Greater Ridgecrest Area

Greater Ridgecrest Redevelopment Area Map

Pinellas County enjoys a successful partnership with residents of the Greater Ridgecrest Area (GRA) which comprises the largest portion of an unincorporated community in the Midwestern section of Pinellas County, Florida, the most densely populated county in the state. The City of Largo abuts GRA on three sides. Ulmerton Road bisects the community beginning as an east-west road then bending to the south and joining the east-west Walsingham Road. The community is made up of 11 neighborhoods: Taylor Lake, Ridgecrest, Oak Village, Baskins, Harmony Homes, Baskins Heights, Martin Terrace, Kerry Court, Gulf Terrace, Rainbow Village, and Dansville.

Dansville dates back to 1940 when it originally housed Black citrus workers who picked, processed, and packed oranges among the vast groves that once dominated Pinellas County. The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners designated the GRA a Neighborhood Revitalization Area and this designation was approved the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on December 15, 1999. Pinellas County has worked closely with various GRA neighborhood based organizations to identify the needs of the community and strategies to address these needs. The partnership resulted in the preparation of a Comprehensive Neighborhood Plan.

Thus far, the plans implementation has seen the creation of a Juvenile Welfare Board funded Neighborhood Family Center, various infrastructure improvements, new street lighting districts, and the major renovation of a neighborhood facility known as the Omni Center. The Omni Center is a full service YMCA branch that includes a swimming pool, bath house, and football field. The new Omni Center YMCA Branch has been fully operational since October 2001. Pinellas County is committed to the revitalization efforts of the GRA community.

Community Development Activities in the Greater Ridgecrest Community
GRA Cleanup