Downtown Ocala Redevelopment Advisory Committee

110 SE Watula Avenue Ocala Ocala, FL 34471 Downtown Ocala Redevelopment www.ocalafl.gov Advisory Committee Minutes Tuesday, June 27, 2023 10:00 AM 1. Call To Order and Roll Call 1. Present Kendall Drake, Summer Gill, Vice Chair Rhella Murdaugh, and TaMara York Absent Rachel Laxton, Tom McDonald, and Chairman Ted Schatt 2. Proof of Publication The public notice for the Downtown Ocala CRA Advisory Committee meeting was posted on the City of Ocala's website June 15, 2023. 3. Approval of April 25, 2023 Minutes RESULT: APPROVED MOVER: TaMara York SECONDER: Summer Gill April 25, 2023 Attachments: 4-25-23 Minutes Final.pdf RESULT: APPROVED MOVER: TaMara York SECONDER: Summer Gill 4. Downtown Ocala CRA Grant Program New Construction Grant Attachments: New Construction Grant.pdf Mr. Gianikas discussed the New Construction Grant Program. The program was presented to the CRA Board for consideration, and the City is working on drafting the framework. The program will replace the Development Agreements, and funding will be awarded to new construction (commercial or residential) or large renovation projects with a minimum expense totaling $1 million. Furthermore, the program will allocate $100,000 per year (3-year limit) in grant funds (maximum $300,000), and the grant cannot exceed 10% of the project. The City is working on creating a ranking and scoring system for application evaluations. Mr. Ellis explained the Procurement Department's ranking system. The plan is to create minimum criteria with several categories. Page 1 of 3 Downtown Ocala Redevelopment Advisory Committee Minutes June 27, 2023 Mr. Gianikas clarified the Committee's role and the application review process. The applicants will not be reimbursed until the project is complete and a certificate of occupancy issued. Mr. Ellis provided a brief overview of the reporting requirements and grant payment conditions. Applicants are required to submit annual reports for multi-year projects. Mr. Gianikas noted the Downtown CRA Committee recommended changing the 15-year grant improvement requirement to 5-years. He suggested including the following criteria: return on investment (ROI), job creation, and land use designations, i.e. business, retail, mixed-use. Mr. Drake and Ms. York favor funding mixed-use development projects Downtown. Ms. York noted parking is very scarce Downtown. Mr. Gianikas commented the grant can fund residential multifamily housing projects, such as town homes and apartments. He confirmed the property tax revenue generated by Downtown businesses has increased over the years. The businesses produce more revenue per square foot compared to residential. Mr. Drake noted the grant program will be funded by CRA tax increment revenues. Mr. Gianikas confirmed applicants will need to comply with the Form Based Code. The City will provide more details at the next meeting. Mr. Gianikas confirmed tenants from the same property must apply individually. The grant was modified to provide funding for comprehensive projects. There is no update on the parking garage project at this time. Motion to accept the New Construction Grant framework RESULT: APPROVED MOVER: TaMara York SECONDER: Kendall Drake AYE: Drake, Gill, Vice Chair Murdaugh, and York ABSENT: Laxton, McDonald, and Chairman Schatt 5. Downtown Ocala CRA Projects & Budget Update None. 6. Other Business None. 7. Adjournment Page 2 of 3 Downtown Ocala Redevelopment Advisory Committee Minutes June 27, 2023 The meeting adjourned at 10:29 am. Page 3 of 3