A Florida City Awaits the Payoff From Its Bet on Condos – New York Times

A Florida City Awaits the Payoff From Its Bet on Condos – New York Times

As the stepchild to its more beautiful sisters in southwest Florida, Naples and Sarasota, this city has struggled for decades to revitalize its picturesque downtown and attract snowbirds and tourists.

With low-rise buildings dating back to the 1800’s, the city has the potential to be a New Urbanist paradise. But as in many other cities that began sprawling outward in the 1970’s, the downtown was long neglected until high hopes for condo development along the riverfront spurred city planners to undertake a major redevelopment effort.