Community Redevelopment Agency (Newberry CRA)

Executive Director: Mike New mnew@newberryfl.gov

Registered Agent/CRA Coordinator: Uma Sarmistha, Ph.D. usarmistha@newberryfl.gov

CRA Specialist: Chelsea Bakaitis cbakaitis@newberryfl.gov

Contact Information
Mailing Address
25440 W Newberry Road, Newberry FL 32669

Office Location
In the Little Red School House, 25815 SW 2nd Avenue, Newberry

Office Hours
Monday - Thursday: 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM

Office Number
352-472-5440

What is a Community Redevelopment Agency?

The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is a public entity created by the City of Newberry in 2021 to implement the community redevelopment activities outlined under Chapter 163 and Chapter 189, Florida Statutes. The CRA Board is composed of the elected city commissioners. Each year, the board elects a Chair and a Vice-Chair.

Chair- Mayor Jordan Marlowe
Member- Rick Coleman
Member- Mark Clark
Member- Monty Farnsworth
Member- Tim Marden
Member- Tony Mazon

The mission of the CRA is to bring about the economic revitalization of an established target area, to create a re-investment environment that attracts private investors into the area, to promote improvements within the redevelopment area through renovation and restoration of existing buildings, and new construction. The mission is accomplished by acquiring the funding necessary to make the infrastructure improvements necessary to attract private investment dollars which in turn improves the assessed taxable value of district properties, and to assist the Chamber of Commerce, Newberry Main Street and downtown merchants in their efforts to market downtown businesses.

The CRA has jurisdiction over an area known as the Community Redevelopment District. This District is located in the urbanized core of the City of Newberry. The CRA is funded through a mechanism known as tax increment financing (TIF). TIF is a unique tool available to counties and municipalities for redevelopment efforts through the implementation of the adopted CRA Plan.

TIF revenues are based on the increase in taxable property values within the CRA district measured against the taxable values in a Base Year. The Base Year for the Newberry CRA is 2019. Each year, property taxes collected up to the Base Year valuation continue to go into the City’s General Fund, while property taxes collected in excess of the base year valuation go into the CRA TIF fund for redevelopment activities within the CRA district. Alachua County also supports the Newberry CRA through contributions to the TIF equal to those of the City.

CRA Facts:

The Newberry CRA District is approximately 640-acres. A map of the Newberry CRA can be found by clicking here:
- Newberry CRA Map
Tax increment financing was originally developed over 30 years as a method to meet the local match requirements of federal grant programs. With the reduction in federal funds available for local projects, tax increment financing is standing evermore on its own as a method to finance local redevelopment efforts.
Tax increment financing is used in the City of Newberry’s Community Redevelopment District to leverage the City’s redevelopment efforts through the implementation of the Newberry CRA Plan.
The Newberry CRA operates from an October 1 to September 30 Fiscal Year. The current budget can be found by clicking here:
- CRA BUDGET FY 2025