NORTH BEACH COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY

The Florida Legislature enacted the Community Redevelopment Act, Chapter 163 of the Florida Statutes, which allows local governments to use property tax revenue growth for economic revitalization purposes in designated communities. Counties may designate a special district, the Redevelopment Area, in which future property tax growth is used for approved redevelopment programs and projects tailored for the neighborhood’s needs.

In comparison with other areas of Miami Beach, the North Beach area has not experienced comparative levels of redevelopment, revitalization, economic growth, and investment. Existing conditions in North Beach have adversely affected quality of life and neighborhood character, among them: commercial vacancies, limited housing stock and new development, and resiliency challenges.

With delegated authority from Miami-Dade County, the City Commission established the North Beach CRA in 2021 as a means of implementing projects envisioned in the 2016 North Beach Master Plan (Plan NoBe) and other planning initiatives focusing on climate resiliency, economic development, affordable housing, historic preservation, and land development regulations.

The Community Redevelopment Act identifies fifteen (15) criteria indicative of blight within a community, of which two (2) must be present to conclude that an area is blighted. Pursuant to the Community Redevelopment Act, a ‘Community Redevelopment Area’ may be defined as a blighted area, or an area in which there exists a shortage of affordable housing, or a coastal and tourist area that is deteriorating and economically distressed due to outdated building density patterns, inadequate transportation and parking facilities, faulty lot layout or inadequate street layout, or a combination there of.

The North Beach CRA Redevelopment Plan, prepared following a community design charrette and significant public outreach, presents goals and strategies which may be implemented using funding by tax increment revenue from within the Redevelopment Area over the 30-year life (2021 - 2051) of the North
Beach CRA.

The North Beach CRA is funded by “tax increment financing” or TIF, whereby incremental increases in annual property taxes following the base year (2021) are generated and designated during the 30- year life of the CRA, for expenditure on investments and projects that address the needs of the Redevelopment Area. Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami Beach contribute 60% of the tax increment growth in Redevelopment Area to the CRA. TIF growth is planned to be accelerated by economic development resulting from CRA initiatives.

No. Property values will not freeze because of the North Beach CRA. The North Beach CRA will not adversely impact property insurance or a property owner’s ability to finance and/or mortgage property. Rather, the North Beach CRA is a tool for improving quality of life conditions and encouraging strategic, measured development and preservation initiatives--all of which have been successfully performed in other parts of Miami Beach with other CRAs.

Per Resolution 2021-31596, pursuant to authority granted by the Community Redevelopment Act and Miami-Dade County, the Mayor and City Commission formally established the North Beach CRA and declared the Mayor and City Commission to be the CRA’s governing body, the North Beach CRA Board. The Mayor and City Commission also designated the Miami Beach City Manager as Executive Director and the City Attorney as General Counsel.

Formal meetings of the North Beach CRA occur during regularly scheduled meetings of the Miami Beach City Commission and subject to all requirements of the Florida Sunshine Law. The annual budget of the North Beach CRA must be reviewed and approved by the North Beach CRA Board and the Board of County Commissioners of Miami-Dade County.

Per Resolution 2021-31560, as amended, the Mayor and City Commission created the North Beach CRA Advisory Committee to ensure the continued participation by residents, business owners, and community representatives of the Redevelopment Area in connection with the North Beach CRA.

No. The North Beach CRA has the ability to use tax increment revenue from within the Redevelopment Area (district) to implement and administer the Redevelopment Plan. The CRA does not have the authority to establish laws or administer zoning (such as variances or modifications to floor area ratio (FAR)). Projects associated with the North Beach CRA and the Redevelopment Plan are still subject to historic preservation and zoning laws, as applicable.

No. Eminent domain is not a legal power of community redevelopment agencies and is prohibited by the Community Redevelopment Act, Chapter 163, Florida Statutes.

We invite you to visit the North Beach CRA’s website to learn the most updated information and news about the CRA, https://www.miamibeachfl.gov/northbeachCRA. North Beach CRA staff is also available to meet at the District Office on select days and by appointment.

North Beach CRA District Office
962 Normandy Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33141
Hours of Operation: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
305.673.7090
nbcra@miamibeachfl.gov

The North Beach CRA has identified initiatives and programs that were also supported by the North Beach CRA Advisory Committee. In its initial budgeted year of funding, new programs will include but are not limited to 1) a Commercial Façade Improvement Program and a Residential Property
Improvement Program, both programs support privately owned buildings
in the Normandy Fountain/Rue Vendome Plaza area; 2) support for Arts & Culture tourism and branding, and 3) small business development
and technical assistance.

The 326.4-acre Redevelopment Area is generally described as bounded by 87th Terrace to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, 65th Street to the south, and Rue Notre Dame to the west. The boundary map can be found on this page.