Vision Statement:

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Welcome to the Bayfront Community Redevelopment Agency's (BCRA) web page.  Here are some recent news items about the Bayfront District that you may not be aware of:

Port Malabar Monolith Planters Get Face Lift

The landmark Port Malabar Boulevard monolith constructed by the General Development Corporation at the corner of US Route 1 and Port Malabar Boulevard in the early 1960's had its planters patched and painted and new Firecracker plants installed at the upper planter. The work was part of a district wide effort by the BCRA to replace vegetation damaged by the abnormally cold winter. Other areas of the Bayfront District where new plants were installed include the Water Drive Closure area at US-1, the south Port Malabar Boulevard - Florida East Coast Railroad sign tract, and the south Kirby Industrial Park Entryway Sign area on Robert J. Conlan Boulevard.

Cherri-Joe's - a new breakfast bar opens in the BCRA

Cheeri-Joes, a new breakfast bar has opened at 4430 Dixie Highway, Unit 1 adjacent to the County Bingo building on US-1.  The restaurant serves not only cereal with all the toppings and coffee in a variety of flavors but hot sandwiches and soup as well.  Try their Cuban Sandwich, a house specialty. Cheeri-Joes features free wi-fi, a library, television, music and karaoke. Hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. until midnight Friday and Saturday. The facility is available for private functions such as graduation and birthday parties.

Matching Commercial/Industrial Facade and Rehabilitation Reimbursement Grant Program

The BCRA has adopted a new matching commercial/industrial building facade reimbursement grant program.  The purpose of the new grant program is to encourage the exterior rehabilitation, renovation and preservation of existing commercial and industrial structures.  The new facade program does not utilize federal funds so much of the red-tape involved with the previous facade program has been eliminated.  Reimbursable improvements include windows, doors, awnings, porches, roofs and mansards including soffit and fascia, gutters, siding (such as stucco, clapboard, etc.), paint, etc. Applications can be made to the BCRA Office at 3790 Dixie Highway, NE, Suite B, Palm Bay, Florida 32905.  Click here for more information.

City Creates SMART Areas for Economic Development

As part of an aggressive Economic Development Program to assist existing businesses expand, to help create new businesses, and to make Palm Bay competitive with adjacent cities in Brevard County and other cities in the State of Florida, the City of Palm Bay has designated four (4) areas in the City as Sustainable Market and Reinvestment Target (S.M.A.R.T.) Areas.

One of the SMART Areas, the Riverview SMART Area, includes a large portion of the industrial and commercial areas of the Bayfront Community Redevelopment District (BCRA).  By creating the SMART Areas, property owners in the designated areas, including those in the BCRA, can take advantage of state financial and economic incentives to help in either redeveloping or developing their properties. Learn more.

Billy D's Deli & Ice Cream Shop Opens

at 2595 Palm Bay Road

Billy D's Deli and Ice Cream Shop has opened at 2595 Palm Bay Road which is at the corner of Rock Lane, NE and Palm Bay Road, NE in the Bayfront Community Redevelopment District. The Haslem Family has done some extensive renovation to both  the interior and exterior of what was once the home of a Kwik Kopy business. A BCRA Beautification Grant helped with the signage, parking and landscaping improvements. Stop in and give them a try.

Updated Redevelopment Plan

The City of Palm Bay and the Bayfront Community Redevelopment Agency (BCRA) has updated its original 10-year old plan.  The revised Bayfront Community Redevelopment District 2024 Plan: "Creating a Bayfront Village on the Indian River Lagoon" will help the BCRA, City leaders, planners, residents and businesses to create a mixed use, pedestrian friendly, commercial-retail-residential village on the waterfront.  The updated plan was approved on February 18, 2010 by the City Council culminating a 7-month process involving citizen and key stakeholder input.  The plan provides recommendations for projects and programs in the approximate 1,070 acre district for the next 14-years.  To view a copy of the revised redevelopment plan please click here.

Palm Bay Road - Main Street Gas Station Demolished

The derelict vacant gas station at the corner of Palm Bay Road and Main Street was acquired by the BCRA in December, 2009.  The Agency had the structure demolished on January 13th and 14th, 2010.  The site will be held by the BCRA until funding for a proposed traffic circle and streetscaping of Palm Bay Road is available.

Palm Bay Road Re-surfaced

The BCRA has funded the resurfacing of Palm Bay Road between US-1 and Robert J. Conlan Boulevard.  The repaving was completed in January, 2010.

Ozzie's Crab House Now Open

The BCRA welcomes Ozzie's Crab House located at 4391 Dixie Highway, NE, to the Bayfront Community Redevelopment District of Palm Bay.  Ozzie's Crab House opened on December 22, 2009 after almost a year of remodeling what was once the Ridge Road House Restaurant.  Ozzie's will continue their tradition of good seafood and crabs in a casual-fun setting just as it did in Grant, Florida for the past twenty plus years.  Ozzie's Crab House joins a list of a number of eating establishments in Palm Bay's Bayfront providing  various cuisines ranging from Chinese, Japanese, Italian, seafood, continental, Irish-American, barbeque, and deli.

