newtown CRA
merchant or retailer. Meetings
are held the first Thursday of
each month at 5:30pm at the
Newtown Selby Goodwill
Center, 1781 Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. Way, Sarasota, Florida.
*The CRA boundaries run along the
seminal gulf railway.
Additional Board Vacancies:
• Citizens with Disabilities:
(1) with no seat requirements
• Nuisance Abatement:
(1) with no seat requirements
• Community
Redevelopment Agency Advisory:
(2) vacancies are currently
open.
To receive an application for
consideration, contact the
Office of the City Auditor and
Clerk, 1565 First Street,
Sarasota, Florida, 34236,
(941) 954-4160, Monday
through Friday from 8am - 5pm
Page 3
Volume 1, Issue 1
More Programs
and Events
Newtown Youth Building a Better Future
The Youth Empowerment,
Leadership & Development
Academy (YELDA) and
Man Up, Inc are two local
youth agencies who are determined to make a positive
impact on the lives of several
teens. The organizations seek
to assist the youth with the
development of good leadership and professional skills
through a series of workshops specific to self-esteem,
career exploration, money
management, résumé writing, appropriate speech,
professional dress & attire,
interviewing skills, business
etiquette and self-esteem.
YELDA and Man Up Inc.,
are improving the lives of
dozens of teens through
summer employment opportunities. There were 34 teens
from YELDA and 12 from
Man Up, Inc. who participated in an eight week
summer internship program
this year. They were
employed at various locations,
including Children First,
Sarasota County Parks &
Recreation, Law Office of
Matthews Eastmoore, G-Wiz,
Van Wezel Performing Arts
Hall, ABC-7, Sarasota Military Academy Basketball
Camp, Sarasota Sheriff’s
Office, N. Sarasota County
Library, Girls Incorporated,
and several City of Sarasota
departments. A job well done
to the YELDA & Man Up
teens for making a difference
in the community.
schools, churches, businesses,
and organizations.
The GBM Teen Summit is
executive produced by
MelEcho and The City of
Sarasota and is partnered with
Ringling College of Arts &
Design. The GBM Teen Sum-
9/15 - Amaryllis Park Assoc.
Monthly meeting: Selby Goodwill 1781 Dr. MLK Jr. Way;7pm
9/5 - Wellness in Newtown at
Fred Atkins Park; 10am to 12pm.
Get fit & Get Active. Free giveaways & health tips. Call April
360-8660
9/17 - SRQ County NAACP
General Membership Meeting.
N. SRQ Library 2801 Newtown
Blvd; 6pm.
9/30 - Small Business Forum,
9/10 - Front Porch Community Newtown Business & MerForum : Robert L. Taylor Center chants Assoc., KICK-OFF:
1845 34th Street; 6pm. Call Mary N. SRQ County Library; 12-2pm.
RSVP 365.2200, Ext. 3222
Mack 266.2461
Newtown Selby Goodwill
1781 Dr. MLK Jr. Way - 358.4200
BE SURE TO WATCH…
Commissioner’s Corner and
learn more about your city.
Access 19 - For listings
visit sarasotagov.com
The Office of Housing &
Community Development offers
home improvement programs.
Newtown Digital Message Sign!
mit is an innovative revolutionary three day event, structured to create an environment
that encourages educational
and personal enrichment and
entrepreneurial development
among teens, ages 12–19. The
summit also provides a platform for aspiring teen artist,
musicians, poets, debaters and
more. This year’s event featured celebrity guest, Syesha
Mercado, as a GBM Idol
Contest guest judge and performer. Hats off to our
neighborhood teens!!
***Newtown Community Events and Meetings***
9/3 - Newtown CRA Advisory
Board Meeting: Newtown Selby
Goodwill Center. 1781 Dr. MLK
Jr. Way; 5:30pm
Every Monday - 9am to 1pm
Visit: www.ohcd.sarasotagov.com
GBM Teen Summit Success!!
CONGRATULATIONS to
the 2009 Greatness Beyond
Measure (GBM) Teen
Summit!!! For the second
year in a row, GBM Teen
Summit has proven to be a
refreshing and life-changing
experience for Florida teens
and the Newtown Community Redevelopment Area.
With an array of events, the
summit brought in over 300
attendees, including an impressive amount of parental
involvement and volunteers
representing various high
Jobs ETC’s Mobile Career
Opportunity Center
10/3 - Awareness Walk for
Domestic Violence: JD
Hamil Park Main St. & Gulf
Stream. 8:30am registration.
