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Economic Yearbook 2006 - Northwest Florida
Hitting Home
In the Florida panhandle, the issue is housing, from Pensacola to Apalachicola.
New Companies
? Birmingham, Ala., sports medicine specialist Dr. James Andrews teamed with Baptist Health Care to build the $30-million Andrews Institute for Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine in Gulf Breeze. The institute opens this year with 150 employees.
? Fort Worth-based D.R. Horton is launching Panhandle projects, operating from a division office in Pensacola and building initially in five Florida counties, Escambia through Bay.
? Lowe's opened regional offices in Pensacola to support a growing five-state store base; company and staff contributed money and manpower for post-hurricane rebuilding efforts.
? Vienna, Va.-based Navy Federal Credit Union's 3-year-old Heritage Oaks Call Center in Pensacola employs 700; current expansion could add 400 more.
Pensacola/Escambia County
Pensacola's back-to-the-city movement reverses a decades-long flight to suburbia. Eleven residential projects offering 402 units are proposed, with at least six to start this year. "Over the next five years, we want to generate 2,000 new residential units to replace Hurricane Ivan losses and while doing that improve the quality of housing stock,'' says Community Redevelopment Agency Director David Bailey. Some 30% of buyer interest is from outside the region. ... Among those touting downtown's advantages is downtown-dwelling architect Brian Spencer, a partner in two New Urbanism projects at the city's center -- a $30-million condominium and an office-residence conversion from a circa-1890s warehouse. "It eliminates the dreaded auto commute and rewards the buyer with a walkable neighborhood.'' ... County economic developers, meanwhile, are revamping their recruitment strategy, targeting the healthcare sector and entrepreneurs.
Key Newcomers
? Franklin D. (Kim) Kimbrough brought 20 years' experience in downtown revitalization to the executive director's post of Pensacola's Downtown Improvement Board. He spearheaded the first annual Sunday afternoon trolley tour of downtown residential possibilities, to help persuade residents to move downtown.
? Kyle Marrero plays a dual role advancing arts and cultural offerings of community and campus. He commuted for five years from Baton Rouge, La., as artistic director of the Pensacola Opera. Last year he moved in and also became chair of the University of West Florida music department.
Business Beat - Week of May 3rd
