What is a Community Redevelopment Area or District?
Under Florida law (Chapter 163, Part III), local governments are able to designate areas as Community Redevelopment Areas when certain conditions exist. Since all the monies used in financing CRA activities are locally generated, CRAs are not overseen by the state, but redevelopment plans must be consistent with local government comprehensive plans. Examples of conditions that can support the creation of a Community Redevelopment Area include, but are not limited to: the presence of substandard or inadequate structures, a shortage of affordable housing, inadequate infrastructure, insufficient roadways, and inadequate parking. To document that the required conditions exist, the local government must survey the proposed redevelopment area and prepare a Finding of Necessity. If the Finding of Necessity determines that the required conditions exist, the local government may create a Community Redevelopment Area to provide the tools needed to foster and support redevelopment of the targeted area.
Polk County Community Redevelopment Areas
The Polk County Board of County Commissioners has adopted a Community Redevelopment Plan to guide the redevelopment of the following four areas in the County. These areas have been identified as areas which are appropriate for community redevelopment. 
View Map of County Redevelopment Areas.
Unincorporated Polk County CRAs
Eloise
Eloise Redevelopment Plan
The purpose of this document is to combine and update previously prepared studies, to prepare a Redevelopment Plan for the Eloise community, and to adopt Tax Increment Financing (TIF) pursuant to Chapter 163 of the Florida Statutes. The resulting document will include an analysis of existing socio-economic and physical conditions, plan objectives, a Redevelopment Plan and implementation strategies.
Harden / Parkway
Harden Parkway Redevelopment Plan
The Harden Parkway CRA; created by the Polk County Board of County Commissioners in 2004, contains lands located within the south portion of city of Lakeland and unincorporated areas of Polk County. The County and City have established an Interlocal Agreement to cooperate in creating this single purpose CRA for the specific purpose of eliminating blight on the areas transportation system which currently has adverse impacts upon both County and City governments and the citizenry. Polk County has the statutory authority to establish a redevelopment area that is within a municipality located within Polk County and is supported by the city of Lakeland in utilizing this approach. The CRA program is implemented under the direction of the Polk County Board of County Commissioners, who serve as the members of the North Ridge Community Redevelopment Agency. The CRA Agency also includes two additional members, the City Manager and the Community Development Director of the City of Lakeland.
North Ridge
North Ridge Redevelopment Plan Part 1 Part 2
The North Ridge CRA is a special district established in 2002 to assist in the "revitalization" of the blighted neighborhoods and roadways within the County's North Ridge area. The CRA program is implemented under the direction of the Polk County Board of County Commissioners, who serve as the members of the North Ridge Community Redevelopment Adopted by the County in 2002, which contains the guiding principles and objectives related to land use planning, infrastructure and services, housing and financing of the CRA.
The Economic Development Action Plan provides recommendations and strategies for stimulating economic development and job creation within the North Ridge CRA. The overall area addressed by this Plan is the north-central portion of the North Ridge CRA which is roughly bounded by the I-4/US-27 on the east and the southern boundary of the North Ridge CRA to the south. The specific geographic areas surrounding the proposed Ernie Caldwell Blvd. and its intersections with US 27, the proposed Oakmont Extension, CR 547 portions of the US-27 corridor and US 17/92 are the areas addressed by the Plan's recommendations and strategies. Documents included are:
Economic Development Action Plan
Appendices
Polk Commerce Centre
Polk Commerce Centre Redevelopment Plan
The Polk Commerce Centre CRA is a special area with a base year of 1993 for purposes of Tax Increment Financing. This area was planned through a Selected Area Plan (SAP) called the I-4 Northeast SAP. This SAP included Future Land Use districts as part of Polk County Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code as well as policies and regulations. The Polk Commerce Centre CRA is a tool to assist with the implementation of the SAP as well as the Area Wide Development of Regional Impact that was established in 2000. The Redevelopment Plan for the CRA proposes transportation and utility improvements to increase access to the Polk Parkway as well as to spur development.
Municipal CRAs within Polk County (12)
Auburndale
http://www.auburndalefl.com/commun-redevelop2.asp
Avon Park
http://www.avonparkcra.com/
Bartow
http://www.cityofbartow.net/index.aspx?page=275
Davenport
No CRAs
Dundee
No CRAs
Eagle Lake
http://www.eaglelake-fla.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={E73ECBAC-8F0C-43E1-B436-BA2E85ED98C6}
Fort Meade
No link to date. CRA established November 2011
Frostproof
No CRAs
Haines City
http://www.ci.haines-city.fl.us/content.php?page=189
Lake Alfred
No CRAs
Lake Wales
http://www.cityoflakewales.com/city/agendacr.shtml
Lakeland
http://www.lakelandcra.net/
Downtown was established in 1979, Dixieland and Mid Town were created in 2001, and Williams was created in 2002
Polk City
No CRAs
Winter Haven
Downtown and Florence Villa
http://www.mywinterhaven.com/cra.htm
For more information regarding Community Redevelopment Areas, contact Community Redevelopment Administration at (863) 534-6764.