Port St. Joe, FL -- A group of North Port St. Joe residents who filed a lawsuit claiming the city discriminated against them has withdrawn the part of their complaint dealing with plans for a community redevelopment area.

Last year, Port St. Joe's Downtown Redevelopment Area was expanded to include North Port St. Joe, a historically black area.

Starting from the time such an area is created, all the increases in tax revenues gathered from the area are put right back into revitalization and improvements for the community.

Back in February, a group of 12 residents of the proposed redevelopment area challenged it in federal court, saying the city has discriminated against them in areas such as housing, economics, education, jobs and social standing. 

The federal lawsuit stated that North Port St. Joe's inclusion in the DRA continued the pattern of discrimination.

Now, the Gulf County branch of the NAACP and the Port St. Joe Redevelopment Agency say the "apparent failures in communication that led to including a challenge to the redevelopment in the federal lawsuit were successfully addressed."

The residents have signed a statement in support of the redevelopment area, which the Port St. Joe Redevelopment Agency says removes the challenge to the DRA. 

The remaining claims in the lawsuit still stand.

To read the full statement, click here.