October 9, 2002:
City of Coral Springs Receives Unanimous County Approval for Community Redevelopment Plan

The Broward County Commission has unanimously approved the Redevelopment Plan for the Downtown Coral Springs Community Redevelopment Agency(CRA). The CRA Plan will guide the future development of approximately 140 acres of land located within the vicinity of the Sample Road and University Drive intersection.

Commissioner Alan Polin said, “With this approval, we are moving into the implementation stage of the project. We anticipate breaking ground on the first phase of development before June, 2003.�

Downtown Coral Springs is an urban redevelopment project with mixed uses to include residential, office, retail, institutional, government and public space.

The CRA plan addresses the City’s vision and timetable for the unified creation of a vibrant downtown that is urban in character. The plan promotes outdoor activity and reduced traffic through pedestrian-friendly features such as more sidewalks, covered walkways and a central community gathering place.

The Community Redevelopment Plan outlines several elements such as desired land uses, level of intensity, design standards and guidelines, and a financial plan. The Downtown Coral Springs CRA is widely regarded as a model for future CRAs in Broward County for the following reasons:

· The CRA area is very compact · The CRA plan identifies a clear development program that will be implemented in phases · The City has already selected a developer through a competitive process · The CRA plan is expected to be implemented within a 20-year timeframe, which is much sooner than the traditional 30-year timeframe · The CRA plan will afford County to invest monies in the project area in lieu of tax increments.

Broward County Commission Chair Lori Parrish praised the project and said, “The Coral Springs CRA Plan is the most impressive CRA Plan I have ever seen come before this Commission.