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Southwest Florida Business Briefs - March 2007
BONITA SPRINGS --
? The South Florida Water Management District has awarded $1 million to Bonita Springs Utilities to help fund the construction of a $58-million wastewater-treatment plant that will handle up to 4 million gallons of wastewater per day.
BRADENTON --
? The Pittsburgh Pirates renewed their lease with Bradenton through 2038. Recent upgrades to the team's spring training facilities included new lights at McKechnie Field, new dormitories and meeting rooms at Pirate City and clubhouse renovations at both McKechnie and Pirate City.
? Beall's is moving its headquarters to Tropicana's old offices at 1001 13th Ave. E.
CHARLOTTE COUNTY --
? Ajax Building Corp., a Tallahassee-based construction management firm, has opened a satellite office at 4055 Tamiami Trail in Port Charlotte.
? Florida Gulf Coast University abandoned its plan to locate a new satellite campus on the former Hudson ranch in northeastern Charlotte County after county commissioners and the state board of governors rejected the site, arguing it was too remote and could contribute to urban sprawl.
CITRUS COUNTY --
? The county is issuing $53 million in bonds -- the largest in its history -- to pay for the $30-million purchase of 11 water and five sewer utilities from the Florida Governmental Utility Authority. The rest of the money will go to upgrading existing utilities.
? German authorities have refused to extradite Miami developer Natalia Wolf to the United States. Wolf, who is under investigation for her involvement in a multimillion-dollar land scam in Citrus Springs and south Florida, could face charges in Germany.
CLEARWATER --
? Orion Communities is planning to tear down the Radisson Bay Harbor Hotel at Rocky Point to build condos and a luxury hotel.
? Clearwater residents will vote this month on an $11-million proposal to create 129 to 140 public boat slips on the downtown waterfront and renovate the Pierre building on Drew Street.
COLLIER COUNTY --
? The Collier County Housing Authority received $9.2 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to renovate 100 of the oldest units at the Farm Worker Village in Immokalee. The residential community provides low-rent housing to 610 farmworker families, or approximately 2,300 people.
FORT MYERS --
? AIM Engineering & Surveying is building a $10-million headquarters at the I-75 and Colonial Boulevard interchange.
HERNANDO COUNTY --
? The Southwest Florida Water Management District's Coastal Rivers Basin board approved $75,000 toward building a $110,000 observation deck at the Springs Coast Environmental Education Center on the Weeki Wachee River.
? Homeowners in the Spring Hill community of Pristine Place are protesting Wal-Mart's plans to build a super center near Minnie Drive and Barclay Avenue.
NAPLES --
? Bancshares of Florida has changed its name to Bank of Florida.
PINELLAS COUNTY --
? Sarah Coventry, a Rhode Island jewelry company, is relocating to Oldsmar. The move will create about 100 jobs over three years.
? Lockheed Martin's Oldsmar facility received a $5.1-million contract to produce seven Acoustic Rapid Commercial Off-the-Shelf Insertion sonar system upgrades, which process acoustic signals from submarines.
SARASOTA --
? The non-profit group START, Solutions To Avoid Red Tide, is partnering with the Essential Image Source Foundation to produce a high-definition documentary on red tide. The film will depict the activities of START, Mote Marine, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and NOAA to protect and nurture Florida's Gulf marine environment.
? The Sarasota County School District is planning to build two technical high schools costing $170 million to $190 million.
? Outdoor-furniture manufacturer Carter Grandle filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
ST. PETERSBURG --
? Jabil Circuit (NYSE-JBL) has borrowed $1 billion for its $900-million purchase of Taiwan Green Point Enterprises, a mobile phone products company. The remaining $100 million will be used for general corporate purposes.
? St. Petersburg College has begun a $40-million renovation of its Clearwater campus.
? Downtown Seminole, a Delaware company, purchased the Seminole Mall for $35.7 million.
? Eckerd College was placed on "warning" status by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools for failing to comply with accreditation standards related to its financial stability.
TAMPA --
? The German investment fund BVT sold Centro Ybor, the troubled entertainment complex in Ybor City, to M&J Wilkow for $16 million. The new owner is considering turning part of the movie theater portion of the complex into condos.
? An environmental testing firm is challenging U.S. EnviroFuels plans to build an $86-million ethanol plant adjacent to the testing firm at the Port of Tampa. In a countersuit, U.S. EnviroFuels asked the judge to affirm its right to build on the Port Sutton site.
