Bradenton city leaders have officially identified 16 properties struggling with slum and blighted conditions, and they want to do something about it. The City Council, acting alongside the Community Redevelopment Agency, voted unanimously at a public hearing to move forward with a plan that targets vacant buildings, faulty lot layouts, and properties where development has been stalled for years. Six of those sites are owned by the city or county, which means the CRA can step in to bridge public and private interests.
Two of the most notable sites? The Montgomery Roberts lot, vacant for 40 years, and the old City Hall site, empty for 20. These aren’t new problems, but this is the first formal step toward addressing them. The ordinance still has to go through the Planning Commission and county commission before returning to the city council for final action. That review period could take up to 60 days.
There’s urgency behind the vote. Bradenton’s three Community Redevelopment Agencies are set to expire in 2040, leaving just 14 years to use that funding mechanism. After that, redevelopment tools change dramatically. For residents, the stakes include property values, tax revenue, and the look and feel of downtown for decades to come. Which site do you think should be tackled first?
