By Roger Jimenez, Interning Correspondent for The Apopka Voice
During moments of confusion, competing priorities, and spirited public feedback, the Apopka Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Board approved several amendments to its 2025 budget at its May 21st meeting.
The changes, prompted by House Bill 991, reallocated funding to new and existing projects within the CRA district, though not without debate over how well the proposals aligned with the district's goal to combat blight and promote revitalization.
Related: CRA dollars at work: Domino’s building getting a facelift.
The presentation of the revised budget, which had initially been introduced at the April 23rd meeting, started off rocky. Questions arose over project allocations and outdated line items, including a $400,000 allocation for a land acquisition that is no longer viable due to the property owner's refusal to sell.
“With the $400,000, I would do capital improvements in the CRA district,” said Commissioner Diane Velazquez.
The budget goes over several large-scale projects and upgrades: over $300,000 for pedestrian and signal improvements along 5th Street, Central Avenue, and Park Avenue; $200,000 for new amenities at Alonzo Williams Park; $242,000 for enhancements to Apopka Action Sports; and more than $600,000 for Edward’s Field, which will receive new pickleball and basketball courts, beautification, and water fountains.
CRA board member John Drago requested increasing the budget for the Residential Facade/Repair Program to $600,000—up from $370,000—to allow more homeowners access to substantial upgrades.
“My rationale for the $600,000 is that the city has only spent $4,500 on the residential facade program in 10 years.” Drago explained. “Now, at the $30,000 limit, you can do 20 houses. You go down to Monroe Street and there are 10 houses there that can be done. Go down to South Apopka, there’s probably 10 more houses. After that, I don’t see how you can paint a house and do a roof and some windows for $10,000. I just don’t see that.”
While sidewalk repairs and potential increases to the commercial facade improvement budget were discussed, the conversation eventually shifted toward broader issues of transparency, fairness, and how the funds would truly benefit the community.
Dr. Phyllis Olmstead, an Apopka resident, questioned the appropriateness of funding $325,000 worth of pedestrian upgrades through the CRA.
“How does this address blight?” she asked. “Shouldn’t this be under public works and not under the CRA? If we are addressing blight with the CRA, that’s $325,000 that could be used to address blight in the city and improve the quality of life and appearance of the city and draw people to town. It is a very important thing we need done and I’d like you all to address that.”
Resident Leroy Bell expressed frustration over what he saw as unequal treatment between parks, criticizing the scale of investment going into Edward’s Field compared to Alonzo Williams Park.
“It just doesn't seem fair that you're spending all this money on one side and not equally on the other side,” Bell said. “This side needs to be brought up to par. So I hope you consider putting more effort on the blight on this side as you’re doing on Edward’s Field.”
Other residents voiced concerns about the neglect of downtown infrastructure. Rogers Beckett challenged the board to focus on decaying buildings and visible blight in the city’s commercial core.
“How does this increase the value of the CRA?” Beckett asked. “Because it looks like this is more for government property, but how does this benefit the community? When you look at our downtown, specifically Station Street, you have the Seaboard in bad condition, buildings in disrepair. Has there been an effort to reach out to those property owners to make those areas look better? It feels like we’re just throwing money to meet a deadline. But how does this really impact the value and attack the blight? Because if that’s what this money is set up for, then I don’t see how pickleball courts and basketball courts will impact the area for the residents who actually paid into the program.”
In response to multiple requests, the board agreed to allocate at least $50,000 for infrastructure at Alonzo Williams Park to support events, including electrical hookups and water access. Resident Sylvester Hall emphasized that this basic need had been overlooked for years.
“When we go over to the amphitheater and we have vendors over there, we’ve got electrical hookup and water hookup for the vendors, but not water spigots or drinking fountains,” Hall said. “That needs to be put there and I have brought this up multiple times. This should have been done a long time ago.”
The council unanimously approved the amendments. The updated plan includes reallocating the unused $400,000 toward sidewalk improvements and other eligible projects, increasing the Residential Facade/Repair Program budget to $600,000 to better support homeowners, and adding an additional $50,000 to enhance Alonzo Park with necessary utilities and amenities.
In a muddled but unanimous vote that concluded the two-hour meeting, the board approved Resolution 2025-01 to reimburse the CRA $35,544.92 for wayfinding signs that were funded by the CRA but installed outside its designated boundaries. The issue stemmed from a 2022 resolution that approved a citywide Wayfinding Signage Master Plan with funding listed from both the CRA and the General Fund. Somewhere along the process, the signs ended up in general city areas—along U.S. 441, near Sheeler Avenue, and on Park Avenue—prompting questions about how the funding was allocated and who approved the locations.
“How did this happen?” asked Commissioner Nick Nesta.
Staff confirmed that the original engineer’s plan included 14 signs, some inside the CRA and others not, and that the mix-up likely occurred during implementation.
Noting the time, and the fact that the CRA meeting made the Apopka City Council start 90 minutes late, Drago called for a vote that ended the discussion.
“I guess for the residents that are here for the next meeting, mayor, I'll make a motion to read by title only and adopt Resolution 2025-01.”
Despite the uncertainty, the board approved the repayment unanimously.
