Ocala Downtown CRA Advisory Committee Meeting - June 23, 2026
Ocala Downtown CRA Advisory Committee Meeting - June 23, 2026
The Downtown Ocala Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Advisory Committee met on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at 10:00 AM in the Ocala City Hall Council Chambers. The committee received updates on downtown projects, discussed the outcomes of a June 9 City Council workshop, and elected new officers. A quorum was present with six members (Kendall Drake, TaMara York, Ted Schatt, Brad Harper, Don Gulling); Dr. Rhella Murdaugh was excused.
Consent Calendar
- Roll Call: Present: Drake, York, Schatt, Harper, Gulling. Quorum established. Absent: Murdaugh (excused).
- Approval of Minutes: The April 28, 2026, meeting minutes were approved after a discussion about whether board comments were correctly recorded as "none." Motion passed without objection.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public offered comments.
Discussion Items
- Project Updates (Eric Smith, Senior Transportation Project Administrator): Smith provided an overview of downtown projects, most on track. He shared photos from a site visit to Orlando showing parklets (sidewalk extensions into parallel parking spots) and pocket parks (small open spaces with interactive art). These are conceptual for downtown Ocala. A parking garage at Fort King and Broadway is scheduled for a grand opening in early to mid-August (delayed from late July). Smith also discussed mural opportunities, noting that a walking tour of potential facades is planned. The committee discussed the balance between CRA-funded public art and general revenue-funded parks.
- Grant Update (Charlotte Whitehead, Economic Development Project Coordinator): Whitehead reported on the Hagen Dass ice cream shop at 40 South Magnolia Ave. The project cost is over $447,000, with a CRA grant of $50,000. The business is awaiting health inspection before opening; signage is being installed.
- Staff Comments (Roberto Ellis, Economic Development Manager):
- City Council Workshop Recap (June 9): Ellis reviewed key discussions: alignment of CRA goals with programs, grant activity (108 applications across all CRAs over the past five years, totaling $3.4 million in incentives, leveraging $27 in private investment per $1 of CRA funds). Recommendations included: allowing single bids for certified contractors, requiring completion of outstanding grants before new applications (primarily for residential projects), reducing committee membership from 7–9 to 5, meeting monthly instead of every other month, and adopting formal CRA bylaws. A community meeting to gather input on grant modifications is planned.
- CRA Budget Update: The downtown CRA has a total budget of approximately $4.6 million for the current fiscal year, with $1.1 million allocated for grants and incentives, $725,000 in reserves, and the remainder for capital improvement projects (CIP) and operations. Only about $1 million in revenue was brought in this year; the budget relies on carryover funds. Over the next three years, $2.4 million is committed to projects like the AC Marriott and Hotel Marion incentives. Schatt questioned using $250,000 for a pocket park near Marion Theater when a main park is less than a block away; he argued CRA funds should prioritize economic development over parks. Other members suggested focusing on activating Fort King corridor instead.
- Board Comments: Don Gulling supported murals but wanted more business owner input. He also urged prioritizing first-floor retail and residential uses in grants. TaMara York emphasized the need for retail and residential studies before master plans. Ted Schatt advocated for smaller, faster grants to help retailers rather than large catalytic projects consuming most funds.
- Election of Officers: The committee elected new officers for the remainder of the term (through March 1, 2027). Kendall Drake was nominated and elected Chair (unanimous). TaMara York was nominated and elected Vice Chair (unanimous).
Key Outcomes
- Approval of Minutes: April 28, 2026, meeting minutes approved.
- Officer Election: Chair – Kendall Drake; Vice Chair – TaMara York.
- Direction to Staff:
- Proceed with a walking tour of potential mural facades.
- Consider prioritizing retail and residential studies before master plans.
- Review grant programs to potentially increase maximum awards, allow single bids, and create smaller, faster grants for retailers.
- Plan a community meeting for feedback on grant modifications.
- Next Meeting: Scheduled for August 25, 2026.
Meeting Transcript
So they're supposed to be having some end of uh July. Thursday and Friday. Oh cool. What a new I hear there's a bummer. Somebody else is leaving, I can't remember. Another soft opening to the public. That's family and friends. And then there's a soft opening of the public after the 4th of July. I'm not exactly sure when. Gotcha. But depending upon how those goes, I can guess that's when they'll announce when the actual opening is. Sometime after Fourth July. Ready when you are. They give me the gavel, I guess. You have the gavel, I guess. I know. Let's pass it down to you. I thought something happened in the interim, and I was fine with it. I'll call us to order. Roll call. Good morning, everyone. Mr. Drake. Here. Miss York. Here. Dr. Murda is excused today. Mr. Shat? Here. Mr. Harper. Here. Mr. Goling. Here. We've reached our quorum. Fantastic public notice. The public notice for the downtown Ocala CRA Advisory Committee meeting was posted on the City of Ocala's website on June 11th, 2026. We have uh minutes. Has everyone had an opportunity to go over the minutes? Yes. Yes. I have not gone back to look at the tape, and my memory is not really good. It says board comments, there were none. Are we sure about that? Because it seems to us we talk about things after. You said you didn't have a chance to look at those meeting minutes. I well, I've looked at the meeting minutes, and under number nine it says board comments none.
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