Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA)

Mission

To dedicate public resources and programs to stimulate private investment in under-performing areas as officially identified in the Niceville CRA Plan.

The City of Niceville, Florida, in the Spring of 2012, passed Resolution 12-06-01, that it was in the City’s best interest to create the Niceville Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) to address deteriorating, blighted, and under-performing areas within the historic settlement of the City. It had become increasingly aware that certain areas within the original city needed public incentives to maximize physical (public infrastructure), economic, and land utilization redevelopment to stimulate private investment in order to enhance its overall contribution to the City of Niceville as a whole.

The original CRA was officially created by the City Council on June 12, 2012, pursuant to the guidelines and delegations provided in Chapter 163, Part III, Florida Statutes. It was the City’s desire to gauge, control, manage, and support its designated Redevelopment Area to be compatible with other City programs and resources, and to implement and support public as well as private redevelopment initiatives.

How is the CRA Funded?

The Niceville CRA is funded using a program called Tax Increment Financing (often referred to as "TIF"). TIF is a method to reinvest money generated through increased ad valorem tax (property tax) revenue resulting from development and redevelopment into a certain area. In short, “increment” tax revenues are deposited into the CRA accounts to fund future projects within the district. The funds deposited in the CRA accounts or redevelopment trust fund may only be expended in the redevelopment area pursuant to the approved redevelopment plan in conformance with the requirements of Section 163.387(6), Florida Statutes. TIF has been used in many locations since the late 1940s and early 1950s to pay for redevelopment related projects and infrastructure to support redevelopment or development. The short explanation is that the CRA invests in itself!

CRA Commission Members

The City Council is the governing board of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). The Mayor and Mayor Pro-Tem serve respectively as the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Agency. A vacancy occurring during a term shall be filled in the same manner as provided for respectively filling a vacancy in the term of the Mayor, Mayor Pro-Tem, or other members of the City Council. Coterminous with employment by the City, the City Manager, City Clerk, and City Attorney or any special counsel to the City shall also serve respectively as the executive director, clerk, and general counsel or special counsel for the Agency.

Niceville CRA Meeting Schedule - Fiscal Year 2026 (October 1, 2025 - September 30, 2026)
Date & Time	Meeting Purpose	Location
March 10, 2026, 5:00 pm	Regular CRA Board Meeting	Niceville Council Chambers
May 12, 2026, 5:00 pm	Regular CRA Board Meeting	Niceville Council Chambers
July 14, 2026, 5:00 pm	Regular CRA Board Meeting	Niceville Council Chambers
September 8, 2026, 5:30pm	Regular CRA Board Meeting	Niceville Council Chambers
Meeting dates and times are subject to change