Community Redevelopment News Briefs

Chevy Chase Plaza to Get Sign on Margate Boulevard

To increase visibility to passing motorists, shops in the Chevy Chase Plaza at the SW corner of Margate Boulevard and 441 will be getting a monument sign located on the south side of the street approaching the plaza from the west. Margate Boulevard is much traveled by morning commuters looking to avoid Atlantic Boulevard school zones, affording Plaza businesses exposure in the a.m. hours.

Community redevelopment officials say the sign should be up by February’s Street Festival (Feb 18-19). The cost per business is $30 to be on the sign.

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Margate Commission Debates Value of State Rd 7 Collaborative Contribution

While deciding how much to contribute this year to the State Road 7 Collaborative, a ten-year-old South Florida Regional Planning Council (SFRPC) initiative, commissioners at a January city meeting raised questions over what the city gets in return for its contribution, and what happens if a participating city doesn’t pay?

Of the 16 municipalities that partner with the Collaborative, Margate was one of 12 last year that contributed zero dollars.

The year before, Margate was one of only six that gave anything.  View Muncipal Funding Schedule.

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Back to the Drawing Board Again for Downtown Margate

It’s been a long hard road for Margate community redevelopment. Fifteen years to be exact, half the life of the Margate CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency), the quasi-governmental taxing district formed in 1997 to address blight and commercial disinvestment in the city. The MCRA owns 44 acres of strip malls and green space at the eastern end of Margate Blvd and 441, better known as the “City Center.”

The Agency’s Redevelopment Plan was updated in 2001, and then again in 2007 and 2009. The MCRA came close last year to signing a contract with a developer to begin construction of the proposed City Center, but Agency officials and developers didn’t see eye to eye and severed ties after months of give and take.

At their January meeting, MCRA officials decided to set a date to revisit the City Center vision; solicit input from business leaders and the public and formulate a new course of action.

“Things have changed from the beginning until now,” said Margate Commissioner, David McLean. “We have to go back to the drawing board.”

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Margate Launches Department of Economic Development

Opening a business in any city can be intimidating, frustrating and downright confusing. Between local building codes, permitting and county and state regulations; being an entrepreneur means more than just expertise in your field. It requires patience, business savvy and lots of due diligence.

To make things easier for business startups looking to set up shop in Margate, the city unveiled the Department of Economic Development earlier in the month, headed by Margate City Planner, Ben Ziskal.

The goal of new agency is to streamline city processes and allow businesses to open up faster and with fewer unknowns.

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Global Response Promotes Quality of Work Life

In a day and age when finding good help isn’t easy, more employers have recognized the need to promote a quality work environment. Open door policies, flextime and childcare are the new norm in the modern workplace, and along with competitive pay and benefits a culture of promoting from within has proven effective in attracting and retaining skilled workers.

“Our employees stay with us because we reward good work, offer exceptional benefits and make a sincere effort to respond to their needs,” said Steve Majeski, Marketing Director for Global Response, a brand care call center in Margate. “Some people have worked with us 20 years and more. We’re like family here.”

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City Abandons Fire District Bill. Broward Delegation Hasn’t

The fate of a Fire District Bill presently in the hands of the Broward Delegation still yet has to be determined.

According to Margate City Attorney, Eugene Steinfeld, the Delegation failed to establish a quorum for their last scheduled meeting to determine whether they will allow Coral Springs, Coconut Creek and Margate to withdraw support for the bill before the Delegation lobbies in favor of the Fire District in Tallahassee. But even if cities are allowed to backout, Steinfeld said, the Delegation can still bring the bill to fruition.

“I think they’re trying either today or tomorrow for a quorum,” Steinfeld told MargateNews.net on Tuesday. “If at least one Senator doesn’t show up, they don’t have a quorum.”

A total eight Florida Senators sit on the Delegation, including two from Miami, all rife with legislative committee and subcomittee assignments.

Article Updated 1-27-2012:

Faith Lombardo from the Broward Delegation informed MargateNews.net on Friday that the Delegation had formed a quorum on Thursday and agreed on a "Strike Off' for the bill, which effectively removes it from session. This was in response to lack of support for the bill by cities, she said.

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