Coral Springs Chamber of Commerce urges CRA Board to keep local funds focused on community projects and support small businesses
Coral Springs, Florida – The Coral Springs Coconut Creek Regional Chamber of Commerce is calling on the City of Coral Springs Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Board to maintain its commitment to the local business community by keeping the current 50% Tax Increment Financing (TIF) agreement intact. The Chamber is urging the board to reject a proposal that would raise the developer’s subsidy to 75%, a change that business leaders say would divert critical funds away from community projects.
In recent months, the Chamber has heard directly from local entrepreneurs who are concerned about the allocation of CRA resources. These business owners, who employ residents and invest in the city, stress that the CRA’s mission is to benefit the broader community, not a single private developer. “A Community Redevelopment Area exists to uplift the community,” the Chamber stated. “CRA dollars are meant to support small businesses, improve public infrastructure, and enhance the quality of life for residents—not to increase private profit when original commitments are not met.”
The proposed increase would significantly alter the distribution of funds. Under the 75% TIF proposal, the developer’s payout would rise from approximately $9 million to $10.8 million, while the CRA’s share of the revenue would drop from $5.3 million to $3.5 million. That nearly $1.8 million reduction, critics say, would come at the expense of projects aimed at improving public spaces, infrastructure, and local business opportunities.
The call for caution follows a series of modifications to the development plan, each approved at the developer’s request. The current version of the project now includes less commercial space, twice as many residential rentals, and no hotel — a major departure from the original plan that initially garnered community support. The Chamber argues that the development no longer reflects the commitments that justified a higher TIF allocation in the first place. “Restoring the TIF to 75% now, when the project no longer reflects what was promised, is neither reasonable nor fiscally responsible,” the Chamber said.
Instead of redirecting funds to a developer whose project has changed substantially, the Chamber recommends that CRA dollars be invested in initiatives that provide long-term benefits to the Coral Springs community. Suggested projects include infrastructure upgrades, an amphitheater on newly acquired green space, underground utilities, and digital wayfinding systems to help residents and visitors locate local businesses. The Chamber also highlighted the importance of façade and interior buildout grants for small businesses, emphasizing that these types of investments create measurable value and strengthen the local economy.
“These investments would create long-term value and measurable community benefit—not just private profit,” the Chamber said. “Do we want to grant an additional $1.8 million to a developer who did not fulfill his commitments, or do we invest those funds back into our community—to support local businesses, residents, and our shared economic future?”
Local business owners have echoed the Chamber’s concerns, stressing that CRA funding should prioritize projects that serve the greater public rather than enriching a single private interest. Many entrepreneurs in the city note that infrastructure improvements, public amenities, and support for small businesses generate broader economic returns, including job creation, increased tourism, and higher property values, benefits that a private developer cannot replicate alone.
City officials will face a decision that could shape the future of Coral Springs’ downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. The CRA Board has the authority to approve or deny the proposed TIF increase, and the Chamber is urging them to consider not only fiscal responsibility but also the long-term health of the local business community.
As the debate continues, the Chamber emphasizes that the mission of the CRA is clear: support the community, create equitable opportunities, and ensure that taxpayer-funded projects yield benefits for residents and local businesses alike. With millions of dollars at stake, the board’s choice could determine whether CRA funds continue to serve the broader public interest or flow disproportionately to a single private entity.
The Coral Springs Coconut Creek Regional Chamber of Commerce remains committed to advocating for transparency, accountability, and smart investment strategies. Their message to the CRA Board is simple but pointed: prioritize community impact, support local businesses, and ensure that redevelopment funds enhance Coral Springs for everyone.
