2012 annual cra report - st. johns county, florida€¦ · fishing tournament & silent auction...

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Vilano BeachThe Vilano Beach Community Redevelopment Area plan reflects extensive input from the community to create redevelopment programs that address the priorities expressed in public meetings of the Vilano Beach Main Street Group, Vilano Beach Waterfronts Florida Community Group, North Shores Improvement Association, and other members of the community.

The programs created for this community will be phased in according to future community input and future revenues available for redevelopment from tax-increment revenues, County funding, grants, and other public or private resources. The tax increment mechanism established for this area provides dedicated revenue for up to a thirty-year period. The Vilano Beach Community Redevelopment Area program has been created to organize, design, promote and economically restructure the commercial district in Vilano Beach since it was bypassed by the relocation of the Vilano (Usina) Bridge in 1995.

The primary focus of the plan addresses infrastructure improvements, economic development incentives, and encourages the development of activities which impact the quality of life of the people who live and work in the Vilano Beach neighborhood.

The Vilano Beach community is located on a barrier island peninsula area, which lies two miles north of St. Augustine on the east side of the Usina Bridge which crosses the Intracoastal Waterway.

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Vilano Beach Vilano Beach Main Street & Vilano Beach Waterfronts Florida Community

Executive Committee

Vivian Browning, President of the Board and

Chair of CRA Executive Committee

Phone: 904-501-5891

[email protected]

Dylan Cadwalder, Vice President and Treasurer

Phone: 904-217-3765

[email protected]

Sacha Martin, Promotions Committee

Phone: 904-824-1212

[email protected]

Sallie O’Hara, Program Manager

Phone: 904-540-0402

[email protected]

www.vilanobeachfl.com

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Grants:

Vilano Beach Main Street was awarded a $10,000 grant from The Community Foundation – Crisp-Ellert

Fund to engage community school partners in designing, creating, and installing art panels along the Vilano

Board Nature Boardwalk. Six mosaic panels of nature, wildlife, history and habitats will be created by blind

students from the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. The panels will be completed in the school art

department and installed by the St. Johns County Recreation and Parks Department by September 2013.

Vilano Beach is situated along the A1A Scenic & Historic Byway. The Friends of A1A Scenic Byway, a

nonprofit organization, is a citizen advocacy group which collaborates with municipalities, governmental

agencies and civic groups to protect, preserve, and enhance resources along the A1A National Scenic

Byway. They were pleased to receive the following grant awards this year:

� The Federal Highway Administration awarded the Friends of A1A Scenic Byway $600,691 for a

wayfinding signage design/build project.

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Grants:

� For the fourth consecutive year, VISIT FLORIDA has awarded grants to the Friends of A1A. This year they received three cultural heritage grants:

� The Art of A1A – a marketing grant to enhance web site promotions, develop and distribute collateral materials, and stimulate regional interest among diverse art communities along the Byway.

� Along the Byway – an image grant to develop a series of short video commercials, public service announcements and web promotions highlighting routes, events, and trails along the A1A corridor, including bicycle and pedestrian safety tips.

� WAVE Hospitality Program – a tourism education grant to develop hospitality training materials and conduct hospitality workshops targeted to service industries, including lodging, recreation, restaurants and visitor information center staff and volunteers.

Some grants must be matched and funds are raised through various fundraising events throughout the year.

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This award follows a 14 year journey of economic revitalization. Town Center leaders have nurtured the original vision into a reality to create a sustainable, pedestrian friendly, unique sense of place. The local citizen initiative employed land use analysis and specific Overlay District zoning to design the Vilano Beach Town Center infrastructure which includes underground utilities or stormwater maintenance system, streetscape, angle parking, landscape architecture, lighting, and signage, while at the same time preserving and celebrating the natural and recreational environment on two waterfronts.

Additionally, in 2012 Vilano Beach Main Street, which was under the umbrella of the North Shores Improvement Association, responsible for improving the quality of life in the area since 1938, received its own separate not-for-profit 501c3 corporation status.

Awards & Distinctions:

Atlantic Land Realty (Vilano Town Center Partners LLC) of West Palm Beach shared honors for an award for OUTSTANDING NEW CONSTRUCTION at the Annual Florida Main Street Conference held in Dade City September 12-14 this year.

The construction of a Publix-anchored commercial center resulted in becoming a catalyst for sustainable commercial development in the Vilano Beach Town Center and a driving force for additional commercial development and new jobs. The additional tax base generated by this development will help pay for the CRA bond issue.

