Introduction
The South Brooksville Community Redevelopment Area was created through community advocacy and a partnership between Hernando County and the City of Brooksville. The Community Redevelopment Area is approximately 697 acres and geographically split between the City and County parcels. In 2024, a Finding of Necessity Study was completed for the proposed Community Redevelopment Area. Inspire Placemaking Collective has been hired to develop the Community Redevelopment Plan in partnership with community members, city staff and county staff.
What is a Community Redevelopment Area?
A CRA is a special area that a city or county decides needs improvement. This special area is “blighted,” which means it may have empty buildings, broken sidewalks, or other problems. The formal definition of a CRA can be found in Chapter 163, Part III of the Florida Statutes.
What is Tax Increment Funding?
Tax Increment Financing, or TIF, is a way to help pay for improvements in a Community Redevelopment Area. If property values increase within the CRA, then property tax revenue increases. The extra money made from property taxes is set aside. This extra money, called “TIF,” goes into the CRA’s Trust Fund. The CRA then uses the fund to pay for projects that help improve the area.
Frequently Asked Questions:
The goal of a CRA is to make the area better. It works to fix problems like run-down buildings, old roads, limited housing, and limited job opportunities. The agency focuses on addressing the unique problems within the Community Redevelopment Area. The goal is to help fix and improve the area so it becomes a better place to work and live for the community.
The CRA makes a plan called a Community Redevelopment Plan. This plan helps focus on the problems in the area and how to spend money on projects and programs to improve the area.
The Community Redevelopment Plan is created to guide the CRA. It lists the projects and programs the CRA works on and pays for. The Community Redevelopment Agency can only fund things that are in the plan and inside the CRA area. If something isn’t in the plan, the agency can’t do it.
The Community Redevelopment Agency is the group responsible for managing the activities and projects of the CRA and making sure its projects get done.
A CRA gets most of its money from Tax Increment Financing. After the City and County collect property taxes, they return a portion of the money collected to be spent directly within the CRA boundaries. CRAs can also get money from grants and public private partnerships.
The CRA Trust Fund is a special account where the extra money (TIF) is saved. The CRA can only use this money to pay for projects in the redevelopment area. These projects must be listed in the Community Redevelopment Plan.
CRAs can do lots of things to help uplift communities and neighborhoods! Their money must be used for programs listed in their approved plan. Projects can include but aren’t limited to:
- Public Spaces & Art
- Parks, playgrounds, pavilions
- Walking trails and nature paths
- Community gardens
- Big murals and public art
- Streets & Utilities
- Fixing sidewalks and roads
- Upgrading water and sewer lines
- Adding streetlights, trees, and drainage
- Buildings & Housing
- Building new affordable homes
- Repairing or rehabbing older homes
- Turning old buildings into smart new spaces (like a community health hub)
- Cleaning up abandoned spots
- Business Help
- Grants or loans to fix up store fronts
- Help minority-owned and local small businesses grow
- Community Programs
- Hiring ambassadors from the community to ensure residents feel safe and secure
- Partnering with local nonprofits or educational institutions to provide services
- Utilizing grants or other funding mechanisms that allow for social service expenditures
- CRA Staff & Fundraising
- Paying someone to run CRA projects
- Hiring grant-writers to bring in more funding
CRA’s do not increase the property tax rate.
A CRA reviews project ideas to see if they match the community improvement plan. If the project aligns with the CRA plan, the CRA Board can vote to approve the use of CRA funds for it.
CRA’s created after 2002 are limited to a 40-year maximum lifespan from the date the Community Redevelopment Plan is approved.
