Thursday's Afternoon Update

Will Short Gorham | 8/11/2011

Florida real estate markets slip amid economic worries

Economic worries and continued acrimony among lawmakers have claimed yet another casualty: The outlook for real estate markets in Florida declined slightly through the second quarter of 2011, according to a new University of Florida survey. The Survey of Emerging Market Conditions, conducted quarterly by the Kelley A. Bergstrom Center for Real Estate Studies at the Warrington College of Business Administration, concluded that economic and political worries were key components in the decline. "Uncertainty in the direction of the economy and the political gridlock in Washington weigh[ed] on respondents' minds," said Tim Becker, director of the Bergstrom Center. "This prevents companies — making record profits — from investing in personnel. Consumers, uneasy about their own jobs and the slow economic growth, continue to limit spending, which drives a significant portion of gross domestic product. Resolution to the government spending issues in the short and mid-term would help provide more certainty to the marketplace, and is a needed component for meaning improvement in the real estate markets." [Source: UF News]

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Rock history, rolling It's the stuff of rock legend - Jimi Hendrix' famous "Flying V" Gibson. The guitar that Pete Townshend of The Who cracked on the head of Abbie Hoffman on the stage at Woodstock. These and other pieces of rock 'n' roll memorabilia are typically locked up in the Hard Rock's "vault" in an undisclosed location in Orlando. But now the items are on tour and making three final Florida stops. Read more from WUSF and see all the tour dates on the Hard Rock Memorabilia facebook page.

Fro-yo a staple in Palm Beach shopping centers

Forget retirement, Charles Lodowski has a frozen yogurt shop to run. "The yogurt craze is growing," says the 66-year-old who recently moved to West Palm Beach from Nashville. His son, Davie resident Charles Lodowski Jr. and partner Mark Sabbota of Plantation bought the franchise rights for three Menchie's shops and opened the store Lodowski Sr. now runs at PGA Commons and have one planned for a fall opening in Wellington. Dozens of people have gotten into the frozen yogurt business in Palm Beach County in recent months and years. Sabbota said his children, Sydney and Jonah, now 10 and 8, sealed the deal on the Menchie's store because in addition to the self-serve appeal, the franchise targets young customers with stickers and fun characters. [Source: Palm Beach Post]

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Winn-Dixie shows off its new look

Winn-Dixie has unveiled its new look to North Florida. The chain, based in Jacksonville, has been reworking its brand in recent years and the newest design reflects some substantial changes. The result is a store that looks and feels very different than other Winn-Dixies. There's produce outside the front door, and a sitting area up front with wi-fi and free coffee. Inside, the ceilings are high and open, the floors polished concrete. The biggest change is on the right third of the store where the produce, deli and wine are. There, the look is more Whole Foods than Publix, and certainly not Winn-Dixie. Read more and see photos from the Florida Times-Union.

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Darden will open restaurants in Mexico

Orlando-based Darden Restaurants will bring its chains to Mexico, opening at least 37 Olive Gardens, Red Lobsters and Capital Grilles there over the next five years, the company said Thursday. Darden unveiled a new agreement with CMR, a major Mexican casual dining company and franchiser, to develop and operate the restaurants. Darden last month began opening restaurants in the Middle East. Its first, a Red Lobster, opened in Dubai. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

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Deal may bring 600 jobs to KSC

Kennedy Space Center Director Robert Cabana said he is optimistic a deal will close soon to transfer control of a former shuttle hangar to Space Florida. He said that will clear up red tape, and enable what he described as "a commercial company" to move into the building known as Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3, where it hopes to employ 500 to 600 people. Cabana provided that nugget of good news during a speech Wednesday to more than 100 members of the Titusville Area Chamber of Commerce. [Source: Florida Today]

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Spelling out success One book down, a lifetime of writing to go Achieving your dream at 13 seems to be a heady experience. Already a writer who kept a diary for at least three years and, before that, composed essays for school and short stories for herself, Noelle Schneider found out about a book-writing contest just three weeks before the deadline. She worked six to eight hours a day writing and polishing rhymes for Tampa Bay A to Z. And she won. On Wednesday night, when the St. Petersburg girl's book was unveiled at a launch party, she was beaming. "I really want to write more books," she said. "When I was little I wanted to write, so it's been a set thing." Read more about Noelle Schneider from the St. Petersburg Times and see her book here.

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