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Southwest Florida Business Briefs - Sept. 2006
CHARLOTTE COUNTY :
? The Sierra Club in July dropped its legal effort to block the development on Babcock Ranch after West Palm Beach developer Syd Kitson agreed to more concessions. Kitson -- who purchased the 91,000- acre ranch and sold back 74,000 acres to the state -- agreed to preserve another 2,000 acres at the northern edge of the ranch where he had planned to put 1,600 homes.
? Publix Super Markets plans to build a 600,000-sq.-ft. distribution center on 87 acres at the Charlotte County Airport.
CLEARWATER:
? The city recently installed a $10.6-million system to move traffic along congested U.S. 19 and Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard. The system uses sensors, cameras, computers and advanced software to predict traffic flows and adjust signal "green time."
FORT MYERS:
? Six years after merging, residential builders Lennar and US Home are marketing their homes under the Lennar name in Collier, De Soto, Lee, Charlotte, Manatee and Sarasota counties. ? Sixty-year-old Johnson Engineering was named to ZweigWhite's annual list of 100 fastest-growing engineering and architectural firms in the U.S. The company recently broke ground on a 35,000-sq.-ft. headquarters that will be completed next year.
LEE COUNTY:
? The Florida Addictions Institute will begin offering classes in October to train professionals to treat and prevent drug abuse as part of an 11-month certificate program. The institute, operated by the Lee County Coalition for a Drug-Free Southwest Florida, is the area's largest provider of drug abuse treatment.
NAPLES:
? The Economic Development Council of Collier County is working with the Florida Gulf Coast University Regional Economic Research Institute to collect data on a number of competitiveness issues in the region's core business sector. The study will examine building space, workforce, business environment, business formation and acceleration, access to markets via transportation and telecommunications, and quality of life.
? Barron Collier Cos. plans to develop a 165-acre industrial park between the town of Ave Maria and Immokalee.
OLDSMAR:
? Tampa Bay builder Nohl Crest Homes says it plans to build only "green" homes, featuring, among other things, less toxic paint, energy-efficient appliances and tankless water heaters.
SARASOTA:
? High-tech manufacturer Gyrocam Systems was awarded a $43-million contract to outfit 67 Marine Corps vehicles with specialized camera equipment that can identify explosive devices from a distance.
ST. PETERSBURG:
? The city is studying whether there is a viable market for a wireless network that would be available to all residents for a fee.
? The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools recently recommended full and separate accreditation for the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, which allows the school to freely focus on academic programs requested by its students and the region. This fall, the campus will open a residence hall and parking garage. The USF St. Petersburg regional chancellor still reports to USF President Judy Genshaft, but USF Tampa faculty and administrators will no longer have a decision-making role in such areas as course development, personnel decisions and enrollment planning.
TAMPA:
? Ben Novello resigned as Outback Steakhouse president. Sales over the past year have been disappointing for parent company OSI Restaurant Partners.
? Let's Eat, a meal-assembly company started in 2004 by Tampa residents Marni Poe and Melissa Slack, has opened its first franchised location outside of Florida in Ellicott City, Md. The company hopes to add 15 outlets to the nine it has by the end of the year.
? Tampa Bay insurance broker Acordia, a subsidiary of Wells Fargo and the fifth-largest insurance brokerage in the country, is celebrating its 100th anniversary. The company was founded as Sol Jacobs Insurance in 1906.
? The University of Tampa's John H. Sykes College of Business will launch a bachelor of science major in financial services operations and systems this fall. ? Hybrid car drivers can get a break if they stay at Renaissance Tampa Hotel International Plaza. The hotel is providing complimentary parking to "green" drivers through the end of December.
? The New York Yankees spring training stadium in Tampa will be able to accommodate 500 to 600 more fans thanks to expansion plans that call for a picnic seating area near right field. Hillsborough County will reimburse the Yankees for up to $7.5 million in improvements at Legends Field. The target date for the new seating area is next spring.