9am walk - 365.0208 ext. 106
Coming Soon…. Sept. 2009
(The sign will be located on the corner
of Osprey and MLK in front of the NRO)
City Commission Meetings:
September 8th & 21st
October 5th & 19th
Scheduled for every 1st & 3rd
Monday of each month or the
following Tuesday, if Monday is
a holiday. Meetings begin at
2:30pm, recesses at 4:30pm and
reconvenes at 6pm.
Location: Commission Chambers,
City Hall 1565 1st Street.
MEET THE MAYOR
Make individual or group appointments by calling 941.954.4115
Women/Minority Business
Enterprise (W/MBE)
Certification Workshop
September 10th - 3pm to 5pm
10/10 - Uniting of Community Through Music: Payne
Park 2050 Adams Lane; 6pm
Contact: Dru Jones 365.2200, ext. 3222
Contact Glenn Moore 358.8728
*CEO 12-Week Business Classes*
10/21 - EZDA Advisory
Board Meeting. Newtown
Redevelopment Office 1782
Dr MLK Jr. Way; 8am.
Starting September 29th on
Tuesdays, from 6pm to 9pm.
Application required by Sept. 15th
Contact Dru Jones 365.2200 ext 3222
We work
as a
TEAM!!!
Newtown Redevelopment
*Project Summary
Completed Projects
CEO Business Training Class
Fredd “Glossie” Atkins Park
●
Florida/Sarasota Enterprise Zone (EZ) designation (2002, 2006-2015) Est. $7 million +/-
●
County Impact Fees waived, for all EZ property by County Ordinance (2004)
●
Front Porch, Economic Feasibility Study for: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way (2006)
●
Youth Services/MelEcho “Greatness Beyond Measure” Teen Summit (2009)
●
Community Health Action Team, CHAT “Wellness In Newtown” Program Event, Community Walks (2008)
●
EZ - Community Entrepreneur Opportunity (CEO) 12-week Business-training Program
●
Summer internship programs (YELDA & Man Up, Inc.)
●
Newtown Historic Conservation District Designation (2009)
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Established Orange Avenue Community Garden (2008)
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Downtown CRA expanded to include Newtown Redevelopment Area (2008)
●
Sarasota Community Development Corporation (CDC), Non-Profit established (2008)
●
Selection of Newtown Redevelopment Manager, Lorna Alston (April 30, 2009)
In Progress
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Robert L. Taylor Community Center – reconstruct, expand & fundraising opportunities. SW corner of Myrtle St &
U.S. 301 (start Fall, 2009) - Enterprise Zone incentive for business contributions.
●
Sarasota Housing Authority - Janie’s Garden / Phase II. Tandem Construction is the selected contractor.
●
Store Front Improvement Grant: Projects completed include Urban Auto, Moore’s Grocery, King’s Market,
GNCRC, and Dollar Dynasty. Projects that are underway include Angel’s Food w/ Soul, Beautiful Children of All
Colors, Phat Headz, SuperMatt Laundromat, and Selby Goodwill Neighborhood Center. Six projects are currently
in the application phase. (2009)
●
Street repair and maintenance, traffic speed reduction - ongoing
●
Enterprise Zone – Proposed boundary amendment, expansion to include 10 commercial properties on the NW
corner of Osprey Ave. & Dr. MLK, and the west side of Tamiami Trail between 10th St & Myrtle St. and the east
and west sides between Myrtle St. and University Parkway.
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Public Art for Fredd Atkins Park – call to artists is underway.
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Digital Marque Sign at Newtown Redevelopment Office, corner of Osprey Ave. & Dr. MLK with changeable message board for local announcements
Future Projects Coordination and Involvements
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way Corridor – Zoning Text Amendment (current through 2010)
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Marion Anderson Place Brownfield – clean-up, redevelop (public/private development potential)
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Housing Authority – demolish & rebuild housing: Orange Avenue Courts & Bertha Mitchell
●
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) – potential location along Seminole Gulf Railway (adjacent to Lemon Ave.)
●
U.S. 301/Washington Blvd. widening - FDOT & City landscaping (10th to Myrtle Street) (2009)
●
Booker High School, rebuild, expand (2010)
City of Sarasota
City Hall
1565 First Street
Sarasota, Fl 34236
Phone: 941.365.2200
sarasotagov.com
twitter.com/cityofsarasota
*The projects reflect the work of the City and/or other agencies in support of Newtown