Palmetto CRA celebrates 40 years of redevelopment, looks toward city’s future

PALMETTO, Fla. (WWSB) - For four decades, Palmetto’s Community Redevelopment Agency has worked behind the scenes to bring new investment, development, and improvements to parts of the city.Now, as the agency marks its 40th year, leaders are looking back at what has changed and ahead to projects aimed at shaping Palmetto’s future.The Palmetto CRA was established in 1985 and uses redevelopment funding to support infrastructure, businesses, residents,s and economic development within its district.“A lot of people don’t know what CRAs do and where we are and how we came about,” CRA Director Rowena Young said during an interview with ABC7.Young said the agency’s work ranges from infrastructure improvements and environmental cleanup to programs designed to help longtime residents remain in their homes and businesses improve their properties.One focus has been cleaning up and redeveloping brownfield properties where previous uses may have left environmental contamination.Dolly Parton’s Imagin