Bradenton Beach Extends Community Redevelopment Agency Through 2047
The Bradenton Beach City Commission has approved a resolution extending the life of the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) through 2047, ensuring the continued operation of the redevelopment district beyond a state-mandated sunset date.
Commissioners unanimously adopted Resolution 26-993 during their March 5 meeting. The action was taken in response to state legislation enacted in 2019 requiring all community redevelopment agencies to terminate by Sept. 30, 2039, unless the governing body that created the CRA approves an extension.
Bradenton Beach officials moved to adopt the resolution ahead of a state deadline of March 1, 2026, which required municipalities to formally approve continued CRA operations if they wished to extend their existing redevelopment plans.
The Bradenton Beach CRA was created on Jan. 23, 1992, to address blight within a designated district that includes the Bridge Street area. At the time, the corridor was considered economically distressed. Over the past three decades, the CRA has funded numerous projects and initiatives that contributed to the area’s transformation into a popular commercial and tourism district.
The redevelopment district stretches from the southern side of the Cortez Bridge southward along Fifth Street South and includes residential and commercial properties within the designated area. The CRA is funded in part through a portion of property tax revenues generated within the district, along with an annual contribution from the city’s general fund.
Although the CRA operates as a separate entity with its own budget, its governing board consists of the mayor and the four city commissioners. The agency works in coordination with city government to support redevelopment projects and community improvements within the district.
City leaders began discussing the need to comply with the state’s sunset requirements in October 2025 after several officials attended the Florida Redevelopment Association’s annual conference in West Palm Beach. During that meeting, they learned that existing redevelopment plans extending beyond 2039 would require formal approval by the city commission to remain in effect.
Bradenton Beach’s CRA plan was previously amended in 2017 to extend the agency’s operation by 30 years, setting its expiration date in 2047. The new resolution affirms that timeline and allows the redevelopment agency to continue operating under the extended plan.
Bradenton Beach remains the only city on Anna Maria Island with a Community Redevelopment Agency. The neighboring cities of Anna Maria and Holmes Beach have never established CRA districts.