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Tony T. Brown
Executive Director
2015 ends as a great year for the CRA. The Riviera Beach CRA has accomplished so much over the past 12 months, and for this, I thank the CRA Board for entrusting us with the resources to make a difference for our communities. I also thank my staff for their hard work and dedication. The final stages of the Marina’s infrastructure work is just about done, and our spectacular new Marina Event Center will open in the spring – mark your calendars for the Ribbon Cutting on February 25, 2016. That’s only a few shorts months away from opening the earliest phase of a new Marina that will showcase our spectacular waterfront and create new reasons for residents and visitors alike to make the Marina a regular destination.
In December, the CRA, in cooperation with the Riviera Beach Community Development Corporation, also launched the Riviera Beach Renaissance program, breaking ground on the first of five new affordable homes in Park Manor.
Our Riviera Beach Heights Improvement Plan is also in full swing. The Community Garden is open and producing fresh, healthy food for local families. Construction on the Linear Park and Health Trail is underway, and the community-wide sidewalk improvement program is nearly completed. All the feedback from appreciative residents is certainly very gratifying.
In December, the CRA Board of Commissioners ended our 10-year relationship with Viking as Master Developer of the Riviera Beach Marina. The city and the CRA have worked closely with Viking and we thank them for inspiring the vision that has resulted in our $35 million makeover of the Marina. We still have much more to do together. Stay tuned! We will introduce new plans to the CRA Board in January that will transform publicly-owned properties along Broadway into new developments along the Broadway corridor. We are looking forward to 2016 being an even better year!
So here’s to a tumultuous, spectacular, crazy year that delivered significant dividends for our city and put us on a path to success.
Happy New Year!