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Southwest/Tampa Bay In the News - Sept. 2005
COLLIER COUNTY -- The county commission approved a new development called Raffia Preserve, where 10% of the housing units will be set aside for average wage earners. The units will be for those who earn 100% to 125% of the county's median household income of $63,300.
FORT MYERS -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency is attempting to recoup more than $27 million in "overpayments" to more than 6,000 Floridians whose homes were damaged by last year's four hurricanes, according to the News-Press of Fort Myers, which tracked the agency's efforts through a Freedom of Information Act request.
Johnson Engineering, a full-service civil engineering firm, was named one of the 100 fastest-growing engineering/architectural firms in the U.S. in SweigWhite's annual "Hot Firm" list.
Southwest Airlines will begin service to Southwest Florida International Airport next month, making Fort Myers the sixth Florida city to which Southwest provides service.
Florida Gulf Coast University has landed former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev as a speaker in its distinguished University Lecture Series. He will speak on March 28.
President Bush has nominated developer Al Hoffman, chairman of WCI Communities in Bonita Springs and a top Republican fundraiser, to be U.S. ambassador to Portugal. The 71-year-old's nomination is pending Senate approval.
NAPLES -- Construction on the new North Naples Regional Park along Livingston Road just south of Immokalee Road is ahead of schedule. When finished by March, the park -- on 212 acres Collier County purchased -- will feature a shaded, sand-filled archeological dig, athletic fields, several swimming pools and a full concession stand.
Construction:
Homebuilding RecordFORT MYERS -- Single-family home permits in Lee County have tripled in two years. Lee County's Community Development Department issued a record 1,025 single-family permits in June -- a 53% increase over the year-earlier period. In the first six months of 2005, the county has permitted $2.35 billion in construction activity, compared to $1.38 billion in the first six months of 2004.SARASOTA -- Correctional Services Corp. (Nasdaq-CSCQ) won a contract to build and operate a 1,000-bed prison for sex offenders in Florence, Ariz. -- a deal that will generate revenue of $22 million in the first year.
Carbiz Inc., which finances and sells automobiles to consumers with poor credit, is opening a new credit center in Tampa.
ST. PETERSBURG -- Cirque du Soleil will come to Tropicana Field in December to perform the show "Varekai" before moving on to Miami. The performance troupe will hire 150 to 180 temporary workers to assist with ticket sales and other functions.
St. Petersburg College recently bought a vacant building in Largo for $2.35 million, providing the college with 4.46 more acres and 40,000 square feet of space.
TAMPA -- In a joint venture with Sierra Commercial Construction, the Hunt Construction Group won a $35-million contract to build the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' new training facility and corporate headquarters building. The project will include a two-story, 117,000-sq.-ft. office building, a 19,400-sq.-ft. training building and a nearly 10,000-sq.-ft. maintenance building.
Beginning in December, AirTran Airways (NYSE-AAI) plans to begin flying non-stop between Tampa International Airport and Cancun, Mexico. JetBlue, another bargain carrier, plans to add routes between Tampa and Newark International Airport in New Jersey.
Coast Dental Services, which provides management services for 106 dental centers in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia, announced a merger with Intelident Solutions. Coast Dental will become a subsidiary of Intelident.
Humana is adding 200 call-center positions to its Tampa operations, bringing its Tampa workforce to 525.
Declan O'Beirne is GunnAllen Financial's new chief financial officer. He joined the firm in March after serving as CFO of several broker/dealer subsidiaries of the Sterne, Agee & Leach Group.
Seminole Electric Cooperative of Tampa picked Burns & McDonnell, a Kansas City-based engineering firm, to build a 750-megawatt power station. Construction is slated to begin in late 2008.