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2012 Infrastructure Improvements:

� January – Upgrade of Wayfinding Sign System

� June – Completion of floating dock for temporary dockage

($300,000+ project)

� August – Completion of pier end cap signage – “Vilano Beach Pier”

� November – Demolition of derelict Town Center building

� December – Enhancement to traffic light for safety at Coastal

Highway & A1A

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Vilano Beach 2012 Highlights

Notable Events, Programs, and Services

Sunset Celebrations are held the first

Saturday of every month from 2 p.m.

to dusk at the Vilano Beach Pier and

Pavilion. This special event includes

artistic performers, local arts and

crafts, music, dancing, and food. The

mission of the Sunset Celebration is

to encourage locals and tourists to

come enjoy community activities

within Vilano Beach Town Center.

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Dressing of the Palms – Palm trees were

“adopted” and dressed to promote a school, a

business, or just for the fun of it. Trees remained

dressed from November through January and

judging took place on November 10th.

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Notable Events, Programs, and ServicesThe 2012 Florida Pro/Am Crossover Skimboard

Tournament was held August 24-26th on Vilano Beach.

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Annual Easter Egg Hunt

Dedication of the Vilano Pier Public Dock (which now makes the Vilano Beach Town Center accessible by both land and water)

Plastic Bottle Boat Race

Third grade elementary school students

8th Annual Bob Conroy Charity Inshore Fishing Tournament benefiting the St. Augustine Youth Center

Restoration of the 1950s Bluebird of Happiness and relocation to the Vilano Beach Pier

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Notable Events, Programs, and Services� 72 Mile A1A Super Scenic Garage Sale

� Fishing Tournament & Silent Auction to benefit the National Foundation for Transplants

� Jeep Ride & Parade on A1A to benefit veterans and their families

� Kiwanis K-Kids Town Center and beach clean-up

� Vilano Beach Inlet Maritime Festival

� Friends of GTM Trail Run

Art Breakers and StAR Council Bra*tini Cancer

Fund Raiser

Turtle Town

Beach Clean-up

16th Annual Vilano Bridge 5K Run/Walk

Surf’s Up Camp

Bike Run for the Babes Poker Run benefiting the Child Cancer Fund

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Looking Forward

Vilano Beach will host the Florida Main Street Annual Conference and Awards Dinner to be held September 18-20, 2013. The FMS Annual Conference will offer strategies for historic commercial district revitalization with educational sessions presented by professionals from around the nation. Located in downtown Vilano Beach with nearby venues in Ponte Vedra Beach and historic St. Augustine, the conference will provide attendees the opportunity to experience many aspects of our beautiful area. The conference will celebrate Vilano’s 10th anniversary as a Main Street Community, showcase the Town Center, and include a walking tour of the Vilano Beach Town Center and a bus tour of historic St. Augustine.

The group will be headquartered in the multimillion dollar Environmental Education Center of the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTMNERR) in Guana State Park (about 5 miles north of the Town Center). Attendees will visit the newly erected statue of Juan Ponce de Leon (to be erected and dedicated the first week in April 2013) as part of the statewide Viva Florida 500 Celebration, commemorating the 500th year of the founding of “La Florida” by Juan Ponce de Leon.

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Looking Forward

Vilano Beach Community Garden ~ More than 25 Vilano area residents have shown an interest in taking advantage of the opportunity to create an organic community garden. The proposed 145 x 33 foot garden will be located on the east side of the ball field near the tree line on the four acre property owned by the North Shores Improvement Association. A plan for the garden boxes and compost space has already been designed. The first community gardeners meeting will be held in January or February, 2013.

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Vilano Beach 2012 Highlighting

New & Existing Businesses

** 180 Vilano Grill & Pizza

Bay Ray Boat Rentals & Charters

* Beaches at Vilano – Deck Expansion

* Fire Wok

Haley’s Pub

Hampton Inn & Suites St. Augustine-Vilano Beach

Inlet Marina at Vilano Beach

* Magic Beach Motel Restoration

OceanView Lodge

* Publix Grocery Store & Pharmacy

* Puccini’s Pizzeria

* Rainbow Shades

* Salon Balance

* St. Augustine Beach House Renovation

St. Augustine Marina

** The Palms at Vilano Beach

* Venus Nails & Spa

** Vilano Beach Garden Inn

Vilano Beach Town Center Realty

* Vilano Beach Water Taxi & Tours

* Vilano Dry Cleaners

Vilano Extended Stay

Vilano Surf Hut

* YoCool Yogurt* 2012 New Businesses

** 2013 Construction Commences

2012 annual cra report - st. johns county, florida€¦ · fishing tournament & silent auction...

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