The Bayfront Welcomes New Veterinarian Owners

Dr. Don Cast, a longtime veterinarian and owner of the Palm Bay Animal Clinic at 3970 Dixie Highway, NE, in the Bayfront Redevelopment District since 1978 sold his practice to a young couple, Drs. Jennifer and Paul Sikoski this summer.  A combination retirement and "meet the new vets" party was held at Rooney's on Palm Bay Road, also in the Bayfront District, with about 500 people in attendance.  The Sikoski's have utilized a Bayfront Beautification Grant to install a new sign in front of the clinic at the corner of U.S. 1 (Dixie Highway) and Orange Blossom Trail.  The BCRA welcomes the Sikoski's to Palm Bay and the Bayfront.

Main Street City Hall Renovation -  Construction has been completed on the renovation of the Main Street City Hall building located 1575 Main Street, NE. The building renovation was done by Canaveral Construction. The building will become the home of the East Precinct of the Palm Bay Police Department. The original building was built in 1960 and served as the original city hall for 17 years. When City Hall moved, the structure has been the home at one time to the Engineering, Building, Public Works, Code Enforcement and Community Development Departments until the building was damaged by the hurricanes of 2004. Insurance, FEMA reimbursement and City funds paid for the renovation.  A ribbon cutting was held on Saturday, June 13th to rededicate the building. To see an elevation of the proposed renovation, click on the above title.

1575 Main St. Police East Precinct Building

Neighborhood Investment Cooperative Effort (NICE) Meetings with the Tillman Neighborhood - City Staff has met with the Tillman Neighborhood (north of Palm Bay Road, west of the FEC Railroad, and east of Al's Trophy Shop) 4 times in 2009 to obtain input and prioritize neighborhood issues as part of the City's Neighborhood Investment Cooperative Effort (NICE) Program. The NICE Program proposes to invest the City's federal and local resources such as Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), HOME Investment, State Housing Initiative Program, Neighborhood Stabilization Program, and Redevelopment funds on a neighborhood basis instead of in a piecemeal fashion to make an impact on the neighborhood both structurally and aesthetically. A neighborhood clean-up was held in April, 2009.  Neighborhood issues involving paving, drainage, landscaping, police activities and utility improvements are being worked on. An Request for Proposals for a pervious parking lot at the northeast corner of Main Street and Hessey Avenue by the Police Precinct has been awarded by City Council. Project quotes for a landscape neighborhood green space at 1644 Main Street have been received and the BCRA will award the project at its May 11, 2009 meeting. A request for proposals for water line and fire hydrant improvements in the neighborhood are also being advertised.  View the Tillman neighborhood map boundaries.

Tillman Residents Take Part in a Neighborhood Clean Up Blitz with City Staff

Castaway Point Park Improvements Moving Forward -

Plans to improve Castaway Point Park are being reviewed by the City of Palm Bay and the St. Johns River Water Management District. Proposed improvements include paving the dirt portion of Bay Boulevard and the park driveway with pervious asphalt, creating new crushed coquina parking spaces away from the water's edge, providing stormwater retention facilities, installing a paved pathway that connects the existing piers and walkways; building a third pavilion; providing educational signage; adding new L.E.D. lighting; installing site furniture including benches, grills, and trash receptacles; and adding native landscaping. The BCRA has been awarded a $60,000 Florida Coastal Management Program grant to help fund the access improvements at the site. View the Castaway Point Park Concept Plan.

Palm Bay Road Streetscape Plans - 30% design plans for Palm Bay Road between US-1 and Braun Street have been completed by the Miller Legg Consulting firm.  The plans incorporate entryway features at US-1, a roundabout at Main Street, sidewalks and pedestrian cross walks, on-street parking at certain locations, and landscaping.  The BCRA has contracted with the Wade Trim Engineeting Consulting firm to draft 100% design plans for the entire stretch of Palm Bay Road in the Bayfront Community Redevelopment District from Robert J. Conlan Boulevard to US-1. There is no funding for construction at this time. The BCRA and City will try to obtain funding from grants or possibly issue a bond in the future to pay for the improvements. View architectural renderings of the 30% design.

Robert J. Conlan Boulevard Beautification - The first phase of the Robert J. Conlan Boulevard Beautification project has been completed.  Underground electrical conduit for future street lights was installed. The second phase of the project involves the west side of the right-of-way between Northview Street and Palm Bay Road and will be completed after a sewer force main is constructed. The BCRA will fund additional landscaping to the Palm Bay Road - R.J. Conlan Boulevard intersection, which is anticipated to be completed by July 2010.

US-1 Streetscaping - Engineering design plans for the streetscaping of US-1 have been approved by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), the St. Johns River Water Management District, and the Army Corps of Engineers.  A request for proposals to construct the improvements will be issued in May of 2010.  The project will include the first phase of a sidewalk along the east side of U.S.-1 from Kirkland Road to Ridge Road, the landscaping of selected medians, and street lighting.   To see a copy of the US-1 sidewalk, lighting, and landscaping design plans please click on the above title. To see an aerial plan of the "Baywalk" portion of the sidewalk please click on the following: Baywalk Aerial Plan.