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Englewood CRA

Engle­wood Com­mu­nity Rede­vel­op­ment Area

The CRA helps make pos­si­ble events like the Dear­born St. Book Festival.

The Engle­wood Com­mu­nity Rede­vel­op­ment Area (CRA) includes the por­tion of Engle­wood in Sara­sota County.

Engle­wood is a com­mu­nity that thrives on its cul­tural events, nature parks, beaches, fish­ing, boat­ing and home­town atmos­phere. While nour­ish­ing its small-town atmos­phere, Engle­wood also rises to the demands of growth and mod­ern­iza­tion, keep­ing up with new ideas and ways to main­tain its way of life.

In the late 1990s, res­i­dents and busi­ness and civic lead­ers raised con­cerns about the need to improve con­di­tions in the area known as Olde Engle­wood. In 1998, after many pub­lic meet­ings, the Sara­sota County Board of Com­mis­sion­ers approved the cre­ation of the CRA as a pub­lic agency to pro­mote improve­ments and rede­vel­op­ment in the area.

In addi­tion to sup­port­ing and pro­mot­ing improve­ments in the infra­struc­ture, the CRA has under­taken beau­ti­fi­ca­tion efforts and pro­motes events that act as mag­nets for tourists and day-trippers.

Cur­rent CRA Advi­sory Board mem­bers, all CRA res­i­dents, include Todd Tracy, John Mead, John Rad­kins, Nor­man Cald­well, John Davi­son, Mary Ellen Diez and Don Landis.

There are two county staff mem­bers that work with the CRA:

CRA Coor­di­na­tor Deb­bie Marks — 941–650-2235   E-mail: dmarks@scgov.net

Exec­u­tive Assis­tant Joanne Jacob­sen — 941–473-9795   E-mail: jjacobse@scgov.net