SHARE:
Southwest Florida Business Briefs - Jan. 2006
? Triangle Development kicked off its $225-million Island View/Harrison Village luxury condo project in November...
? Taylor Woodrow's Tower Division is building a beachfront facility, to be called Indigo Beach Residences, on the site of the former Adam's Mark Hotel.
COLLIER/LEE COUNTY --
?
The Urban Land Institute Southwest Florida District Council has launched a new group to provide networking opportunities for young real estate professionals in Collier and Lee counties. The Young Leaders Group is being co-chaired by Penny Bladich, assistant vice president of commercial real estate for TIB Bank, and Rodrigo Godoi, land acquisition manager for the west coast Florida division of Toll Brothers.
FORT MYERS --
?
Cooper Realty purchased 38.1 acres at the northwest corner of Alico Road and Ben Hill Griffin Parkway for $11.25 million. Cooper Hotels plans to build two hotels on the site -- a 165-room Hilton Garden Inn and a 135-room Homewood Suites by Hilton.
MANATEE --
?
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection issued U.S. EnviroFuels an air quality permit that allows the company to build a 40-million-gallon per year ethanol distillery at Port Manatee...
? Community Bank of Manatee, the largest SBA lender in the county, is starting construction on a Community Bank building in Lakewood Ranch. The branch is expected to open its doors during the third quarter with four employees.
SARASOTA --
?
Sarasota voters approved a referendum extending the Sarasota County Forever land protection program for another 10 years. It allows up to $250 million in bonds to be issued to raise funds for large-scale conservation projects.
ST. PETERSBURG --
?
First Advantage Corp. has opened an office in Manila, Philippines, that will employ 50 and cater to multinational corporations needing pre-employment screening. In a $150-million deal, the company also acquired a 75% ownership interest in San Francisco-based LeadClick Media, an internet-based lead generation service for the automotive, real estate and financial markets. First Advantage also acquired the mortgage credit reporting assets of Credit Data Services from Experian for an undisclosed amount.
TAMPA --
?
As part of a statewide expansion, Kolter Communities has established a new Tampa Bay office...
? Countrywide Home Loans will build its new financial services center in Hillsborough County...
? Baker Barrios Architects, as part of a design/build team with J. Kokolakis Contracting, recently completed design plans for a $6-million renovation of the Joint Military Science Leadership Center on the University of South Florida's main campus...
? WUSF 89.7-FM has jumped into the podcasting game (wusf.org). Listeners can download programming heard during Morning Edition and All Things Considered, as well as locally produced shows like Florida Matters and University Beat...
? American Laser Centers, which offers hair removal, cellulite reduction, microdermabrasion and other services, has opened its first facility in Tampa. It's the Detroit-based company's eighth location in Florida and one of 12 facilities planned for the Gulf Coast region, including two more Tampa locations slated for Wesley Chapel and south Tampa.
