Charlotte Harbor Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA)
History
Charlotte Harbor is one of the oldest areas in Charlotte County. It was platted in the 1860s around what is now the Charlotte Harbor fishing pier. During the Civil War, the pier was used to ship cattle to the Confederate Army. After the war, the pier continued to operate as a focus of trade with Cuba and other Caribbean islands. The area around the pier saw the construction of a grid of streets developed with homes, stores, a post office, and a church.
The area remained relatively unchanged until the 1970s when development of the surrounding Port Charlotte area accelerated. This development led to the realignment of U.S. 41, bisecting the Charlotte Harbor neighborhood. Commercial development concentrated along the U.S. 41 corridor and most often came in the form of strip-mall shopping facilities. As growth continued through the remainder of Port Charlotte, the populace shifted to the northeast and northwest leaving behind a deteriorating residential housing stock. Also, consumer interest turned away from the historic commercial business district to the newer businesses developing north along U.S. 41. Charlotte Harbor experienced a drastic drop in its property values. Property that was not simply abandoned depreciated due to a lack of owner interest.
In the beginning of the 1990s, residents and small-business owners began to recognize the need to band together to reverse the plight of Charlotte Harbor. The Charlotte Harbor Committee was formed by volunteers who first met with the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office to develop a Neighborhood Watch group to deter crime. Following moderate success from this activity, the group next planned and executed "Clean Up Days", which addressed the debris that had collected on abandoned lots. As the success of these efforts became apparent, the group was able to convince the Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) to declare the area a Community Redevelopment Area.
In 1992, the BCC designated Charlotte Harbor a
Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) pursuant to Florida Statutes, Section 163.330
and also declared themselves the Community Redevelopment Agency in charge of
overseeing the redevelopment of the area. A seven-member advisory board,
called the Community Redevelopment Area Advisory Committee (CRAAC), was
created for the purpose of working directly with residents, merchants and
government officials. Since 1994, the committee has worked hard to build
consensus between all the various interests in the neighborhood as well as
advise the BCC. As a consequence of the efforts
by residents, business owners, CRAAC members, and county staff, the property appraiser's
office reported
that the property values in the area stopped declining in 1998. Efforts to
revitalize the commercial industry and maximize on the inherent beauty of
Charlotte Harbor are starting to bear fruit as evidenced by the redevelopment of
the Town and Country Shopping Center, which includes enhanced landscaping,
old-fashioned lighting, and a new Publix Supermarket done in the Old Florida
vernacular.
